Thursday, February 11, 2010
“I would ask someone to explain to me why ball-tampering is still illegal, but since I don’t get it, I’ll stick to expressing my bewilderment. At a time when cricket has increasingly become a batsman dominated game, when the single biggest threat to Test cricket is not the IPL or T20 but the roads that are routinely produced by groundsmen the world over, what precisely is the case against ball-tampering?” – Samir Chopra poses a controversial question on the Different Strokes blog.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
“Perhaps teams now accompanied by physical trainers, coaches, managers, computer analysts, psychologists, might need to carry a moral guide too. Someone who can teach the players to tell right from wrong. Some individuals need such advice more than others. Clearly Afridi is one of them” – Suresh Menon writes for DreamCricket.com on the Afridi ball-chewing incident.
“Stuart Broad has the reddish complexion of a man who grew up holding his breath a lot when he didn’t get what he wanted. I can just imagine the exasperated Mrs Broad wailing at her satanic little son to “just wait until your father gets home”, a threat to which he could gleefully counter with the information that Dad is on tour to New Zealand and won’t be home for months” – Harris Harrison suggests on his blog that maybe Broad Junior needs to be careful where he treads in future, whether the ball is turning or not.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
“In the latest twist to the cheating row, South Africa have asked the match referee to conduct an examination of the England team’s teeth in order to determine whether the skin of the said gnashers has been artificially enhanced with Velcro, superglue or some similar substance which allows England to unfairly save Test matches. Paul Collingwood will be first into the dentist’s chair” – Mike Holmans on Cricinfo’s Different Strokes blog.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
“Over the years we have seen a lot of tall fast bowlers stop the ball with their boot, so I don’t see anything sinister in it at all” – Andy Flower moves to head off ball-tampering allegations against Stuart Broad and James Anderson.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
“I have not resigned as an elite panel umpire. I had withdrawn after the first day’s play as I felt that due to my general health, I was not up to the task and felt it was in the best interests of the game, the ICC and myself that I step down and hand over to my colleague on the elite panel, Asad Rauf. I have been in discussions with the ICC since my return from Australia and we have agreed that I will undergo a series of medical assessments. We will then discuss my future and my position as an ICC elite umpire” – a statement from Mark Benson following his withdrawal from officiating at the Adelaide Test between Australia and West Indies. His decision was widely blamed on controversy over the referral system.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
“We might see rather more action next season at places like Old Trafford and Taunton if the guardians of the first-class game were to take a lead from the Aberdeenshire Cricket Association” – CMJ calls for a more reasonable approach to playing in unseasonable conditions, following the example of the eponymous association.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
“It was an automatic, axiomatic style moment and he would give a beefy smile when he suddenly found himself on camera” – From the CricketNext tribute to David Shepherd, recalling his habit of standing on one leg whenever the score reached 111, or multiples thereof.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
“Playing regulations, set down by the International Cricket Council and agreed by member boards, could be changed to allow umpires the discretion to use one end if it would allow a match to go ahead. A pitch could cope with 40 overs bowled from one end but the ICC would have to balance the integrity of international cricket with the need to entertain the crowd” – The Telegraph on the aftermath of the second Twenty20 International against Australia at Old Trafford, at which not a single ball was bowled.
So, we were telling an American friend about the freak catch that did for Ed Joyce (the ball lodged in a fielder’s pocket as he flinched away from it) and were challenged on whether the rules covered it.
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