BCCI demands that ICC stop multi-team events

In a dramatic development following India being knocked out from the 2008 2009 Champions Trophy last month, it is learnt that the BCCI has served an ultimatum to the ICC to stop conducting multi-team ODI events, especially those involving 4 or more sides. It is believed that the ultimatum also includes a clause whereby ICC members would also not be allowed to conduct such tournaments. The BCCI has also imposed a gag order on media outlets that use the words 'chokers' and 'Indian team' in the same sentence / paragraph / story / site.

The BCCI has evidence that India's "performance" at such events (won 0 out of the 3 events that had 4 or more teams - 2006 ICCCT, 2007 WC and 2008 Asia Cup) was significantly correlated with the number of teams participating. Additional evidence, in the form of having won 14 out of 20 bilateral series India played in during the same period, provides the BCCI enough statistical data to back its argument.

After all, if the ICC really wants cricket's Harlem Globetrotters superstars to turn up, they must be guaranteed at least a second round spot. Or else, the BCCI will obviously pick up the stumps, bat & ball and walk away home.

Sources within the BCCI are extremely pissed off that this attitude hides India's actual on-field performances, including some bizarre captaincy against Pakistan where the skipper MS Dhoni hid himself at #5 during a chase of 300+. In Yuvraj's absence, Dhoni was clearly the side's best batsman. So why he sent Kohli ahead of himself and Raina was difficult to understand.

This wasn't the first time he showed a lack of leadership though. During the T20 World Cup, he batted at 4 against Bangladesh & Ireland, and went in at #6 against England.

The Champions Trophy showed us that this 2009 Australian side, which would have been thrashed by the 2007 version, was still so much better than the rest of the field? Surely it's not as though the Australians have improved. Far from it, the rest of the teams have regressed - mainly Sri Lanka, India & South Africa. That can't be good news.

As for the on-going Champions League T20, I'm finding it hard to cope with the multiple acronyms floating around (CC v RCB, SCCC v T&T, NSWB v SS, etc.). Also somehow, the quality of cricket seen at the IPL seems better. Perhaps some of the CL T20 teams are getting in on a country-based quota. For e.g., would the other losing semi-finalist (Chennai Super Kings) from the 2009 IPL or the domestic T20 tournaments in Pakistan / Australia or South Africa have been better than Wayamba or Otago?

In a move that wasn't too much of a surprise, Cricket Australia picked a rookie spinner for the 7-ODI series in India.

Australia have been quite clueless about their spin bowling options for nearly 2 years now. Now they've picked 22 year old Jon Holland, who has a total of 21 domestic wickets from 23 innings, at an average in excess of 45.

Of course, it is entirely likely that he will succeed in India, and justify the selectors' wisdom!

Labels: 2009 champions trophy, australia, bcci, captaincy, champions league, champions trophy, dhoni, icc, india, spin

Thus spake Jagadish @ 11:46 pm | Sledge/Read 1 sledge(s)
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Verbal warfare begins!

Zaheer Khan - "They know they can't take 20 wickets and they are on the back foot. They couldn't get me or Bhajji out. I have never seen an Australian team play such defensive cricket, which is a good thing for us. On a fifth-day pitch the spinners could not do us any harm. That shows what their spin attack is all about."

Ricky Ponting - "We were the only ones in the game trying to take the game forward. We played aggressive cricket. I am not surprised by the way they played, the Indian team do play a lot of drawn games."

Did anyone say this was going to be a quiet series?

For the record Ricky, in 2008 so far, 3 out of Australia's 7 tests have ended in draws while 3 out of India's 10 tests have ended in draws. I know my arithmetic, and its easy to see who has the higher ratio of draws!

Playing for a draw isn't necessarily a negative mindset, especially if you're trying to squeeze out the best possible result from the match situation. I guess India could point fingers at the way Australia played at Adelaide and say that Australia were focussed on getting a draw and a 2-1 result. Maybe we should focus on your team scoring at 2.8 runs an over in the first innings at Bangalore and not taking 10 wickets while having 83 overs to bowl on a deteriorating pitch in less than ideal light conditions for batting. Australia had an opportunity to bat when the pitch was at its best for batting and bowl last when it was at its worst for batting. The first innings run rate was despite having 6 wickets in hand at the end of the first day and the failure to get India all out will be exaggerated by the fact that India were 24/2, having lost the two batsmen who really mattered in that situation, and nearly 5 more hours to play out!

