The Ashes: Cook and Trott batter Australia

So the first Test of the 2010/11 Ashes series is over. It ended in a tame draw that many predicted at the start of the fifth day. The finish to this game did not do justice to the first few days of the contest, which ebbed and flowed and made for some very exciting cricket.

England resumed the final day 88 runs ahead. There was still scope for an England collapse which could hand Australia the game. From the first ball of the day, this never looked like a possibility. Cook and Trott continued where they left off by accumulating their runs with consummate ease. There was the odd lapse in concentration, most notably from Trott as he edged to Michael Clarke at slip. However the simple chance was spilled and Trott continued merrily on his way. By the end of the first session Cook had brought up his maiden double-century and Trott had completed his 4th Test hundred.

The ease with which the England batsmen scored their runs on a fifth day pitch (albeit a very flat pitch) was striking. None of Australia's bowlers seemed to trouble either Cook or Trott. Mitchell Johnson struggled the most as he was treated like a medium-pacer by the England batsmen. He seems to have lost all his confidence, his attitude in the field was poor (as evidenced by his dropping of Andrew Strauss) and his batting has gone downhill dramatically. There is no way Australia can continue to pick him. He has been branded as Australia's attack leader but in my opinion Ben Hilfenhaus has taken over this mantle. He has been their most threatening bowler throughout the Test.

Australia have hinted at a change in personnel by adding Bollinger and Harris to their squad for the next Test. I think Hilfenhaus and Siddle are safe from the axe. However Mitchell Johnson's spot is surely up for grabs, Dougie Bollinger would be a shoo-in if I was an Australian selector. He has been their best bowler in their last 10 Tests. The other spot which could be under scrutiny is the spinner's slot. Xavier Doherty carried next to no threat during the Test, even on a turning Day 5 pitch. Marcus North picked up the solitary wicket in England's second innings and was arguably their best bowler, getting through nearly 20 overs at a touch more than 2 runs an over. Australia might choose to play an extra batsman and use North as their spinner, or they might replace Doherty (and Johnson possibly) with Bollinger and/or Harris. This would add some extra beef to their attack but it would be very risky going in with the part-timer Marcus North as their lead spinner. It will be interesting to see which team make-up they will go for.

Now we come to Alastair Cook and Jonathon Trott. They were simply brilliant during their marathon partnership. Breaking a whole host of records along the way. They batted with supreme authority, they scored quickly and played some gorgeous shots (even Cook).

I have never seen Cook bat better this and I have watched the majority of his Test innings. His feet movements were sharp which is a feature of his game that is severely lacking when he is out of form. He drove and cut very well on the off-side, he did not seem vulnerable outside his off-stump. He also played the short ball well, pulling strongly on a number of occasions. He scored more runs in this innings than he did on the entire 2006/07 tour. Hopefully he can use this innings as a springboard for the rest of the series and his career.

If Cook's innings was a bit of a surprise, Trott scoring his 4th Test hundred was not. He has become a very reliable part of England's batting line-up and I fully expected him to convert his fifty into a hundred. Like Cook, he accumulated his runs without fuss. There was no Pietersen-esque bravado about his innings, but there never is with Trott. His cover driving was his hallmark, picking the gaps in the off-side field with amazing regularity.

This will have a very positive effect on England's batsmen (even the ones who didn't bat). They will feel they have the edge over the Australian attack now and will be confident of racking up some more big runs. I was hoping that Andrew Strauss would not declare today and would instead leave the Aussies out in the field for the whole day. A final score of 650-1 would have demoralised them even further. Although I can understand his decision, the way the pitch was playing England were never going to run through Australia. They were able to recover a little momentum thanks to Ponting's quick fire half-century.

So 1 down, 4 to go. The series has got off to a good start and the platform is there for a brilliant series. We do not have long to wait until battle re-commences with the next Test starting on Friday. Bring on Adelaide!

