Salman Butt looks back at four crazy days at Headingley and ahead to the England series

Nagraj Gollapudi27-Jul-2010It is a good sign that you are not getting carried away despite a good win in Headingley?
We all know it is a very young side and nobody expected us to do what we did [level the series]. It is very important to stay calm, relaxed and focused because there is a much more important series coming up against the home team who know the conditions much better than anyone else. So we need to work very hard, work on every opportunity we get and make use of the conditions as far as possible. That way we can try to give England a tough time.Watching the games it seems the players have done well to stay calm and devoted despite the rumblings in the aftermath of the Lord’s defeat. Has that played a role in you slipping into the captaincy role easily?
It is wonderful to see the boys stick together as a unit in the second Test and they all fought really well. They need to do the same now in every game they play. We as humans can only make efforts and that is all I require of them.Did this camaraderie among the team strike you as surprising?
It is not something that just came to me during or after the Headingley Test. I have always had faith in this unit right through this tour. I’ve played with most of these guys from my Under-19 days and quite a few of them play with me at National Bank and Lahore in the domestic cricket. So I know they all have the capability to become match-winners. Yes, it will take some time to really make a name in international cricket but the quicker they can adapt, the quicker they start playing to their potential, the greater the chances of Pakistan winning more and more games.One youngster who has shown that potential is Azhar Ali. He stood strong at a crucial stage in Leeds’ chase and played his natural game. How hopeful are you of him?
He is a wonderful prospect. The best thing about him is he is never seen off target. He is never seen playing shots which he wouldn’t do normally. He plays his cricket in his limits. He knows his shots, his scoring areas. In the four innings so far, three times he got out a very good ball which any good batsman might have found hard to negotiate as well. Azhar is a very good talent and if he can carry on this way he has the ability to stabilise the Pakistan batting. He proved that during the fourth innings at Headingley where he showed great temperament and resolve against the Aussies as well as a good technique in tough conditions. But you should not forget Imran Farhat’s contribution. He kept the scoring rate high and kept hitting the boundaries at the other end, which helped Azhar to not take pressure. So, full credit to Imran, who built the crucial partnership with Azhar in the run chase.Farhat is a peculiar case. He has been under pressure in every match he has played after his comeback in New Zealand last year. Yet without scoring massively, or prettily, he has helped form a decent opening partnership with you. How important a cog is he in your wheel?
He has been playing really well from the time of his comeback in the New Zealand last year. It is really fun to bat with him as we help each a lot and share a lot of ideas while we bat. Imran did the same with Azhar. I don’t have enough words to praise them because the situation they built the partnership came under lot of pressure and had a greater importance.Imran is a senior to me, having started to play for Pakistan three to four years before me. So he has a few things to add to my knowledge and vice versa. Each time the one of us makes a mistake we are honest to point it out to the other. Both being left-handers, we understand each other, which is an added advantage. The best thing about our partnership is we are both approachable. That is the only way forward for us and this applies to every other player in the team.Salman Butt was full of praise for the efforts of his opening partner, Imran Farhat, who made crucial runs at Headingley•Getty ImagesBut there still remains this lingering doubt about his temperament. Do you agree?
In the last few years he has strengthened his defence. In the past he used to pounce on the short ball straightaway. He has cut down on that now which is very essential in international cricket and I think him having a control over his shots has helped him score a bit more regularly. It is one of the strengths of any great batsman: if you know what you need to do on a particular wicket it only makes you more confident. I just hope Imran goes playing the same way. He has got the ability, the temperament and the shots. So if he keeps on playing the same way he will be a big asset for Pakistan.How big a factor was getting advice from seniors like Shoaib Malik and Kamran Akmal?
I was very lucky in this regard. Not only those two, but every single player including the first-timers had something to say to me all the time. The way they ran around the ground, cheering the fast bowlers, picking their sweaters before passing on to the umpires, chatting all the time and motivating the bowlers created a positive bubble and lifted the team. I asked [Umar] Amin to bowl and he did not hesitate, so the players were ready and willing to do anything.Was it an instinctive decision or planned out to bowl Amin?
I had told him two days before the Test that he might be asked to bowl if need be. I told the part-timers like Farhat and Azhar to be ready because I know as a batsman it is really distracting to face somebody who is not a regular bowler at a crucial time on a difficult pitch. Yes, the Marcus North example at Lord’s where he got me out at the stroke of lunch did play at the back of my mind. But captains, if they have options, are always are willing to take a chance.So you are not afraid to dare?
If there are doubts then take the most aggressive decision because God helps the brave. My team-mates never say no to anything so I am lucky to have these guys around me.But Pakistan’s fate was scripted by the fast bowlers on the first day when you demolished Australia for 88.
Of course, I cannot deny the importance of the first innings and that was the key to the result. The way Mohammad Aamer, Mohammad Asif and Umar Gul bowled was brilliant. Without any doubt I can say that Aamer and Asif are the best pair in the world at the moment. Gul with the old ball is the most dangerous because he bowls the best reverse swing that I’ve played in recent times. I am a lucky person to have such an armoury and they are Pakistan’s trump card in Pakistan’s successes in the recent past and for a long time in the future.But it is a challenge now to preserve these fast bowlers with four back-to-back Tests in the next month?
We will be talking to the bowlers. We have to look after each other. But if somebody is feeling tired, disheartened, or if he feels there is any injury scare he can always come out and speak to me and the seniors. It is not only me, but the seniors and the team management who will sit and decide. It is not only this series but with the World Cup fast approaching we definitely have that, too, at the back of our minds so we will preserve key people but at the same time in the big games – Tests – we need to play our best team and plan accordingly.Pakistan’s batting is still fragile and the batsmen haven’t show their real promise. What is the message on the eve of the England series?
Batting is the most difficult job. Let it be a Viv Richards, Sachin Tendulkar, Saeed Anwar, Inzamam ul Haq or Javed Miandad it only takes one good ball, one bad shot, one bad mistake to get out and sit and watch others. Batsmen do not become great overnight – you have to give them time, you have to back them and keep on backing them and telling them how good they are and how good they possibly can be. We have to be mentally ready for that. We have a good opening partnerships and Azhar and Amin are bright prospects. Then there is Umar Akmal – even if he hasn’t yet shown his true potential during the Test series, I have a lot of time for him. If he can bat for two hours he can change the game on his own. The same is the case with his brother Kamran, who has not shown his full potential but hopefully I see them clicking in the England series.Rising star: Mohammad Aamer’s form is key to Pakistan’s chances against England•Getty ImagesIn the past a bad result has led to repercussions for a captain. He gets the blame straightaway. Do you think the positive comeback against Australia might change that?
I don’t know what to say. My job is to play the team at hand, and the team they have given me I see ability in them. At the same I keep saying, and insisting, that we need to back the players. It is alright that we have achieved a good victory but there will be tough times ahead and they will make mistakes so me as a captain, we as a unit and nation need to back the players and only then we will see a change.You have tirelessly said that you are open to the inclusion of Mohammad Yousuf and Younis Khan if the selectors pick them. But are you open to their comeback?
It is not in my domain. It is up to the PCB and the selectors to decide. I have to play the team given to me. As far as I’m concerned nobody has spoken to me as yet about this subject so I can’t comment further on this.Are you going to ask the board on your own?
It totally depends on when they start talking to me. I am not the one who is going to start this conversation because at the moment I am playing with the team given to me.It is still early to talk about your captaincy. But what are the lessons you learnt from Ricky Ponting?
Firstly, people might think he made a bad decision batting first at Headingley, but it is very rare he has lost a Test match in this fashion. I still praise his confidence. It is a very positive statement he passes on to the other side that whenever he wins the toss he puts himself in to bat. Not often do Australia fold for 88. And it is never easy in the fourth innings for others teams to chase. He is a very bold character and a very productive captain. The way he placed his field on the last day when 40 runs were needed, and the way he mixed attack and defence, it was definitely a good lesson for me. He is a person to learn from and I always admire his skills. He has one of the best units in the world which helps any captain – if you have a good team and people with the ability to win you games you are lucky as a captain. I am lucky, too, with a very good bowling line-up and very promising young batsmen and I hope every player in my unit will rise to the occasion.Did you get a pat on your back for the Leeds victory?
Justin Langer remarked the youngsters have a good technique and showed very good match temperament. That was very heartening for the youngsters that a great player like him praised them. But then again if they keep on doing well people praise them. There are no born heroes in this world. You have to do something to make a name for yourself. The more they do well, the more people will recognise them as heroes, and the better role model they will become.Finally about this series. England will be tough opponents playing in their home conditions. What is the key now?
You can make it as complicated as you can and this includes myself too. I can use words to make it as complicated as I can or I can just say we have to put in the hard work which is more simple and straight. If we play to our potential England will not have an easy ride. So we need to put in 100 percent.

