Left field
The Reuters global sports blog
Couldn’t Strauss try batting his way back to form?
England’s decision to allow “jaded” captain Andrew Strauss to miss next month’s tour to Bangladesh will leave many fans scratching their heads.
At a time when England are looking to lick the team into shape for their Ashes defence against Australia at the end of the year, it seems odd for the skipper not to be leading his troops from the front. Instead, it will be a “very excited” Alastair Cook who takes charge.
Strauss certainly does need to do something about his form. His team were fortunate to tie the four-match series 1-1 in South Africa after scraping two draws in Centurion and Cape Town by the skin of their teeth, and the captain himself was way below his best with the bat, scoring just 170 runs at an average of 24.28.
But rather than an extended rest, he could consider that the best way for a test batsman to regain his form is to play in a test. And given that Bangladesh’s bowlers are hardly the most fearsome in world cricket, shouldn’t an out-of-touch opener be relishing the opportunity?
Now the tour of South Africa is over, England have a four-week break before they leave for three Twenty20 matches in the Middle East ahead of the trip to Bangladesh.
Isn’t four weeks enough for Strauss to recharge his batteries before getting out there again to try to do what a batsman does best — and bat?
PHOTO: England’s captain Andrew Strauss (L) with Alastair Cook after South Africa defeated England in the fourth cricket test match at the Wanderers ground, Johannesburg, January 17, 2010. REUTERS/Philip Brown
Caribbean cricket chaos could get nasty
The news that the West Indies squad for Thursday’s first test against Bangladesh have withdrawn their services, effectively announcing a boycott of the series, has thrown cricket in the once-proud Caribbean into further chaos and things could turn very nasty in the coming days.
The dispute regards contractual issues, payments that the West Indies Players Association (WIPA) insist are long overdue, and other matters of compensation. The WIPA say that their players have appeared in the last four series without any form of contract. The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) position, to summarise very briefly, is that the WIPA’s demands have been unreasonable. If you are interested in the details (and there are lots of them) then both sides have put their cases online:
West Indies Players Association statement West Indies Cricket Board response
On Tuesday, I spoke briefly to WICB president Julian Hunte who said that, as far as he was concerned, the first test against Bangladesh on Thursday in St. Vincent will go ahead. There are possible sanctions if the match is not played and the WICB will need to get 11 players on the field to avoid them.
Finding those 11 and getting them to St. Vincent in time will not however be an easy task. Hunte declined to confirm whether or not the WICB is seeking an alternative squad (which the WIPA will likely consider a ‘strikebreaking’ team) merely saying that “We need players to hold a Test match”. If players not originally selected are indeed being approached to play they face a tricky choice — turn down a chance to represent the regional team or risk upsetting the striking players.
It has to be said however, that there has yet to be any statement from the players themselves that indicate they would oppose an alternative team. They simply haven’t said a word about anything in this leaving all communication to former player and WIPA president Dinanath Ramnarine. They may find a weakened West Indies team without their key players is a sufficient protest.
In the middle of all this, one has to feel sorry for 19-year-old Trinidad batsman Adrian Barath, one of the most promising players in the region, who is due to make his Test debut on Thursday. Barath was not been involved in the previous series currently under dispute and wouldn’t have been part of the player meetings at the weekend which decided on the boycott strategy yet he may find himself in a tricky situation with senior players if he opts to play.
A long winter looms for Pakistan cricket
A billion fans in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka — all test nations — have used the game of cricket as a balm for their myriad problems.
That myth was exploded on Tuesday after gunmen wounded six Sri Lankan players after firing heavy weapons as their team bus wound its way towards the Gaddafi stadium in Lahore to start the third day’s play in the second test.
While the players apparently escaped without serious injuries, at least eight Pakistanis lost their lives and a local umpire was critically wounded.
Cricket will never be the same again in the region.
Sri Lanka’s tour had itself come in the shadow of violence after the Indian government, its bilateral relations with its neighbour nosediving after the deadly November militant attacks in Mumbai, refused permission for its team to tour Pakistan in January-February.
The island team stepped into the breach, with Pakistan desperate for test cricket and money, having gone over a year without five-day games.
Former skipper Inzamam-ul Haq betrayed the helplessness of cricket administrators in Pakistan, unable to believe that militants, to draw global attention, could have targeted their favourite game.
For heavens sake, what is this India Pakistan thing going to do. All time the same shit!! Grow up people!! These attacks can be carried out by anyone who is brainless. People who are un educated. BLAME THE PAKISTANI GOVERNMENT. If they spend less money on their army and more on education then people wont be so stupid when unemployeed to grab arms and attack tourists. People who watched this thng happening in the streets of Lahore, I would like to tell you this that please BE A SHAMED of yourself. Stand behind your government, save innocent people like the sports team of Sri Lanka and stand agains those hairy taliban freaks. Pakistan is doomed if you guys dont unite against the bloody so called wanna be extra muslims. Ruining the name of Islam and the people who practice the normal way of Islam. After bad times there is always good time. If today u dont have a job 2moro u might, but at least get urself educated OUT SIDE THE MADRASSAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Those freaks wont teach u nothing that can be used to work in the 2days world.
I cant make my mind up. On the one hand i agree with the article, but then i think…it’s only Bangladesh. He would probably get the same batting practice in the nets with Merlin, but without having to be away from his family where he can genuinely recharge his batteries.
Slippery slope though, I agree, although if captaincy makes Cook a better batsman like it did Strauss, England may benefit further in the future