The Ashes: England Fight Back

What can you say about this Test Match? It has ebbed and flowed and there has been some encapsulating cricket from both sides. Thankfully, I was not able to watch the 3rd day when Hussey and Hadding were churning out their 307 run stand. I was playing my own game of cricket (once again interrupted by rain, bloody Australian weather!). Having read many articles about the day, I have gathered that England did not play particularly badly (James Anderson bowled quite brilliantly by all accounts). It just seems that a combination of bad luck and good batting conspired against them. Once England did make the breakthrough, Australia capitulated. Losing their last 5 wickets for 50-odd runs. It was days like this that made the decision to play only 4 bowlers seem like a risky one. I do feel however that there won't be too many more days like this one and I think England definitely have their best side on the pitch.

If Day 3 couldn't have been much worse for England, then Day 4 couldn't have been much better. England started the day 202 behind Australia, albeit with all 10 wickets remaining. Surely even the most optimistic England fan couldn't have predicted what transpired throughout the rest of the day. I personally felt that a typical English capitulation was inevitable.

And yet it could all have been so different if Andrew Strauss hadn't received a big slice of luck first ball. Strauss inexplicably decided to leave an in-swinging ball from Ben Hilfenhaus first up. In real time it looked plumb. A room full of Australians were jumping and shouting around me. I was too afraid to take my hands from my face. After a few seconds however I did not hear Aussie cheers. Aleem Dar had, quite brilliantly (and as it turns out, correctly) denied the appeal.

This moment of play showed how such thin margins can make such a big difference in cricket. From Michael Hussey's first ball edge which fell just short of second slip, to the inch or so that saved Andrew Strauss from a pair. Both men went on to make pivotal hundreds which have changed the game.

I have not yet mentioned Alastair Cook. I must admit, I have been one of his many detractors and I thought he would struggle in this series. I am very happy to say that he has proved me wrong (although it is early days yet). He is not a pretty player (and never will be) but he has churned out some very valuable runs in this Test and hopefully his good form will continue over the next 4 games.

If Cook has been impressive, Mitchell Johnson has been at the other end of the scale. His pre-match declaration that he was going to give Strauss some chin music has not come to fruition. He has not found any swing and his pace has been way down. He has carried almost no threat with the ball (Shane Watson has looked for more likely to take a wicket) and has also dropped a catch and recorded a duck. Not the best of games for the 2009 ICC Cricketer of the Year. In my opinion he has to be dropped for the impressive Doug Bollinger. It seems the only thing keeping him in the team are his past achievements, he is clearly not the same man who destroyed South Africa in 2008/09.

Today was perhaps not a classic day of Test cricket (a day with only one wicket falling rarely is). It was however a brilliant fightback from a seemingly hopeless position (5-0 predictions were flying around the dressing room as Hussey and Haddin piled on the runs). This Test Match is now seemingly heading for a draw. It will probably be quite a dull finish to what has been a very exciting Test (but you never know, another surprise could be sprung).

What this match has shown, is that these two teams are incredibly evenly matched and I am quite confident that the series will go all the way to the wire in Sydney.

The Ashes: Day 2 at the Gabba

This riveting first Ashes Test Match is proving to be a game with plenty of ebbs and flows (the best kind of game in Test cricket). The pitch, which had so much attention in the build-up, is keeping the bowlers interested. Whilst the batsmen are able to score runs with a bit of application.

Australia started the day on 25-0. After Peter Siddle's heroics on Day 1, England would be desperate to make an early breakthrough. Alas it was not to be as the impressive opening combination of Watson and Katich made serene progress early on. England thought they had their first wicket when Katcih was given out LBW to Anderson. However when the decision was reviewed and eventually overturned, you sensed it was not going to be England's day.

The 21 year old Steven Finn could not quite find the right length and was punished by Watson whenever he over pitched. The Australian commentators were particularly harsh on the young lad, in addition to Graeme Swann (quite mystifyingly on the basis of 4 overs). With the score on 78, England had a big shout for LBW against Watson. It wasn't given. With Andrew Strauss desperate for a wicket he decided to review the decision... to no avail. Fortunately for England they got the vital breakthrough the very next ball. Watson edging to Strauss at slip from the very impressive Jimmy Anderson.