Former players and columnists on the latest saga to unfold in Pakistan cricket

Cricinfo staff18-Jul-2010″If he was not prepared for Test cricket then he should have thought about this before accepting the captaincy. His decision has come at a wrong time for Pakistan cricket and will complicate issues in the team.”

“It makes no sense that Afridi should decide now he is not ready to play Test matches. He is himself totally confused as to what he wants do. To make him the Test captain was a wrong decision.”

“Test cricket will be none the poorer for his absence. His brainless batting besmirched this match; his astonishing lack of leadership mocked some of his team-mates’ best efforts.”
Telegraph’s
“I ask the board, is this not a violation of the code of conduct to announce such a big decision without taking team management into confidence?”
“We all know he took the captaincy unwillingly, but when he took the responsibility he should have fulfilled it. His sudden decision will also affect younger players.”
“Clearly he made the decision himself; he could not be pushed, having been beseeched so recently by his board to return to Test cricket.”
Observer”Afridi was a misfit in Test team so it put added pressure on him.”
“I don’t think there was ever any place in the Test squad for Afridi, and in the first place he should not have been considered for the Tests”
“Afridi was lamentable, an indisciplined disaster, whose sole virtue, bless him, was to recognise that he did not have the temperament for Test cricket.”
Independent on Sunday

For the past two decades Australia has provided the benchmark of, and framework for, success. England heeded the lessons but have now crafted a method that can lead them to the top

