Mitchell Johnson joins Craig McMillan & Brian Lara

Mitchell Johnson, has just scored 26 off an over from Paul Harris, but was stranded one boundary hit short of his first test century.

122.1 Harris to Johnson, FOUR, kneels down and slog-sweeps this one behind square leg
122.2 Harris to Johnson, FOUR, down he skips, whipping a flatter delivery off his pads over midwicket
122.3 Harris to Johnson, SIX, even better! Its maximum! Johnson goes down and slogs this one over midwicket for six, man he's targeting Harris
And that is Mitchell J's personal Test best.
122.4 Harris to Johnson, no run, fuller of off stump and this time he leaves it alone
122.5 Harris to Johnson, SIX, he's going the distance! This one's a dinger, rows back over mid-on
122.6 Harris to Johnson, SIX, oh my word, he's just going better and better! Harris keeps it flat and wide but Johnson waltzes down and clubs it across the line, off the middle of the bat for a six over long-on and out of the stadium

He is now at joint 3rd in the most runs off an over category. The other instances of 26 in an over are Craig McMillan smacking Younis Khan's part-time legbreaks around in March 2001 and Brian Lara caning Danish Kaneria in November 2006. The record holder is Brian Lara (28 off Robin Peterson) & at #2 is Shahid Afridi (27 off Harbhajan)

Labels: australia, batting, johnson, record, south africa

Thus spake Jagadish @ 6:21 PM | Sledge/Read 1 sledge(s) | Related posts
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ICC's cosmetic approach to the problem of poor pitches

Sambit Bal rightly argues that there were actually two pitch fiascos in the last fortnight - Antigua and Karachi.

It has been a constant argument on this blog that pitches that totally favour batsmen are as bad for cricket as pitches that totally favour bowlers. If a pitch that produces a result in 2 days is bad, a pitch that could potentially have the 3rd innings commence a week after the game started is also bad.

If the pitches in New Zealand on India's tour there in 2002/03, Wankhede (India v Australia 2004), Wanderers (South Africa v New Zealand 2006) and the various locations in the 2006 ICC Champions Trophy are not considered to be good pitches (because they aided bowlers excessively), the pitches at Lahore & Faisalabad (Pakistan v India 2006), Wanderers (South Africa v Australia 2006), Adelaide (Australia v India 2008), Chepauk (India v South Africa 2008) and Bangalore & in general during Australia's tour of India in 2008 are guilty of aiding batsmen excessively. I'm sure I've missed out on several other instances (across both types of wickets)

In 2006, the ICC announced guidelines and standards for pitches and outfields. Today, the ICC has augmented those guidelines with additional requirements from host country boards, that of notifying the ICC every February about what venues will be used in the next year (imagine the BCCI actually being forced to plan a year in advance!) and solemnly declare that those grounds complied with the standards. The categories or basis on which a pitch is rated are declared in the pitch monitoring guidelines. It is interesting to note that a pitch is rated poor if

• The pitch offers excessive seam movement at any stage of the match
  
• The pitch displays excessive unevenness of bounce for any bowler at any stage of the match
  
• The pitch offers excessive assistance to spin bowlers, especially early in the match

I'm fairly sure those guidelines were framed by a committee of 25 top-order batsmen! There's absolutely no mention of rating a pitch as poor on the basis of not having any bounce or seam movement or assistance to spin.

Ok, so let's go back to February 2008. The WICB has just informed the ICC that the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium was going to host the 2nd test against England in a year's time and it promised compliance. Yet, it just did nothing to improve the outfield and a year later, the game was called off because of a poor outfield. What could the ICC do based on the match referee's report & the WICB's explanation? It could warn, impose a financial penalty or take away international status for that ground for a limited duration. So how different is that from the current procedure where there is no undertaking or declaration by the host country board?

The ICC had a great opportunity to enforce better standards, especially for test cricket given it's the form of the game drawing the least spectator and audience interest. It missed the bus.

So what's the solution? Here's a radical suggestion, which has perhaps also been suggested earlier by other more learned folks. The game should be awarded to the visiting team if the umpires and match referees call off the match on account of a poor pitch/outfield. There needs to be a significant deterrence which forces boards, curators and home teams into not overly exploiting conditions (either way).

Obviously when the venue is neutral, this won't be too useful. But there have actually only been 9 tests played on neutral grounds in 1900+ tests spread over 132 years of test cricket. I guess since neutral venues are far more likely in ODIs (31% of all games) and T20 (40% of all games), the solution is to declare a 'no-result' in those forms of the game.