This breakthrough gave England some hope going into the lunch interval. It definitely seemed to energize them after it. When Ricky Ponting was caught by Matt Prior trying to glance a ball down the leg-side (again from Anderson) you could sense that England were right back in the game. Australia's suspect middle order was now exposed and with the England bowlers on the hunt, it was going to be difficult for the Australian batsmen. So it proved, as Anderson gave Clarke a real working over. This spell from Anderson shows how much he has improved in the last couple of years. He no longer relies purely on swing, he found minimal movement today and yet he was still a real handful thanks to his probing areas.

Whilst all the attention was focused on how Clarke would survive against Anderson. Katich surprised everyone by chipping a full pitched delivery from Finn straight back to the bowler. It was a brilliant catch from the 6 feet 8 inch bowler as he flung himself low to the ground to take the vital wicket of the obdurate opener.

This wicket brought the under pressure Mike Hussey to the crease. He almost went first ball as he edged to second slip. Fortunately the Gods of fate were shining on him as the ball fell short of a diving Graeme Swann. From this moment on however, Hussey looked in supreme form. A completely different batsmen from the man who has struggled through the last 2 years.

At the other end Anderson was still tormenting Michael Clarke. He certainly seemed to be restricted and one must wonder whether his back problem was hampering his batting. To his credit, he did manage to survive Anderson's spell. Somehow. He must have been relieved when Graeme Swann was brought on to bowl his first proper spell of the innings (not many international batsmen will have felt that feeling over the last 2 years).

In the end, Clarke never found his touch and he departed trying to pull Finn but only succeeded in edging to Prior. His 50 ball stay produced only 9 runs and his struggles would have worried the Australian selectors. With Marcus North striding out, England had their tails up. North is a terrible starter and with Swann bowling to him (Swann loves bowling to lefties) his demise was inevitable. The end came as he tried a defensive prod which went straight to the safe hands of Paul Collingwood at slip.

With Australia 143-5 England must have sensed the possibility of a first innings lead. A prospect which looked almost impossible shortly before lunch. The only worrying aspect for England was the presence of Hussey. He was in imperious form having taken Swann apart in his first few overs.

Despite Brad Haddin being unusually subdued he provided staunch support for Hussey as he went about his business. England bowled reasonably well to the pair but they remained resolute and ended the day on 220-5. There was a tinge of disappointment at the final score line but I'm sure England would have taken it if offered at the start of the day.

With Australia still 40 runs behind. England will be hoping to make a couple of early breakthroughs with the new ball and get into the tail early. My feeling is that if Australia get more than 50 runs ahead England will be struggling. Whatever Australia do get, it is essential that England bat well in the second innings. Time is not going to be a problem in this game so England should just look to bat for as long as possible whilst making sure to keep the score ticking over.

Another top day of Ashes cricket and I'm sure tomorrow will provide the same.

Ashes: First Day

So the action is finally underway. And what a start to the series it was! All the pre-match talk from Andrew Strauss about not letting the occasion get the better of you, ultimately, fell upon his own deaf ears. As he cut a ball far too close to him (admittedly it did jag in off the seam considerably) to Michael Hussey in the gully, who made no mistake with the catch.

It was the worst possible start for England. I am sure I was not the only England fan with my head in my hands, praying that it would not be 2006/07 all over again. Thankfully, Jonathon Trott soothed some of my nerves during his stay (apart from the LBW review which was painfully close). He looked calm and assured at the crease and looked well set for a ton. That was, until he played a rather uncharacteristically loose drive to an in ducking Shane Watson delivery.

This was now the most intriguing moment of the day for me. With Kevin Pietersen walking out, would Ricky Ponting bring debutant Xavier Doherty straight into the attack? If it was me, Watto would've been told go have a rest after his arduous 1 over spell and Doherty would have been straight on at Pietersen. Surely this would have played on his ego and he probably would have looked to dominate Doherty (not a bad plan but doing this from the off against a spinner is very dangerous). Instead, he was allowed to get his eye in against the friendly pace of Watson. Once Doherty was introduced he was already well set and looked at ease with the bowling. On the whole, Pietersen looked very good today (much like the skunk hair-do KP of 2005) and it bodes well for the rest of the series. I do think Ponting missed a trick today. It would have said to KP, 'you have a weakness, and we are going to exploit it'. I feel perhaps the only reason Ponting did not call on Doherty straight away, was to dispel the feeling in the media (and just about everyone else in the world) that he was only included to get Pietersen out. In my view it's the only plausible explanation as to why Ponting did not try and exploit such an obvious weakness in KP's game. Either that or it's just the fact that Ponting is a rubbish captain. Come to think of it, it's probably both.