Sahil Dutta09-Jan-2011After racking up three innings victories and a dazzling collection of statistics over the last five Tests, England have a side that can rank, in the record books at least, alongside the best in Ashes history. Their true standing will be revealed over the next few years and though they have some distance to travel before they can claim to be world No. 1, Andrew Strauss and his team of unwavering pragmatists might just have forged a modern formula to challenge for the title.England are the golden generation without the glitter, the champions without the swagger and the Ashes heroes without the talisman. Unlike even 2005, there was no ‘Freddie’ figure in this series. Alastair Cook was no less gargantuan but, despite spending over 2000 minutes at the crease, it was difficult to remember even a single stroke. The two players most naturally suited to the starring role – Graeme Swann and Kevin Pietersen – had their moments, but never stole the show.Instead, a team built on the earthly qualities of hard work and patience quietly etched their way into history. In part, the conservatism that filters down from Strauss and Andy Flower is a response to their own resources. Good as they are, James Anderson and Swann are not yet Glenn McGrath and Warne; Chris Tremlett and Tim Bresnan hardly Joel Garner and Malcom Marshall. But it runs deeper than that. On that heady fourth evening at the SCG, with the Barmy Army in full voice and England marching to victory with an end-of-term sparkle in their step, Strauss would still not part with his mid-on run-saver. And that with Tremlett on a hat-trick and Australia’s No. 9 in his sights.In the equivalent situation it’s difficult to imagine Steve Waugh operating with much less than an eight-slip umbrella. For Waugh the show of bravado was crucial to instilling that all-important ‘aura’ of invincibility. But it’s just not England’s way. Strauss and the rest of the team have entirely bought in to the strategy of ‘bowling dry’. The gaping space between third slip and gully may infuriate former fast bowlers in the commentary box but Strauss does not waver. Suffocate, rather than intimidate, is England’s route to success.In an era where batsmen’s egos and averages have been fattened on a diet of flat pitches and fat bats, and their patience thinned on a conveyor-belt of instant cricket, England’s instinct for caution could be what separates them from the pack. Four years ago England came to Australia wanting to recreate the drama of 2005 and went looking for wickets in rush. They were dispatched at almost four runs an over (3.83) and lost five-nil. This time they’ve stacked up 178 maidens and conceded almost a run an over less (2.99). That kind of thrift demands that each bowler toes the party line (and length), shunning the self-interest of the headline ball for a greater team purpose.Fittingly it was Anderson who provided the model. As recently as a year ago he was more likely to rattle the scoreboard with boundary-balls than he was with wickets. But now he’s a poster-boy for austerity. Gone is the search for the start-leg-hit-off magic-balls and down too is his pace, which barely touched 90mph all series. In bowling within himself he protected both his economy rate and his body and it’s a formula his team-mates followed.Tremlett learned the hard way that saving his hulking frame by sacrificing fire for accuracy is a better strategy – both for surviving the congested fixture list and also for taking top-order wickets. Bresnan too has gained, finding stardom that never looked possible a year ago, simply by piling up dot balls. In doing so they have proved that winning in Australia doesn’t need mystery wrist-spin or 95mph thunderbolts. Instead common endeavour and a demon ring of cover fielders will suffice.The comparison with Australia’s bowlers is revealing. They suffered from having to chase the game and in their desperation to amend their batsmen’s mistakes leaked well over three an over (3.41). Worse still the harder they strove, the more they lost. Doug Bollinger and Ryan Harris both hared in, only to limp off with injury. The one time England were forced off their own pace – trying to recover an 81-run first-innings deficit at Perth – the bowlers disappeared for 3.59 an over.That they had the luxury of hefty scores behind them at Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney was again down more to prudence than panache. It’s notable that England’s leading run-scorers in this series – Alastair Cook and Jonathan Trott – are their two most risk-averse players, both absent from the side of World Twenty20 winners. Compared with the magnetism and inspiration of the stars in past great teams – be it Richards, Gordon Greenidge, Adam Gilchrist or Matthew Hayden – England’s caution may not feel like the recipe for domination but allied to the togetherness instilled by Flower and Strauss, they have landed on a combination that will yield results.For the past two decades Australia has provided the benchmark of, and framework for, success. England heeded the lessons but have now crafted a method that can lead them to the top.

High-quality batting, real fast bowling, clever legspin, collapses and recoveries plus a few howlers for good measure made for an enthralling encounter

Osman Samiuddin in Colombo26-Feb-2011At last, a big game to match the occasion. The World Cup has needed this and the 50-overs game has needed it as well. This was ODI cricket at its most infectious, when you feel it inside you, when you can’t help but respond to its many rhythms and nuances, shift around as it shifts it gears, when each one of the 100 overs of the day is of meaning and consequence.There was atmosphere at the R Premadasa from the off, music and noise for once. Pakistan’s openers came out at Sri Lanka’s bowlers and a game was on our hands. Soon there was comedy, in Mohammad Hafeez’s run-out, when men lose their wits utterly to the occasion itself.There was then intelligence and wisdom in the partnership of Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq. For those who lack an appreciation of subtlety, the middle overs are hell. But how beautifully the pair manipulated angles and found space, a dink here, a deflection there, and how hard they ran. With barely any boundaries, the pair put on a 108-run stand at near enough a run a ball and the pace never felt as if it was slacking. In all they ran 65 singles and ten twos, true descendants of Asif Iqbal and Javed Miandad. Simultaneously there was the very physical appreciation of Sri Lankans in the field. Inside the circle they zipped around, like flying fish, hungry.There was individual genius. In the build-up to this game, Pakistan spoke of Muttiah Muralitharan as if he wasn’t Muttiah Muralitharan. He’s too old, we play him well enough, he doesn’t take wickets against us as he used to. All of this is essentially correct. Pakistan have learnt to play Muralitharan well but he still turned the entire nature of their innings, with his bowling at the death. It was mesmerising stuff, a reminder of his quite immense brain, against a bright young talent, and a batsman set and in real form. Basically it was defence, but beautiful and actually a form of attack.The evening was lit up by those skills that, in the hands of limited overs, these days can often feel like the cricket equivalent of Didier Deschamps, football’s most (in)famous water-carrier: called on for the dirty, unglamorous chores. Two passages of action were outstanding. The first was Shoaib Akhtar, who even at this stage in his career, is capable of recreating the heat every now and again of his early years. As a spectacle, pinging back Mahela Jayawardene’s middle stump was difficult to better and it probably turned the game.In the next over, Shahid Afridi’s delicious undoing of Thilan Samaraweera effectively sealed matters. Pace at one end and leg-spin at the other: it is not an unusual combination any more but the richness of its choreography and the vast possibilities it contains has always been brought out best by Pakistan.Later, we saw how men and collectives can fall apart. Pakistan do it often but there’s always a strange calmness about how it happens. To the eye, it doesn’t feel like anything is breaking down. No one is running about shouting or screaming, there are smiles and expressionless faces and bemused smiles. Yet easy catches are dropped, run-outs missed, misfields, wides and no-balls bowled, poor decisions made and so on.Chamara Silva came close to pulling off the most cunning heist so that there was always punch and counter punch, so that for every wicket that fell late on, a boundary was the response, cricket in perfect balance as it should be. Of course the result sets the rest of the tournament up just right. Co-hosts and favourites beaten by dark horses is a story that sells and sells.Suddenly you look at the schedule and repercussions are discussed. The tournament has meaning. Pakistan will pop up on to a lot of people’s radars and they will be talked about because this is a serious result, achieved with an unbalanced side that finds it difficult to finish off games.

