2 minute readSteve Smith’s run-scoring apparently depends on whether he does or does not know the whereabouts of his own hands. Given Smith didn’t make it out of the foothills in India but then made a hundred in the World Test Championship final, we can only presume he happened across them again
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Hayden and Langer are offering their ‘insights’ on commentary during the World Test Championship final
< 1 minute readIf there was one thing that was highly awful about Test cricket in the early 2000s, it was having to endure Matthew Hayden and Justin Langer opening the batting for Australia. Then they retired and how we rejoiced. Only now Test cricket is even worse because they’re still around and
Continue readingKudos to MS Dhoni for being willing to go out with a whimper
2 minute read“This is the best time for me to announce retirement,” said MS Dhoni shortly after winning the IPL with Chennai Super Kings and shortly before conspicuously failing to do anything of the sort. At the age of 41, Dhoni is going to try and play on for a bit. Good
Continue readingWhat ‘looking ahead to the Ashes’ tells us about Test cricket’s future (and T20 and the IPL)
4 minute readRajasthan Royals owner Manoj Badale has told the BBC that, “We are going to have to think creatively about Test cricket if we want it to work.” This was shortly after he’d said the quiet bit out loud. It’s easy to characterise IPL franchise owners as ravenous financial speculators with
Continue readingWe’re really worried that they forgot to actually serve dinner at the Rajasthan Royals welcome dinner
3 minute readThis event looks like an absolute bloody nightmare on almost every level. According to Rajasthan Royals, “the welcome dinner was all about cheering our RR team members for the long but fruitful road ahead.” Shouldn’t it be about dinner? You can’t promise people food and then not deliver food. That
Continue readingIPL innovations: is Ben Stokes planning on double-batting it?
2 minute readThe Impact Player substitution thing suggests that the IPL has been reduced to rehashing old ideas in its search for eye-catching innovations/gimmicks. How about being a little more creative? How about letting batters use two bats? When we saw the shot of Ben Stokes above, we immediately thought of a
Continue readingThe IPL’s ‘Impact Player’ substitutions are another step in the wrong direction
2 minute readThe 2023 IPL will see the introduction of the Impact Player. This is a player outside the starting XI who can come in to bat, bowl or both – a sub in other words. We put it to you that tactical substitutions make cricket worse. This year’s IPL starts on
Continue readingWhat is a fair Test pitch? Aussie pundits grapple with seemingly unanswerable question
2 minute readAustralian pundits have been left with a lot of difficult questions after their team beat India on a Test pitch that turned from day one. Can a pitch be doctored or unfair when Australia win on it? We invited two high profile Aussie cricket personalities to try and come to
Continue readingThe Sophie Ecclestone displacement factor | a T20 World Cup semi-finals preview
3 minute readA year ago, during the 50-over tournament, we headlined our semi-finals preview piece, Who will lose to Australia in the World Cup final? Even if it’s a different format, it’s tempting to take the same attitude now. But if there’s one thing we’re sure of, it’s that life isn’t an
Continue readingAshwin and Jadeja. Again.
2 minute readIt must be getting on for 10 years now that touring Test teams have been arriving in India expecting to have to combat R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja on pitches that will more than likely turn a bit. No-one’s really worked it out yet. 10 years, man! 10 years! And
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