England were finally looking on track to post a big score with Bell and Cook at the crease after Tea. We were 197-4, the bowling was wide (literally, as the extras racked up). Both batsmen looked completely at ease. Then came Peter Siddle (argggghhhh Peter Siddle, I'm sorry I just don't like the bloke. No idea why, he just gets under my skin. It mystified me as to why he was included ahead of Bollinger). Well shows what I know, as he bowled a brilliant spell to dismantle England's innings. First, he exposed Cook's fallibility outside the off-stump once again, as he nicked to first slip. He then bowled a peach of an in swinger to Matt Prior (the shot was questionable but take nothing away from the bowling) to set up the hat-trick. He then had a while to wait, as the understandably rushed Stuart Broad tried to regain some composure after hurrying out to the crease. In the end the hat-trick ball was perfect. Yorker on leg stump. It was too quick for Broad who could not get his bat down in time and Siddle was handed the perfect birthday present.

After this, England's lower order did not offer much resistance. Ian Bell played some more glorious shots to give the travelling England fans something to cheer about and Jimmy Anderson's reverse sweep for four brought a few laughs. But it did not last long, as England were bowled out for 260.

At the lunch break I thought that if we got to 300 it could be considered reasonable and I stand by that. The ball swung throughout the day and there was plenty of seam movement. Australia are ahead but they are not dominating. The cockiness of the Aussies at training tonight was back in full force after their previous downcast assessments. If England have a good day with the ball tomorrow this game could be set up very nicely.

To all you England fans. Whose optimism ahead of the series has been dashed by this difficult first day, I plead patience. This is by no means a catastrophic first day and there is plenty of scope for a recovery. There were some positive signs to take from the day. Cook's gritty innings, Pietersen seemingly finding his mojo (Yeahhhh baby! Bad joke, I know, but I couldn't resist). And Ian Bell proving his nickname, 'The Sherminator' can finally be shredded and his new one, 'The Sledgehammer of Eternal Justice' or 'The Hammer' for short, can be applied.

I am hopeful of a positive day tomorrow where England can wrestle back the initiative. 24 days to go now and if they're all as good as this one. We're in for a hell of a series!

The Talk Ends and Play Can Begin

With the start of the Ashes now only a day away I feel it necessary to write one final series preview before the action gets underway.

First of all, I want to talk about the news that Peter Siddle has been preferred to Doug Bollinger for the first Test. This news surprised me. Bollinger has taken 47 wickets at 22.02 in his last 10 tests and although he has had an injury lay-off (the reason given for his absence), Siddle has not played a Test since January and has also recently been working his way back to fitness. As an English fan I am more than happy to see Siddle striding out at the Gabba instead of Bollinger as I believe he carries far less of a threat. The fact that Andrew Strauss has shown a weakness against left-arm pace bowling would have been a strong reason for the inclusion of Bollinger as shackling England's influential captain will be essential if Australia want to regain the little urn.

For me the inclusion of Doherty was also a surprise. However in this case I think it is a good decision from the Aussie selectors. Hauritz has been far from convincing recently, even in state cricket. Whilst Doherty has been enjoying a good run of form, including 4 wickets on his International debut. I cannot believe Kevin Pietersen's struggles against left-arm spin were not a factor in Doherty's inclusion. He claims it is not a weakness however his dismissal against Steve O'Keefe for 5 in the 'A' game once again highlighted this weakness.

Pietersen is a big game player and for months now I have been cautiously optimistic about his chances of scoring runs. However Doherty's inclusion has now cast doubt on that assessment. It will surely play on Pietersen's mind. I'm convinced that Doherty will be straight into the attack when Pietersen appears and this might well have an effect on him. Time will tell whether he is good enough to combat this weakness and have a big influence on this series.

In the past few days Michael Clarke's participation has been in doubt due to the back problem that has troubled him his entire career. However after taking part in the training session yesterday it looks likely that he will play. This will be a big boost to Australia as he is a key player for them.