Plays of the day from the 4th ODI between England and Sri Lanka at Trent Bridge

Andrew McGlashan at Trent Bridge06-Jul-2011Call of the dayAlastair Cook’s day finished superbly, but it started even better when he won a crucial toss. The Trent Bridge pitch was very green and he had no hesitation in putting Sri Lanka into bat. This was no Headingley, it was made for the fast bowlers. And in James Anderson they have one of the best around for exploiting the swinging ball. As soon as he removed Tillakaratne Dilshan in the first over the feeling was that this would be England’s day. Yes, the conditions were in the home side’s favour but that’s how it should be. To their credit, England were good enough to make it count.Relief of the dayWhen you’ve waited 39 overs (spread over five matches) to take your next wicket it doesn’t really matter how it comes. The pressure has been growing on Stuart Broad and the signs weren’t great in his first over when an edge flew wide of second slip then another boundary flew over cover. So the relief on Broad’s face was unsurprising when Suraj Randiv gloved down the leg side and even though Richard Illingworth’s finger didn’t take long to come up it would have felt an age for Broad.Catch of the dayEngland pride themselves on taking half chances, something that hasn’t always happened in this series, and Tim Bresnan showed the way with a superb caught-and-bowled to remove the dangerous Angelo Mathews. The batsman had been squared up by a touch of extra bounce but the leading edge appeared to be looping into no-man’s land on the off side. However, Bresnan continued from his follow through then stretched full length to grab the ball with his finger tips and, crucially, didn’t let it slip out as he rolled on the ground. Mathews wasn’t sure, but all the TV replay did was prove what a fine take it had been.Quiet achievement of the dayEngland have the best one-day bowler in the world. Take a bow Graeme Swann. The rankings tables on various websites won’t show it because they are only updated after a series finishes, but Swann has moved into top spot to replace Daniel Vettori. Although he went wicketless today on his home ground – even though replays showed he should have had an lbw with his final ball – the seven wickets in the first three matches, and an impressive economy rate of 3.51, were enough to push him to the head of the pack.Chris Gayle impression of the dayThis was Alastair Cook as we’ve rarely seen him and it was an impressive sight. His hundred at Lord’s was incredible worthy but this was, hands down, his best one-day innings for England as a 37-ball fifty set the team well on their way to beating the threatening weather to level the series. The bowling was friendly and 12 off the first over kick-started the innings but, like Mahela Jayawardene, it was authentic, positive batting. How bothered was he to reach a hundred? After what he said about Dinesh Chandimal at Lord’s it was probably a mix of feelings but he was able to prove a point.

How do you think the England v India Test series will go? Here’s what former players have to say

20-Jul-2011Nari Contractor: “In Sehwag’s absence India will be found wanting, we will be experimenting at the top.”•Associated Press”England will start as favourites since they will be playing at home. Also, they have a better seam attack that will be able to exploit the conditions better. Having said that, India have a better side on paper, definitely a longer batting line-up. It could come down to a contest between quality batting sides. At the moment, England’s top six are as good as any in world cricket, India’s strength has always been its batting.”
“England have some of the best seamers in their armoury. Handling Chris Tremlett will be a tough task for the Indians. Then, there is James Anderson, who can swing the ball beautifully. Swann won’t be as threatening as others because Indians are good players of spin. They are a very good fielding side. India have also improved, but we have been dropping catches in the slip cordon and that is the area we need to improve upon.”
“England are a good side. They have variety in their attack. They have great top order batting, for them to make next step and stay there it will be about how they play the game. If they just stick to process and wear oppositions down they will not win series by whitewashes. They are just going to do enough and win 1-0. Strauss needs to put them in a situation where it is win at all costs. Then it is fun, it is energising and makes it entertaining for everyone.”
“We are not playing in an era when we have a great team like Australia who have dominated for so long. They were so much better than the rest of the world. India are a good team, but you can certainly see England within a year or so getting there.”
“India won the recently concluded West Indies tour and there seems to be no reason for not continuing with the feat in England. The Indian team will surely come back victorious.”
“We used to quake in our boots when the West Indies batting order was read out. Greenidge, Haynes, Gomes, Richards, Richardson, Lloyd, Dujon, and then the nuclear warhead [the bowling line-up] after that. Sehwag, Gambhir, Dravid, Tendulkar, Laxman, Kohli, Dhoni has a similar ring to it. But I think England have a better bowling attack. Bounce and swing will unsettle the Indian batsmen because they’re not used to that at home.”
“To me, on paper, it’s a very even contest. I think the pitches could define which way the series goes. I wouldn’t suggest we play it on green seamers, because I don’t think their attack is bad. Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma and Munaf Patel – they’ll be decent on seaming tracks, which is why it’s quite even. In terms of turning wickets as well, you’ve got Harbhajan Singh, you’ve got Graeme Swann.”
“I can see draws at both Lord’s and Trent Bridge, and if that is the case then the third Test at Edgbaston might well be the time for England to go all-out for the 20 Indian wickets they need to win a match. If you want to get to No. 1 in the world then you have to be prepared at times to all-out attack.”
“It will be a contest of their bowlers versus our batsmen. Sehwag on top would always relieve pressure on the rest of the side, but in his absence, India will be found wanting. We will be experimenting at the top in Sehwag’s absence, so that makes us vulnerable and if two of these three legends [Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman] don’t stand up, like they have done for so long, India are in trouble.”
“India have a real chance. Clearly, the way Ishant Sharma bowled in the West Indies is a plus for India. He and Zaheer Khan have a big role to play. The Zaheer-Andrew Strauss battle is the one to look out for. Then, we all know about India’s batting. Look at Harbhajan Singh, he has two Test hundreds.”
“If England win the toss, bat first and play 5 bowlers, they will win the Lord’s Test, weather permitting.”