PS: Just noticed, while clicking on a link in one of the previous posts here, that www.bobwoolmer.com is now the proud possession of a domain-squatter.

Labels: icc, pitch

Thus spake Jagadish @ 11:19 PM | Sledge/Read 2 sledge(s) | Related posts
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Younis Khan makes yet another 250

Younis Khan, the Pakistan captain as of 3.50 pm IST on 24 Feb 2009, is now the 10th player to make multiple scores of 250 or above. The astounding bit about that list is that Don Bradman, in making 5 scores of 250 or more, hit two sixes while Graeme Smith didn't hit a single six!

Pakistan have made nearly ~ 500 so far and have avoided the follow-on. Since it has been clear for the past couple of days that on that pitch even Pommie Mbangwa & Chris Martin would have scored in double digits, I tried to find out which country's pitches were the most batting friendly.

So I took tests from the last 5 years where the team batting second made 400+ and either had a slim lead (< 50) or were trailing big time (thereby implying that the team that batted first had made something like 550-600). There were a total of 35 instances, out of which 15 were drawn games.

Tests played in England and India contribute 7 instances while Australia and Pakistan have 6 each. The number of tests played in that period in the 4 countries was 35 (England), 30 (Australia), 27 (India) & 17 (Pakistan). This implies that Pakistan has a much higher frequency (35%) of dull dreary tests where the first innings of both teams result in huge scores. The frequencies for the other countries are India - 26%, England and Australia - 20% each.

I guess over the first couple of days of this test, Pakistan's cricketers (& fans) would have been wondering about the need to play tests because after all, if you if you don't play, you can't concede 600+!

Update: Sri Lanka's first innings total of 644 is the highest total to have been overtaken in a test. The previous highest was 588, jointly held by South Africa at Antigua in 2005 (Gayle scored a triple) and Pakistan at Faisalabad in 2006 (Dhoni and Irfan Pathan saving face for India).

Labels: pakistan, statistic, younis khan

Thus spake Jagadish @ 12:17 PM | Sledge/Read 0 sledge(s) | Related posts
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Steve Bucknor to retire from international umpiring

Steve Bucknor, who has umpired the most internationals (305) and as on date, the only one to have umpired 100+ tests, will be retiring from international umpiring in March.

In an interview to the Jamaica Gleaner, he said that his last test would be the 3rd test between Australia & South Africa while his last ODI would involve England & West Indies.

Now it's a lot more easier to make sense of Ricky Ponting excusing himself from the IPL. Notice that he wrote in his column "I have made the decision I will not play in the Indian Premier League Twenty20 competition this year." He didn't write "I will not feature in the Indian Premier League". Hence, it is perhaps not too outlandish to believe that as part of his training to move into a parallel career in umpiring, as we exclusively revealed here last month, Ricky will be doing umpiring duties during this season's IPL.

Steve Bucknor had been a reasonably ok umpire for a few years (ignoring his reluctance to seek the help of the TV umpire on India's tour of South Africa in 1992/3), despite his tendency to play havoc with TV broadcasters & producers by ensuring there was a minute's delay between the appeal and his decision. Nowadays though, so much money has been invested that we don't even get to hear the appeal, because we've got switched to an ad break!

But in the last 4-5 years, Bucknor's umpiring had deteriorated significantly. I never thought he was biased. But I was convinced he was incompetent. Instances posted on this blog - 2004 Aus v Ind, 2005 Eng v RSA, 2005 Pak v Ind, 2007 World Cup final & (very obviously!) 2008 Ind v Aus at Sydney.

The ICC has a real problem on its hands - a paucity of good umpires, cramped scheduling and a reluctance to use technology appropriately. Oddly enough, Bucknor hasn't ever umpired a T20 international!

Labels: bucknor, retire, umpires, west indies

Thus spake Jagadish @ 11:46 PM | Sledge/Read 1 sledge(s) | Related posts
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Ricky Ponting on pressure, no pressure on Ricky Ponting

When Australia start a series as favourites, the pressure is always on the opposition. After all, they're facing the #1 side. They'll feel the pressure from the crowds when they don't do well.

When Australia go into a series not as favourites, the pressure is on the opposition. After all, they'll feel the pressure of being the favourite. They'll feel the pressure from the crowds when they don't live up to the favourites tag.

You really have to admire Ricky Ponting's ability to say it with a straight face.

I really never thought it'd come to this - an Australian captain comfortable with an 'underdog' tag, and even worse better, insisting that his side would "take the positives" (I thought that was © England cricket team!) from a pyrrhic win over South Africa at Sydney.