Now I have not said much about England because there is not too much to say. They could not be more settled and all their players have found some kind of form. They will not have a better chance to win the Ashes in Australia for some time.

Now for any gamblers out there, I will provide some tips for the series. My bet for the top run scorer from England will have to go to Strauss. He has already hit two hundreds on the tour and will be crucial to any success England achieve. There are quite a few players who will be vying for this accolade in Australia's side but on the tour of India, Ricky Ponting proved he is still the class act among them. I expect him to be desperate to win back the Ashes and he should lead by example, that means scoring runs, and lots of them.

As for the bowlers, I expect Graeme Swann will be the big wicket taker for England. He will have to get through a lot of overs in a four man attack and the Aussies will probably look to attack him which will play into his hands. For Australia, the reliable Ben Hilfenhaus will be key. He should enjoy the swinging conditions in Brisbane but is more than capable of adapting to the conditions as he showed in India.

When it comes to the biggy, the series outcome. I would go for a 2-2 draw. The teams are very closely matched and the series should be closely contested whatever the outcome.

Whatever the outcome of this series I am sure it will be a gripping and close contest. Dare I say it, worthy of rivalling 2005? We shall soon see. I can hardly wait.

An Encounter to End All Arguments: Day 1 Morning

The entire MCG crowd is deathly silent as Lillee comes charging in at Gavaskar, he reaches the crease with that gorgeous action in full flow, my lord it’s good to see that again in the flesh, the ball is back of a length and Gavaskar gets back and across to defend the ball resolutely. Lillee follows through so that he’s right in front of Gavaskar, the two of them exchange glaring stares, this isn’t just going to be an exhibition match, they’re going to be at full throttle out there (of course that’s how the ICC programmed them to play so it’s not really a surprise).

As soon as the ball is bowled the crowd erupts into a deafening cheer which lasts until Lillee reaches the beginning of his run-up as once again the crowd falls silent. Lillee seems to be running in with even more purpose this time, Lillee approaches the crease with menace in his eyes and he unleashes a real cracker, it’s lightning fast and has swung late to clip Gavaskar’s off-stump. Gavaskar looks at his stumps in disbelief as the 1st XI try and chase down Lillee who has taken off in celebration.

What a start to this game! As Gavaskar slowly trudges off George Headley makes his way to the crease. The contest between the two No.3s is something that I’m very much looking forward to, who will fare better, Headley or Bradman? Well, we’ll soon find out.

...

12 overs have been bowled here at the MCG and the 2nd XI are 15-1. You have to say that Headley and Hutton seem to be struggling to adjust to the pace of the game, Hutton more so than Headley, who is starting to find his feet. You have to admire the way Hutton has hung in against Marshall and Lillee, who have been bowling sensationally well. That Yorkshire grit certainly seems to be the only thing keeping him at the crease.

It looks like Lille is going to be replaced by Akram, it will be too early for Akram to find any reverse swing but Warne seems to have realised that Hutton is struggling against this extreme pace and one would think that Akram will give it a real go here. As he delivers his first ball to Headley, the ball goes screaming through backward point. That was a simply brilliant stroke from Headley, I don’t think he could have played it any later, he now seems to be settling down a bit and is starting to look in ominously good touch.

...

We are one over away from lunch on the first day with 29 overs having been bowled. The score is 82-2 and the two West Indians, Headley and Lara are at the crease. Headley is in imperious form and it is a delight to watch this master batsman at work. He and Lara have been going at quite a rate, Akram has struggled to find his line and Headley and Lara have taken full advantage. Headley is on 46* and Lara is on 25*.

Hutton departed for just 5 after really struggling against the pace of Lillee and Marshall, eventually he was undone by a skiddy Marshall bouncer which did him for pace, the ball looped up to first slip and Warne was more than happy to take the catch.

It looks like Sobers is going to come on to bowl the last over before lunch, I wonder what he will bowl, Warne has not found too much turn but there has been some swing.