ESPNcricinfo picks a team of the best performers in the tournament

Abhishek Purohit10-Oct-2011David Warner, 328 runs at a strike-rate of 172.63

Becoming the first man to score consecutive Twenty20 hundreds, Warner showed that sustained power-hitting could be achieved without resorting to slogging. Both his centuries came in must-win games on pitches as different as those in Bangalore and Chennai. Many marauding batsmen – including Chris Gayle – have been tamed by R Ashwin in crunch situations in this format but Warner targeted him with three switch-hit boundaries, the last of which sailed over the extra cover boundary. Hitting as straight as possible, Warner peppered the arc from wide long-off to deep midwicket with sixes and even displayed new-found patience by giving himself time to settle in. No wonder he was gutted when his second century proved to be insufficient in the first semi-final.Chris Gayle, 257 runs at a strike-rate of 178.47

The Royal Challengers Bangalore team management may deny it but it was clear in IPL 2011 that their fortunes rose and dipped with Gayle’s performances. That trend generally continued in the Champions League. They lost three of the four games in which Gayle did not last long, including the final. Twice Gayle fired, and twice, the opposition might as well have not turned up. Somerset were silenced with eight sixes, and even Warner dejectedly slumped on the ground after another eight put NSW out of the tournament. Gayle got a marginal leg-before decision early in the final, and that was the end of the Royal Challengers’ campaign.Craig Kieswetter, 144 runs at a strike-rate of 123.07

He joined the Somerset squad late but Kieswetter almost took his side to the final with consecutive half-centuries that were as effective as they were patient. Kieswetter’s batting reputation has been built on assaults at the top of the order for England in limited-overs cricket. He showed that his game was flexible enough to accommodate different pitches and conditions and still make a decisive impact. His 62 was the highest individual score in the second semi-final, and had he not got hit on the forearm by Jos Buttler’s shot in the penultimate over, he could have ended up on the winning side. His wicketkeeping, safe and assured, was a bonus.Virat Kohli, 232 runs at a strike-rate of 145.91

If Warner differentiated relentless hitting from slogging, Kohli made it look beautiful as well. No total was safe when he was in flow on the true Bangalore pitch. In his short career, he has shown sharp awareness of the angles on the field, and his trademark whip-drives and swat-flicks almost always found the gaps. Twice the Royal Challengers chased more than 200, and Kohli was Man of the Match on both occasions. The inside-out loft over extra cover may well define him in the years to come. He played it almost at will when a boundary was needed, against pace and spin both. The slow Chennai pitch didn’t suit him though in the all-important final.Callum Ferguson, 147 runs at a strike-rate of 159.78
Closer to Kohli on the hitting scale than Warner, Ferguson backed his words when he promised of a “braver” batting approach after South Australia’s insipid opening defeat against Warriors. Two days later against the Knight Riders, he exploded after a watchful start, taking 21 off a Yusuf Pathan over. Featuring mostly straight hitting, his unbeaten 70 off 40 balls gave South Australia their only win of the tournament. A similar effort against Royal Challengers followed, but Kohli was better on the night.Roelof van der Merwe, 179 runs at a strike-rate of 164.22, six wickets @ 7.04 runs an over
van der Merwe was the unlikely hero for Somerset, with the feisty combination of frenetic hitting at No. 3 and the aggression of a fast bowler while bowling left-arm darts. He did the early running for Somerset before Kieswetter arrived, twice getting them past Kolkata Knight Riders’ army of slow bowlers with furious yet clean hitting. He impressed so much that he retained the No. 3 spot even after Kieswetter and Buttler arrived. His flat left-arm spin was difficult to get away and whole-hearted fielding in the deep made him the complete package.Kevon Cooper, five wickets @ 5.29 runs an over, 65 runs at a strike-rate of 191.17

Kieron Pollard’s act in the inaugural Champions League was tough to follow, but Cooper at least revived the memories, twice proving the difference between victory and defeat for Trinidad & Tobago with the bat. His twenties low down the order at strike-rates of 280 and 227.27 were decisive in low-scoring games. His slow-medium loopy deliveries appeared even more innocuous than Pollard’s but along with the T&T spinners, he proved virtually impossible to hit throughout, even likening the slow pitches to those back home.Harbhajan Singh’s spell changed the course of the final•Associated PressHarbhajan Singh, seven wickets @ 6.27 runs an over

Samuel Badree had a much better economy rate, but Harbhajan’s impact on Mumbai Indians went far beyond his bowling, coming good as it did on the big occasion of the final. He was stand-in leader of a side that needed to get the tournament rules changed in order to be able to put an XI on the field. His partnership with Lasith Malinga brought MI back from the dead against Chennai Super Kings and his three wickets played their part in the last-ball win over T&T. But it was the way he somehow managed to get the best out of a ragged outfit at crucial junctures that was his biggest contribution. And when the biggest moment came, he stepped up with the ball too, getting Gayle and Kohli in the final.Lasith Malinga, 10 wickets @ 5.85 runs an over, 68 runs at a strike-rate of 183.78

Malinga’s impact on MI’s fortunes was bigger than Gayle’s on the Royal Challengers’. And that tells everything. Twice he bailed MI out of a hole, with the bat, during the group stage. Somerset knew what was coming, yet had no answer to his yorkers and dipping full tosses in the second semi-final. His two sixes in a low-scoring final gave him a bit more to defend. Harbhajan persisted with him after his first two overs had gone for 15, and Malinga responded by bowling Tillakaratne Dilshan with the first ball of the third. There could not have been an easier choice for the Man of the Series.Ravi Rampaul, 12 wickets @ 6.25 runs an over

It has been a remarkable year for Rampaul. He has finally got it together, running in with gusto, bowling with pace and control, and hurrying batsmen with zip and bounce. Even the slow Indian wickets could not stop him from troubling batsmen with the short ball. In an attack which thrived on taking pace off the ball, Rampaul turned out to be too much of a contrast for the opposition, except at the death against NSW and Moises Henriques.Sunil Narine, 10 wickets @ 4.37 runs an over

No one could make any sense of Narine’s assortment of offbreaks, legbreaks and “knuckle balls.” He didn’t turn the ball much, but that does not help when batsmen are clueless about which direction the ball is going after Narine’s fast release. The most he went for in any game was 26 against NSW and in the next match against the Super Kings, he took an astounding 3 for 8, accounting for Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni and M Vijay. Narine, Badree and Cooper has got to be one of the most miserly combinations going around.