Labels: australia, ponting, south africa

Thus spake Jagadish @ 12:01 AM | Sledge/Read 1 sledge(s) | Related posts
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High farce in Antigua

The incompetence of the WICB and the ICC has been exposed as a result of the relocation of the 2nd test from the Viv Richards stadium to the Antigua Recreation Ground. The test, which will be the 3rd test in a series expanded from 4 to 5 tests, will restart on Sunday. For what it is worth, West Indies lead the series 1-0.

How on earth could the WICB have allowed a test match to commence on a ground where the bowlers' runups and the outfield were so sandy that all it took was a short spell of rain to make things so bad that the test had to be abandoned? Did the ECB put sufficient pressure on the WICB to get their act together? How on earth could the ICC, as the governing body of the game, have allowed the test to start with such playing conditions? The ICC had at least 4 representatives at the ground - the match referee, the 2 on-field umpires and the third umpire. How could all of them goof up bigtime?

What is it about a Caribbean ground and a bunch of ICC officials that causes them to totally lose it again and again?

Who is responsible for the 2nd test at the Viv Richards stadium (Antigua) being relocated?
	England & Wales Cricket Board
	Indian Premier League
	International Cricket Council
	West Indies Cricket Board

Labels: england, farce, icc, pitch, west indies

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Bretton-Woods system collapse blamed for England collapse at Sabina Park

When England lose, and especially badly, we're normally guaranteed some extremely creative excuses. At least as far as I remember, there've been excuses about prawns, pollution, alignment of stars, too much cricket, too little cricket, injuries, "what's the big deal?", etc.

After England collapsed horribly at Jamaica to lose the first test by an innings (Video on YouTube), two former England captains, coincidentally both from Essex, have now blamed the IPL for distracting England.

I have news for you, Nass & Goochie. The IPL didn't cause the collapse. The England batsmen's poor skills, application & response to pressure did.

Surely then the team shouldn't even bother turning up for games, because all players aren't paid alike. The dressing room should have already been a war-zone, because chaps like Flintoff, Pietersen, Collingwood, etc. obviously earn a lot more than Swann, Bell or Broad. Should all the players be paid the same?

Next thing, they'll blame the collapse of the Bretton-Woods system and the emergence of the US dollar as the reserve currency. Why? Because the IPL bids were in US dollars.

Labels: england, indian premier league, ipl 2009, twenty20, west indies

Thus spake Jagadish @ 7:49 PM | Sledge/Read 0 sledge(s) | Related posts
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Triple role Tillakaratne

Tillakaratne Dilshan will captain, keep and open in today's T20 game against India.

If he doesn't trip over a teammate's lengthy name, like Hettiarachchi Gamage Jeevantha Mahesh Kulatunga, he will become the third player, after Gilchrist & McCullum to have played a triple role in a T20 international.

In fact, there have only been 7 other players across 132 years of tests, 38 years of ODIs & 3 years of T20 internationals to have opened, captained and kept wickets in a game.

Labels: dilshan, sri lanka, statistic

Thus spake Jagadish @ 3:20 PM | Sledge/Read 2 sledge(s) | Related posts
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India wins 9 ODIs in a row

The Indian ODI side, after ODI series wins away last year in Australia & Sri Lanka and at home against England, now has a 5-0 clean sweep in its sights in Sri Lanka.

They've now won 9 ODIs in a row, 1 more than previous streaks of 8 - 1985, 2003 during the World Cup & 2006 in a thrashing of England. The interesting aspect is that all these sequences either started or ended in February!

The Indian media has gone overboard in describing the team as the #1 side, conveniently forgetting that Sri Lanka is ranked #7 while South Africa beat the incumbent #1, Australia. There is no doubt that this side has immense potential. The batting is very good and has a great blend of aggression (Gambhir, Sehwag, Yuvraj, Raina & Yusuf Pathan) & solidity (Tendulkar, Dhoni - depending on his mood & Rohit). The bowling has also been impressive & the new-ball bowlers (Zaheer, Ishant & Praveen) have picked up top order wickets repeatedly. Harbhajan's absence has given Pragyan Ojha the scope to display his ability and also put more responsibility on Sehwag, Yusuf Pathan & Yuvraj. The fielding is very good (Yuvraj, Raina, Rohit, Yusuf Pathan & even Ishant Sharma).