Here we are with the last ball before lunch, so far in the over Sobers has bowled all manner of different deliveries, no doubt this is a ploy by Warne to unsettle the batsmen. Sobers runs up from his longer run, the keeper is standing back, and he releases a tantalising chinaman which has completely fooled Lara. He has gone to flick it into the leg side but he was too early on the shot and the ball has taken a leading edge which lands safely in the hands of Richards at cover. Brilliant bowling from Sobers and great captaincy from Warne. Looks like I’ve done the 1st XI a real favour with that one!

So we go into Lunch on the first day with the 2nd XI 84-3. The 1st XI look on top but the presence of Headley will make them uneasy, especially with the form he is displaying.

It seems to me the 2nd XI are relying quite heavily on Headley as after Hammond only Khan and Knott are left of the batsmen before a long tail. One wonders whether Hammond will face the same kind of struggles as Hutton, even Headley looked more comfortable against the spin of Warne than the pace of Marshall and Lillee.

I have a feeling that Warne might have a few words in the ears of Hobbs and Bradman with regards to their fielding during the Lunch interval. On many occasions they have escorted the ball to the boundary without diving and needless to say, as they walk off the pitch, their whites are spotless. However frustrating it is for Warne, no doubt it will be worse for Imran Khan, whose side contains Hutton, Headley, Hammond, Trueman and Barnes. One would suspect he will have a challenge on his hands to get this group to dive full length in order to save one run.

All in all it has been a most fascinating start to this match, please join me for the afternoon session where Headley and Hammond will look to rebuild the 2nd XI innings.

An Encounter to End All Arguments

So here we are at the MCG, the date is the 15th of March 2037 and the two captains are about to make their way out to the middle for the toss.

This 100,000 capacity crowd is eerily quiet as the players warm up on the outfield. I don’t think they can quite believe their eyes. This is the first sell out at the MCG since the Boxing Day Test Match of 2010, the last time Australia won an Ashes encounter.

Hello and good morning, I’m Richie Benaud and I’ll be guiding you through this extraordinary sporting event.

Now if you’ve been in a cave for the last year, no worries, here’s an update...

One year ago after extensive behind the scenes research and development, the ICC announced that they would be commemorating the 150th anniversary of Test Match Cricket with a mouthwatering clash between an All-Time 1st and 2nd XI. How could this be done? Well, because of new technological advances the creation of these ‘clones’ has been made possible. The technology on show here is simply incredible, the sight of Bradman knocking up with Lillee is a sight every cricket fan around the world must have dreamed about. This truly is a remarkable achievement from all involved and I would just like to take a moment to thank the ICC for bringing me back to commentate on this incredible sporting event.

The teams have been selected from ESPNCricinfo’s All-Time 1st and 2nd XI which was selected back in 2010. There have been a couple of changes from these teams as Virender Sehwag takes his place in the 1st XI at the expense of Len Hutton who drops down to the 2nds with Barry Richards the unlucky player to miss out. But who could say this change wasn’t justified? Sehwag’s achievements after 2010 are extraordinary, the first Test Match 500 (in 467 balls), during this innings he also scored the fastest ever century (from 49 balls), he also ended his career as second only to Tendulkar in the Test Match run charts.

The decision to allow a global vote (of which nearly 500 million people participated in) to select one player that was originally omitted from the sides saw Glenn McGrath come into the 2nd XI at the expense of Bill O’Reilly. McGrath sneaked in ahead of Anil Kumble, who gained masses of votes from Indian voters. In my view, the correct decision was made as I believe it was a mistake to omit McGrath from the 1st XI, never mind the 2nd XI.

I have been granted the honour of choosing the captains for the two sides and here they are now in the middle, ready for the toss. Shane Warne, the 1st XI skipper will flip the coin and Imran Khan will call. The coin goes up... and it’s Khan who’s called correctly. There are no surprises as he elects to bat on this pristine looking MCG pitch.

Here are the teams in batting order:

J Hobbs S Gavaskar

V Sehwag L Hutton

D Bradman G Headley

S Tendulkar B Lara

V Richards W Hammond

G Sobers I Khan

A Gilchrist A Knott

M Marshall F Trueman

S Warne M Mularitharan

W Akram G McGrath

D Lillee SF Barnes

Official Sub Fielder: Jonty Rhodes

As the umpires, Dickie Bird and Billy Bowden, lead out the players onto the field every single person in the crowd is on their tip-toes, trying to get the best view of this momentous occasion.