Michael Clarke’s century at Newlands should remove any doubts about whether he is the man to lead Australia

Brydon Coverdale at Newlands09-Nov-2011Before Michael Clarke took over as captain, he had made 14 Test hundreds but it was hard to remember a truly innings. He has now provided two in two Tests. If any doubts remained about whether Clarke was the man to lead Australia in the coming years, they have been expunged by his efforts in Colombo and Cape Town.It is easy to look at Clarke and see the tattoos and the metrosexual image and choose not to see the dedication, the single-mindedness that has led him to ignore the Indian Premier League and sit out of the Champions League T20. The hard edge. Ricky Ponting had it. So did Steve Waugh. And Allan Border’s toughness is the stuff of legend. Could Clarke really follow those grizzled leaders? His performance at Newlands shows that he can.For batsmanship and leadership, this was his finest innings. At the SSC in September, Clarke came in with Sri Lanka in a position to win the match if they could run through Australia’s middle and lower order. He refused to budge and scored 112, securing a drawn match and series victory on his first tour in charge. But that was on a pitch as flat as the top of Table Mountain.Clarke’s unbeaten 107 at Newlands – he can add to the total on the second morning – was a giant performance under the circumstances. Australia had been sent in on a surface that had sweated under the covers for two hours immediately before play after a shower slithered over the top of the mountain and surprised the players as they warmed up. It had also rained for most of the previous day.These were conditions Australia knew well, from past unpleasant experiences. At Headingley last year they were made to look incompetent by Pakistan’s swing bowlers and were skittled for 88 on the first day. And on Boxing Day at the MCG last year they made 98, every batsman falling to an edge behind the wicket as their techniques were exposed against quality swing bowling on another juicy surface.It could easily have happened again here. The openers lost their wickets to edges and Ricky Ponting was trapped lbw, surprised by a delivery that didn’t move in the air. Dale Steyn’s outswinger that had Shane Watson caught at slip was almost unplayable, starting from middle stump and curling away, the art of a master.It was against this backdrop that Clarke strode to the crease at 40 for 3. A captain’s innings was required and it was delivered. Steyn sent a series of bouncers towards Clarke, who ducked and weaved and didn’t always get out of the way. But Clarke did not intend to be cowed. A straight drive back past Steyn took him to 10, and it was a statement of intent.”I remember Warnie [Shane Warne] saying to me years ago that the better the bowling the more positive you have to be,” Clarke said at stumps. “That was my attitude today. I knew I was facing a pretty good attack in conditions that were going to do a little bit. But I thought I needed to do something to put a little bit of pressure back on them.”On wickets like that there are no real guarantees. You can try your hardest and that’s why you work hard on your technique in training, so you’ve got a base to be able to go back to when the ball is moving around. But you need a bit of luck as well. Today I had that. I played and missed a few balls, I hit a couple wide of the slips or over point. You’ve just got to have the confidence and courage to play your way.”A few loose balls from Jacques Kallis helped. Clarke moved to his half-century from 56 balls having been 3 from 20. He had a fine companion at the other end; Shaun Marsh’s calm belied his Test experience and it seemed to provide comfort to his captain. Notably, Marsh had not been part of the side in Leeds or Melbourne.But even after Marsh departed, Clarke continued to play with impunity while the rest of his team-mates were punished. Only Marsh and Mitchell Johnson made double figures. In reaching triple figures, Clarke appeared a class above his colleagues.Ashwell Prince said in the lead-up to the game that South Africa-Australia clashes were so hard-fought that “it’s not about the pretty cover drive”. It was when Clarke brought up his hundred with one, a super stroke off the bowling of Kallis. It was Clarke’s 108th delivery. His counterattacking plan had worked.Great captains combine tactical nous with personal performance. Clarke is four Tests into his leadership term but already it’s hard to fault him in either of those fields. If he can marshal his troops on the field like he led them with the bat, Australia might just have some hope of winning this match.After play, he would not be drawn on whether he considered this his finest innings. That, he said, was for others to decide. Yes, Michael, it was.