This isn't about who the better side is. The obvious answer, at this point in time, is Australia. Australia have been the gold standard for over a decade now. India aren't quite there yet. The side needs another quick bowler, a good backup spin option, and capable replacements for the middle order. It is work in progress. Part of the learning curve is to fight it out for a draw. They failed to do it at Sydney earlier this year, and on several other occasions in the past. A draw is a far more acceptable start to the series. Once Australia got 430 on the board, it was always unlikely that Australia would be in the backseat.

While Zaheer was tempting fate when he spoke about Australia being unable to take 20 wickets and the defensive cricket, he is obviously right about your spin options. It has been Australia's fault that no young spinner has broken through for such a long time. There have been many opportunities for Australia's selectors to provide more chances for Cullen, Hauritz and White to bowl alongside Warne. Yet they kept recalling MacGill, picking Hogg, and then McGain, leaving Casson to wonder what he did wrong.

Labels: aus v ind 2008, australia, bangalore, india, ponting, sledging, spin, zaheer khan

Thus spake Jagadish @ 1:32 pm | Sledge/Read 2 sledge(s)
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It's just a matter of age

What's better than a 37-year old wrist-spinner who concedes 4 an over and bowls a lot of long-hops?

A 25-year old wrist-spinner who does the same.

To give him some credit, Beau Casson definitely showed, after drawing a blank in West Indies' first innings, that he had the ability to keep his head even when Dwayne Bravo went after him like a maniac. Also don't forget that he got two of the most important wickets in the 2nd innings - Xavier Marshall and Bravo.

West Indies ran Australia close for a while, but once they lost Bravo and Chanderpaul, the game was up. In the first test, the game was made even by West Indies' bowling in the second innings but Stuart Clark blew away any hope of a West Indies win.

Overall, the series was quite a good one. Even the second test potentially had a twist at the end, but West Indies hung on. I was surprised with the way West Indies played. Unlike in the past, they didn't seem to turn up expecting to lose against Australia. There could be multiple reasons attributed to it: Warne & McGrath having retired, Brian Lara's absence or the injury to Hayden.

But I think the main reason West Indies did well was because their bowling attack had Australia in trouble on multiple occasions. That they couldn't go on and finish the job could be attributed to incompetence (their own as well as the umpires') and the famous Aussie ability to wriggle out of every troubling situation.

West Indies need to make sure they have at least 4-5 fit quick bowlers (Edwards, Taylor, Powell did play the series, but what happened to Collymore?), 1-2 spinners that they need to groom over a period of time and some better batting (only Chanderpaul & Sarwan made centuries, neither made 130 and a tail that can make at least 70-100 runs).

As for Australia, I guess they'll really be hoping that Casson is good enough to play for a decade at least. From what I've read, the reserve spinners are really not good enough. If Casson doesn't do well, then I guess Australia will end up having Symonds and Clarke as the spinners.

Then again, like I wrote when Warne & McGrath retired, Australia only have themselves to blame for not giving the likes of Nathan Hauritz and Dan Cullen enough opportunities, especially to bowl in tandem with Warne in international cricket.

Labels: australia, casson, macgill, spin

Thus spake Jagadish @ 12:38 pm | Sledge/Read 0 sledge(s)
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Someone hasn't a clue

Picture this. Australia are 117/5 when Monty Panesar comes in to bowl on day two at the MCG, trying to get out of a hole (self-dug and thanks to some good bowling). He bowls a lovely first over. But he was bowling to a field, amazingly enough, which was totally unsuitable for the situation. There was a fielder at long-off and a fielder at long-on. I'd have thought that with folks like Hayden and Symonds, who love to take on spinners, especially by hitting down the ground, Flintoff would have not had those fielders in the deep, inviting Hayden and Symonds to take a few risks.

But they didn't even have to, when they could just tap the ball down the ground and get four singles an over! This was perhaps the exact moment when England lost its grip. A test match that could have been a fascinating, low-scoring one is now doomed to be a one-sided one with the low-scores, in all likelihood, emanating from only one side!

I've commented a couple of times recently about how captaining a side with two spinners isn't exactly easy. I am now convinced that Flintoff can't even captain a side with one spinner in it!

Labels: ashes, ashes 2006, australia, england, flintoff, hayden, panesar, spin, symonds

Thus spake Jagadish @ 11:13 am | Sledge/Read 3 sledge(s)
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