Here come Gavaskar and Hutton, followed by the 1st XI lead by Warne. It really is quite a sight seeing an opening batsman walk out without a helmet again and I for one cannot wait to see how the likes of Hutton, Bradman, Hobbs and Headley will cope against the more modern bowlers. Surely this pitch will be of a big help, there is no doubt this is the best any of them will ever have played on.

The tension is really starting to build now as Gavaskar marks his guard. Lillee is bowling a few to Tendulkar at mid-off. In just a few seconds the most amazing event in sporting history is about to take place... finally the debates about how Bradman would play Murali, how Tendulkar would fare against Barnes can be settled.

Okay... Lillee is beginning his run-up. Here we go!

Latest Revelations Condemn Pakistan

When I heard the news that Zulqernain Haider had fled to the UK because of death threats over his refusal to fix games. I was not overly surprised or shocked. I sighed, disappointed as the realisation of how severe this problem is within Pakistan cricket hit me.

I have been optimistic about the future of Pakistan cricket even after the spot-fixing saga (I firmly believe they are all guilty, Amir's no ball was ludicrous). This latest revelation has however condemned Pakistani cricket in my view. I cannot see how they can possibly continue to play international cricket. Every time they lose spectacularly or pull off an incredible victory (there is very rarely any middle ground with Pakistan) I will always think, which player/players have fixed that game then?

You have to admire what Haider has done though. In the face of such adversity his principles have shone through and I only hope he and his family are permitted to reside in the UK safely.

The ICC has to act. In my opinion, as harsh as it is, Pakistan should be banned from playing international cricket. The ICC has to at least try and find out how deep this problem lies and take any steps necessary to eradicate the problem. I am not saying it will be easy, far from it. But it is completely necessary if the integrity of cricket is to remain.

I am not saying that Pakistan should be banned forever. A period of 1 or 2 years would suffice whilst investigations take place. The ICC should then slowly re-introduce them into the game, taking all necessary measures to ensure players cannot be contacted by illegal bookmakers (if this means putting players under 24 hour surveillance, then so be it).

During this period I also feel that domestic cricket in Pakistan should be stopped as there is enough evidence to suggest fixing is also a problem at this level. The Pakistani players should also not be allowed to take part in any domestic cricket or IPL as they are obviously very susceptible to approaches from bookies. Whilst this would obviously be a huge blow to the Pakistani players (especially the ones who have done nothing wrong) they would still be able to hone their skills in places such as English league cricket and Australian Grade cricket.

The love of cricket in Pakistan would mean there would still be a talent pool to choose from once they are re-admitted. I believe support would also increase by these measures as I'm sure a lot of support has been lost over this match/spot fixing saga. This would be the best thing for Pakistani cricket, it's fans, players and the entire cricketing community.

Ashes Hype Builds

Well, I'm back! I do apologise to all my devoted followers (anyone out there?) for the absence of much writing recently, I would like to blame this on my busy schedule. My current hectic schedule includes playing my first game of the season in Australia (I scored 65 out of 102 and took 2 wickets, thanks for asking).

I was thinking about the best subject for an article and since there is so much Ashes build up at the moment, that seemed like a convenient choice.

The incredible importance of this series is plain to see in both teams preparation. England have played their best XI in both tour games so far which is a far cry from previous tour warm up games. They look a very settled side although there do remain some niggling worries with the batting (they have not yet posted a commanding total on tour) but at least Pietersen seems to be returning to his old self (his importance to England's cause cannot be underestimated). I am also pleased to report that the bowling looks very strong (trying really hard not to become too optimistic here).

Whilst England look settled and are set on their first XI for the 25th of November. Australia are a complete rabble in comparison, all their key players are playing state cricket in an effort to gain some form (even Ponting is making a rare appearance for Tasmania, although I am happy to report, unsuccessfully). They have a few fast bowlers coming back from injury who are trying to prove form and fitness before the first Test. I believe their bowling attack will be Johnson, Hilfenhaus, Bollinger and Hauritz as the spinner. This fills me with cautious optimism. Whilst Bollinger is a very strong bowler and should trouble England, Hilfenhaus is more of an English style bowler and I am confident the England batsmen will be able to repel his threat.