George Dobell picks his top five teams in the history of Test cricket

George Dobell03-Nov-2011Vote for your greatest team and win a brand new Samsung device.Touching new heights: The West Indians in their pomp•PA PhotosWest Indies 1976-1995
Has any team in any sport every dominated as completely as this West Indies side? At one stage, between 1980 and 1994, they went 15 years without suffering a Test series defeat and, between March and November 1984, they won a then-record 11 Tests in a row. As Michael Holding put it: “We hammered everyone.”Much of their success was built upon a battery of wonderfully skilful fast bowlers. The likes of Marshall, Roberts, Holding, Garner and Croft tested not only the techniques of batsmen, but their courage, too, as they were peppered with ferocious short-pitched deliveries. It says much for the strength in depth of West Indies at the time that bowlers as fearsome and talented as Sylvester Clarke played only 11 Tests.But this wasn’t a success based simply on great fast bowling. Captained by Clive Lloyd, who managed to unite individuals from the disparate nations of the Caribbean into a harmonious team, they were trained to their optimum by physio Dennis Waite – a trailblazer in an age of semi-professionalism – and possessed several indisputably great batsmen including Sir Viv Richards – who many opponents insist was the finest they have seen – Brian Lara and the superb Bajan opening partnership of Greenidge and Haynes.There were some hiccups: most of the first choice team was briefly banned for its involvement in Packer’s World Series Cricket, while rebel tours accounted for other players. Some might also bemoan the lack of a quality spinner.But the strength in depth of Caribbean cricket was formidable. At one stage in 1984, three of the top five batsmen (Richards, Greenidge and Lloyd) and three of the top six bowlers (Garner, Marshall and Holding) in the Test rankings were West Indian. Between 1980 and 1994-95 West Indies went a record 29 successive series without defeat (the next longest sequence is 16 series by the Australian team of 2001 to 2004/05), a record 27 Tests without defeat (between Jan 1982 and Dec 1984) and eventually beat all regular opponents home and away.Australia 1999-2008
According to the official ICC rankings, the Australian team of 2007-08 is the highest rated in Test history.It’s not hard to see why. Twice (once between Oct 1999 and Feb 2001 and once between Dec 2005 and Jan 2008) Australia won 16 successive Tests (no other team has managed more than 11 successive wins) with a superbly balanced team playing a brand of aggressive, fast-scoring cricket that swept opponents aside.Blessed with at least two great bowlers – legspinner Shane Warne and seamer Glenn McGrath – this Australia side also boasted awesome batting strength: at one stage in 2002, six of their top seven batsmen were ranked in the top ten. The likes of Ponting, Hayden and Langer could all justifiably claim to be great players.Even in such rarefied company, however, a few individuals stood out. As captain, Steve Waugh instilled a selfless, ruthless culture that endured long after his own retirement, while Adam Gilchrist, as wicketkeeping allrounder, scored his runs with such speed that it broke the spirit of many opponents. Warne, armed with superb control and an ability to turn the ball prodigious distances on even the most docile pitch, tormented batsmen for 15 years, while McGrath’s control ruined many a career.There were setbacks along the road: a very strong India side defeated them in 2001, while England claimed back the Ashes in 2005. On each occasion, however, Australia regrouped and avenged their defeat. England were slaughtered 5-0 in 2006/07 and India were beaten in India in the 2004/05 series.Australia 1948
The first Test team to remain undefeated throughout an entire tour of England, this Australian team earned the nickname “The Invincibles”. They played 34 matches (31 of them first-class), winning 25 (17 by an innings, two by 10 wickets and another by over 400 runs) and drawing the rest. They defeated England 4-0 in the five-Test series.It is true that England, wearied and weakened by war, were not at their strongest. They had, after all, just returned winless from a tour of the Caribbean. But Australia, sans Bradman, went on to thrash South Africa in a similarly comprehensive manner and boasted a team of considerable individual talent that would surely have excelled in any era.Remarkably, all five Wisden Cricketers of the Year were selected from the Australian tour party: the prolific Lindsay Hassett, the tireless left-arm seamer Bill Johnston, the brilliant fast bowler Ray Lindwall, the elegant left-hander Arthur Morris and the superb wicketkeeper Don Tallon. Add to them the likes of batsmen Sid Barnes, allrounder Keith Miller and a young Neil Harvey and a clear picture emerges of the strength of the Australian squad.And then there was Bradman. While he celebrated his 40th birthday during the tour and was, by his own remarkable standards, on the decline, “The Don” still managed 11 centuries during the summer. He remarked in the 1980s that, in his opinion, the Invincibles remained the finest Australian team he had seen.South Africa, 1969-70
When South Africa thrashed Bill Lawry’s Australians 4-0, it should have marked the beginning of a new era in Test cricket. Instead it marked an end. The South African side, victims of their government’s apartheid policy, were instead ostracised from Test cricket for more than 20 years. As a result, some of the most talented cricketers the world has seen were denied the international careers their ability merited.Among the batsmen in that ’69-70 team were Barry Richards – dubbed “a batsman of staggering talent” by John Arlott and playing the only four Tests of his career – and Graeme Pollock, who was credited by Bradman as being the best left-hander he saw. The bowling attack, meanwhile, included the ferocious pairing of Mike Procter (who finished with a Test bowling average of just 17 from his seven Tests) and Peter Pollock (who claimed 116 wickets from just 28 Tests) and was bolstered by the considerable all-round talent of Eddie Barlow, who averaged almost 46 with the bat and 34 with the ball in his 30 Test career.Trevor Goddard didn’t enjoy the best of series, but must be considered one of South Africa’s leading allrounders, while Denis Lindsay was a fine wicketkeeper who was good enough to win selection as a specialist batsman. It says much about the strength of the South African side that Ian Chappell, who many regarded as the finest batsman in the world at the time, could average only 11 in the series.England, 2009-2011
A controversial choice, perhaps (and only just edging the England side of 1911-12), but the statistics of England’s recent success are compelling. England have won eight (and drawn one) of their last nine series and 20 of their last 31 Tests.Perhaps even more impressively, 10 of those victories have been by innings margins. Four of England’s batsmen are rated in the top ten and five of their bowlers are in the top 11 of the Test rankings. They have a well-balanced bowling attack that offers pace, bounce, swing and spin and a strong batting line-up including several men – Pietersen, Cook, Strauss and Bell – who all look set to surpass the current English record of 22 Test centuries.Not only that, but they have inflicted crushing defeats upon India, Australia and Sri Lanka who have, in recent times, all been vying for top positions in the ICC Test rankings. No team has ever gone to Australia and inflicted three innings defeats in a series, while the Indian team defeated 4-0 in the summer of 2011 contained several players of the highest class – Tendulkar, Dravid, Dhoni and Laxman among them.Uniquely among all the teams in this list, they key man in the England set-up is not actually a player. It is the coach, Andy Flower. Inheriting an under-performing, divided squad, he has instilled a work ethic and sense of purpose that has taken the side to the top of the world rankings.

A one-time Australia team manager, who travelled with the side to Sri Lanka, India and South Africa, looks back at the days when board members were in charge of teams on tour