Yet, could it be a false dawn? After all, the personnel were fairly similar during the Dravid-Chappell years where India's ODI side promised so much in terms of fielding, flexibility of batting order & bowling. Yet, within a year, the team had more or less lost the 'zing' when "seniors" were restored, thus driving up the age & bringing down the fielding & running-between-wickets.

At least this time it is inconceivable that the personnel will change significantly. What could change is how the team responds to losing. Starting from the Australia tri-series, the side has won 20 out of 28 games against decent opposition (including England is a stretch of the term 'decent', admittedly!).

The toss hasn't played too significant a role - 15 tosses won, 13 lost. Out of those 15 games where India won the toss, 3 games were lost. Out of the 13 tosses lost, 8 games were won. Out of the 13 games where the side batted first, it won 10. Out of the 15 times it chased, it won 10. Not a very significant difference.

Yet, the elation must be tempered with the reality that after the Australia tri-series, the wins have all been in the sub-continent. Yes, the team can't really help that since that's how the scheduling is. That is why it is so crucial to win the ODIs against New Zealand.

Labels: india, sri lanka, statistic, streak

Thus spake Jagadish @ 12:37 AM | Sledge/Read 0 sledge(s) | Related posts
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Breaking news: Andrew Symonds pulls out from IPL

In a stunning development, Andrew Symonds has exclusively revealed to this blog that he is pulling out from the Indian Premier League. The news comes a couple of days after Cricket Australia announced that he would not be considered for national selection until he completed his counselling & rehabilitation. He said that his decision was not related to any on-field related issue with Deccan Chargers.

Readers will recall that he was sent off during the Bangladesh one-dayers. Subsequently, he was recalled to the side. However, as part of his rehabilitation programme, Symonds was barred by Cricket Australia from going fishing anywhere.

Having looked at the various teams in the Indian Premier League, Symonds came to the conclusion that it would be impossible for him to resist the temptation to go fishing in the cities where the IPL games were played in. Delhi & Kolkota have rivers, Chennai & Mumbai have beaches while all the others (Bangalore, Hyderabad, Jaipur & Mohali) had lakes (artificial & natural).

Symonds is the latest among prominent cricketers who've decided to give the IPL a miss - Michael Clarke, Stuart Broad and Mitchell Johnson. Michael Vaughan really doesn't count. With a ODI batting avg 27, sr 68 from 83 innings, there's a high chance that he gracefully stepped aside lest the IPL team owners ask him to pay up to go anywhere near one of the teams in the league.

Labels: breaking news, exclusive, indian premier league, ipl 2009, symonds, twenty20

Thus spake Jagadish @ 12:59 PM | Sledge/Read 0 sledge(s) | Related posts
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ICC rights a wrong

Last July, the ICC wrongly decided that the Oval test of 2006 was a draw. Barely 6 months later, yesterday, the ICC has announced that the original result would stand, i.e. England won the game.

It does seem bizarre that the same organization came to different conclusions. How likely is it that David Morgan, as the ICC President, had his way in return for Sharad Pawar having his way over the ICL being declared 'authorized' cricket?

Instead, the ICC has now left it to individual boards to decide if a game or tournament in its territory was approved or disapproved. What this means is that New Zealand, Pakistan and Bangladesh (the 3 countries mainly impacted by the ICL exodus) can have their players back, but the BCCI will continue to ban ICL players from playing in BCCI-conducted tournaments (& thus be ineligible for national or other representative selection)

Pakistan has been ruled out as the host of the 2009 edition of the ICC Champions Trophy and the new venue will only be decided in April. After the terror attacks in Mumbai in November, India cancelled its tour of Pakistan. Now, Pakistan has responded by barring Pakistani players from playing in the IPL. There's nothing wrong with that. A country has the right (& duty!) to assess threat perception and act accordingly.

But now, we're left with 2 countries being ruled out from hosting the tournament - Pakistan because of the ICC's decision yesterday and India because Pakistani players won't turn up. There's talk of Sri Lanka hosting the tournament, currently scheduled for September-October 2009. But consider that Colombo, the main cricketing centre there with three international grounds, typically has heavy rainfall from end-September all the way till November. The only international cricket venue which will be unaffected by the monsoon is Dambulla, in the centre of the country. Can the pitch handle 15 matches in a span of 17 days? I suspect not!

Do us all a favour - just scrap it!

Labels: 2009 champions trophy, ball tampering, champions trophy, icc, indian cricket league, oval 2006, twenty20

Thus spake Jagadish @ 1:47 AM | Sledge/Read 2 sledge(s) | Related posts
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