As for Mitchell Johnson (who I believe is only keeping his place in the team due to past achievements) I think he has completely lost whatever it was that made him such a fearsome bowler, even his once very promising batting has deteriorated rapidly. Ryan Harris (who has just taken 9 wickets in the match against Tasmania) and Peter Siddle I feel would be better options for Australia. My feelings towards Nathan Hauritz are well documented and I will not list the many derogatory terms that come to mind when trying to describe his bowling.

Their batting is also a worry. Hussey and North are both desperately short of form although I would be very surprised to see them omitted for the first Test. There have been questions over Michael Clarke's form but a timely century for NSW will have lifted some of the pressure surrounding him.

Both teams are trying to prepare in the best possible way (Australia even used the one-day series against Sri Lanka as a training exercise). My feeling is that both teams' batting strength is weak while both teams have strong bowling attacks. My previous prediction of 2-1 to Australia is under consideration (mainly due to the fact that I don't think the batsmen on both sides will bat long enough to force 2 draws) so since I don't think Australia will win it 3-1, I'm going to plump for an Ashes regaining 2-2 draw for England (it would be the first drawn Ashes series since 1972).

The stage is set for an exhilarating series between two extremely closely (albeit fairly moderate) matched sides. Game On!

50 Over Cricket Enjoys a Renaissance

If you are one of the people that thinks 50 over cricket is dead then I would like to challenge your view. The last 3 one-dayers that have been contested (2 between South Africa and Pakistan and one between Australia and Sri Lanka) have all been thrillers. They have had ebbs and flows that you cannot get in Twenty20.

Sri Lanka vs Australia was a prime example. Australia got off to a flyer, Sri Lanka took a few wickets to peg them back then Australia recovered again to post a respectable score. When Sri Lanka came to bat they lost 2 wickets quickly which put Australia right on top, Sri Lanka recovered and looked in control with Sangakkara playing beautifully, Australia then seemed to have all but won the match having reduced the Sri Lankans to 107/8 chasing 240. Cue one of the most remarkable cricketing comebacks that I can remember watching.

Once Sri Lanka had lost the 8th wicket, I fully believed the game was over. How wrong I (and presumably everyone else watching the game) was. The Sri Lankans say that the game is never over until Mathews is out. They were right.

The key to the success of Mathews and Malinga was that they were playing with no fear. There was no pressure on them as no one expected them to succeed. As soon as there was some pressure Malinga subsided, as he set off for a non-existent single in a rush to finish the game. Thankfully for Sri Lanka the ice-cool Muralitharan was on hand to guide Sri Lanka to another unexpected victory (he recently smashed 31 of 15 balls to see off Bangladesh).

There were many pleasing things about watching this record-breaking partnership (besides seeing the Aussies somehow manage to lose from another comfortable position, providing hope for the upcoming Ashes series). Chief among these were the shots played by both batsmen. The one that stands out most in my memory was the 6 Angelo Mathews hit over mid-off from Mitchell Johnson. It was not just a bludgeon (something Lasith Malinga produced on a few occasions) it was pure timing. He did not seem to try hit it too hard and the end result was me blurting out all range of superlatives to describe the shot. This was the point when I really started thinking that Sri Lanka were going to win. When they still needed 60 runs to win I started thinking they might well do it (such was the ease they were playing the Australian attack). At 100 runs to win I wondered whether it was possible. Surely I should have learned from recent games to expect the underdogs to emerge triumphant.

I apologise for only touching on the Pakistan vs South Africa games but unfortunately I did not have the pleasure of watching either games. Oh how I would have liked to see Abdul Razzaq's fierce onslaught.

I will admit that a year or two ago I too thought the 50 over game was dead, these recent games have however re-kindled my interest. This is coupled with my diminishing interest in Twenty20 as I fear overload will completely kill my interest in the format.

I have no doubt that 50 over cricket will be here for some time yet (a slight reduction in overs to 40 or 45 could happen) and to any doubters out there about the health of Test cricket. I can assure you, it is and always will be the ultimate form of the game.