Cam Battersby06-Oct-2011 This is an extract from an article first published in the Queensland Cricket newsletter in 2006Cam “The Ger” Battersby•Getty ImagesOne morning in 1990, with a roomful of waiting patients, I was surprised by a phone call from David Richards, the chief executive of the Australian Cricket Board, offering me the managership of the team going to New Zealand. In those days all teams were managed by a board member, which was very good for relationships with the players, provided that the manager was competent.The manager liaised with the local authorities, spoke at luncheons, handled the press when captain or coach were unavailable or unwilling, arranged player interviews, chaired most team meetings, looked after the finances, paid the players via the local association, organised the transport, and made and handled complaints where necessary – the whole bit. I told David I’d ring him back next day, but 10 minutes later I accepted.At first I was a bit overawed, but I was forced to learn quickly. The team, and especially the captain, Allan Border, had a quirky sense of humour, especially at the expense of a new “Ger”, a bit wet behind the ears. I asked AB what was team dress for internal flights, and was told “jeans and team shirt”. When I arrived at the airport, they were all in blazers and ties! For years afterwards, Peter Taylor would ask me when we met how the crease in my jeans was.It rained torrentially for three days before the Wellington Test, but fined up on the day. The wicket seemed underprepared, but AB won the toss and batted. We were all out in a couple of sessions, and after stumps we were all sitting disconsolately in the room when there was a noise outside the door, something like the baying of wolves. Clearly the press was hungry for comment.Bob Simpson was back in Sydney, as his mother had died, and the captain did not speak to the press during the match. I knew exactly what they would ask, and asked the V-C, next to me, why we had batted. He replied in biological terms that he had no idea, but that I would be most unwise to inquire. So out I went, to mutter some inconsequential comment about batting if you weren’t sure what to do, and tomorrow being another day. I was saved from further embarrassment by Don Cameron, the doyen of Kiwi cricket writers, who was chairing the conference.Simpson transformed Australian cricket in the mid-1980s. He was the power broker in the team. He did a late-night round of the likely spots, so he knew exactly what was happening and who might have had a big night. Such an indiscretion would mean 50 up-and-under catches next morning, all just out of reach. He was tough but usually he was right. Simmo was a great believer in getting the basics right, especially in the field.In 1991, I took an Academy side to Sri Lanka. This included Michael Slater, Stuart MacGill, Greg Blewett and Justin Langer. Damien Martyn had already begun his career with WA, and Shane Warne was in disgrace after an indiscretion on a tour of the Northern Territories. Justin’s work ethic was obvious. He was a crickaholic, but in those days not a good captain because he regarded a team failure as his personal responsibility.Richards told me that I could inform the Sri Lankan authorities that we would support their full membership of the ICC, and would tour there next year – which we did, and I was again manager. I was on radio when we got our first look at Muttiah Muralitharan in Kandy. AB just could not pick him, but his action looked unusual. At the end of the over, my Sri Lankan co-commentator asked me what I thought of their new spinner. I knew exactly where he was coming from, so all I said was, “He turns the ball a lot.” Back in the dressing room Simmo remarked, “You should have said he has a very unusual action”.That was the tour when Dean Jones informed me of the offer of money for comment about the pitch, weather and team. I advised him to have nothing to do with it, though it may be totally innocent, as he would not look good if it came out and he had failed with the bat.I told the coach and the captain of the incident, and later when I returned, Graham Halbish (CEO of the board), but I did not put it in my formal report. For this I was castigated by Rob O’Regan, who led an inquiry into match-fixing and illegal betting activity; he felt revealing details may have nipped matters in the bud. It is easy to be wise after an event, but the bald fact was that we had no inkling of the magnitude the problem would attain.Sri Lanka could have won this series, but seemed initially to lack belief. We were outplayed for four and a half days in the first Test, in Colombo. Sri Lanka had about 180 to get in about 60 overs to win, and were 127 for 2 when Aravinda De Silva played an injudicious shot and was caught by a sprawling Border in the deep. Wickets then fell steadily, but they only had about 30-odd to get, with three wickets in hand, when the skipper brought back Shane Warne, who had been expensive earlier.The dressing room was electric. Nobody moved. Out of the corner of my mouth I said to Simmo: “Courageous”. He did not reply. In 10 balls or so, Warnie took 3 for 0, and the match was ours. In retrospect, Aravinda was probably just impatient. The hosts made some unusual decisions, like dropping their best opener to the tail, and then not trying to give him the strike.In 1994 we went to South Africa, which was a pivotal moment for me because I had worked in Cape Town in 1972 and had returned frequently. It was a tough tour, and nothing was tougher than the first Test, in Johannesburg. I still think the ACB was wrong in coming in over the top of the referee and team management in inflicting further penalties on Warne and Merv Hughes, but I have to admit that our on-field behaviour improved for a while as a result.

I asked AB what was team dress for internal flights, and was told “jeans and team shirt”. When I arrived at the airport, they were all in blazers and ties!

Big Merv was particularly unfortunate. You had to be there to understand the circumstances. South African crowds are particularly partisan, as our rugby players had found a couple of years earlier. The players’ path to the field was through an open hill, known aptly as the “Bull Pit”. Late in the afternoon this hill became particularly restless and unruly as the alcohol began to take effect. A thunderstorm was brewing and Merv was trying to save the match, as Fanie de Villiers and Alan Donald thundered in with a new ball. During a temporary break in play, he was coming up the hill when a drunken spectator made a derogatory comment about his mother. He hit the siding near the spectator with his bat, and a Channel 7 cameraman got it on tape. It was played ad nauseam back in Oz, though it attracted little attention in SA. The ACB felt forced to act.I outlined what had happened at a subsequent team meeting. Dean Jones best summed up their reaction. “The Ger and Simmo have done their best. We’ve just got to forget it now and get on with the rest of the tour”. It didn’t quite happen that way, but we did come from well behind to draw both series. Ali Bacher offered to make a public apology for the crowd behaviour but I declined. That would only have exacerbated matters.We asked the groundsman at Kingsmead, in Durban, how he thought the wicket would play. He replied, “I haven’t asked Kepler what he wants yet.” Ask a stupid question…South Africa could have won this Test series, but they seemed disinclined to take any risks at all.In 1996 I went to Sri Lanka again, and there were a few problems because not long before that we had pulled out of the Sri Lanka leg of the World Cup on very specific security advice. I tried to handle the first press conference in Colombo by declining questions on the World Cup, preferring to concentrate on our new captain and coach – Ian Healy and Geoff Marsh. To the credit of the press corps, they accepted this graciously. In fact, they were probably as tired of the topic as we were.On playing days, two buses would wait outside the Oberoi Hotel with shutters drawn. The players would go in one and the gear in the other. Each had a different route to the ground and the routes were changed daily. The security was intense. As Steve Waugh remarked, it was not a good way to start a day at the cricket.We came home for a few weeks, and then returned to India under the captaincy of Mark Taylor. We were underprepared, and failed to win a game on tour. I stood behind Mark at numerous press conferences, trying to give him moral support as he struggled to explain why we were playing so poorly and what we needed to do to improve. There is only so much you can do from a position of weakness.In 1997, Malcolm Speed decided there was a good case for a full-time manager year-round. I argued hard at a board meeting in Hobart that this would sever for all time the close relationship board members could build up with players from states other than their own. Denis Rogers told me later that this was the hardest meeting he ever had to chair. But the deed was done, and Steve Bernard got the job.He did an outstanding and largely unnoticed job, which says something in itself. But my initial reservations remain. The strength of the board-player relationships in that era revolved around the fact that we had been there, done that, and experienced it together. I was sent to India in 1998 as a board “observer”, as Steve had never been to India before. It soon became apparent that he was fully in control of the situation, and I stopped observing.