Common Sense Over Passion - India Beat Pakistan

Up there in the Punjab. the men are hard and the woman mysterious and Mohali could not have been a more steely place for the control and common sense of the highly experienced and professional outfit which is the modern Indian cricket team to stare down the passionate but erratic Pakistan.

Like most ODI's, especially at World Cup tournaments, its was a game of enthralling parts which eventually made the whole. Without doubt, the difference was again Tendulkar and his ability to best any bowling attack, especially when fieldsmen don't snaffle his rare mistakes. He is India and it was his rock solid foundation, laced with superb stroke play, which again gave India a decent total. Decent only. Pakistan could have, perhaps should have run it down. However, regardless of the Little Master's innings, the game was won in the first six overs when Virender Sehwag launched an assault on Pakistan's best bowler, Umar Gul. In three overs, Sehwag took 8 fours with great cricket shots past point, cover and from backward square to midwicket. Gul's 0-33 was doubled at the end of the innings by Raina but this short, ballistic attack from Sehwag was ended when Australian umpire Simon Taufel sent him on his way lbw to Riaz through judgement far better than the openers. The damage had been done.

Shahid Afrida was playing catch up for the rest of the innings and thanks to Riaz and his five wicket haul, was in a position to do what other sides have done at the World Cup and rattle through the tail. Life would have been easier had they held their catches. At 4-141 and then 5-185 when Tendulkar was finally out after being dropped four times, Riaz was all over the batsmen, but turning point number two again went to India as Dhoni and Harbhajan stayed with Suresh Raina before he guided the tail to a believable total. Afridi went wicketless but watched Misbah, Younis Khan and of course, Kamran Akmal, drop Tendulkar.

Pakistan's reply was one that never escaped from Indian pressure. Seven of the top eight made starts but only Misbah (56) and Hafeez (43) made decent scores. Hafeez may have made many more had he not played a shot that was as dumb as it was ugly. Umar Akmal looked the most dangerous in mid innings with two sixes in his 24 ball innings of 29, smashing Yuvraj Singh about before Harbhajan bowled straight at the sticks and Akmal went the wild flog. India had been conventional by the standards of play in the last month, opening with two left arm pace men and bowling the steady Patel at first change. Zaheer did his job, returning after some early stick to claim Kamran and Misbah with well disguised slower balls and Nehra ended the innings with great effect. In between, the relentless line and length of the bowling and the excellence in field clearly showed the difference between the two sides.

India and Sri Lanka, along with the South Africans, who returned home in choker chains, have been the most professional sides of the tournament and have deserved their place in the Final. Whether this leads to bright and attractive cricket is another matter, although with Sehwag as a cracker waiting for someone to light his fuse, anything is possible. One element of the final can be assured: Tendulkar won't be dropped four times.

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Was That A Wobble?

Sri Lanka became the first team through to the World Cup final and in doing so completed the sub continental shut out that was expected well before the first ball was bowled in the tournament. Australia or South Africa had been expected to be the last side from outside the sub continent removed but instead it was those proud battlers from New Zealand.

Almost always displaying their version of little man's syndrome, in the semi-final they never gave up, overcoming a slow start which bled wickets, to exercise most of their fifty overs to set a total that depended on Sri Lankan panic to succeed. Taylor, Syris and Williamson were the main architecs of the innings but the tail which contained some useful batsmen, collapsed with last five wickets producing only 25 runs. Another 25 from the likes of Vettori and Oram might have allowed more poressure to bear on Sri Lanka. Malinga bowled with great purpose and pace in two spells which caused havoc at the start and the end and the off spinner Mendis and the veteran Muriltharan never allowed New Zealand to escape.

At 1-160 in the reply, Dilshan and Sangakkara were cruising in the 33rd over. Thuranga had earlier been unlucky to caught off a short, wide Tim Southee delivery. Unlucky in that the rotund Jesse Ryder became Superman and defied gravity and common sense with a remarkable diving catch to his left at point. It was Southee in his second spell who returned to remove Dilshan, this time Ryder having a more placid entry into the scorebook. Sangakkara played a lazy uppercut to Styris at third man and then Vettori undid Jayawardene with flight and trapped him in from. Suddenly, three key wickets were down in less than four overs and when Southee bowled Silva not long after, the task at 5-185, was creating nervous quiet among the Colombo crowd.

It was the last hurrah for the Kiwis and the remaining runs were safelt regotiated, sending the them home from a World Cup semi-final forthe sixth time in ten events.

The Way Forward

Everyone associated with Australian cricket for the last twenty years has grown fat on success - specifically, the success that the visionary Chairman of Selectors, Lawrie Sawle, created for Australia through expert planning with its accent on fast tracking youth and a mindful and patient selection policy.

All of us, so used to winning, lost the plot around the time Adam Gilchrist was controversily chosen to debut in Ian Healy's home town of Brisbane. From there, we simply burned the logs in the fire and didn't look after our re-supplies. For God's sake, we even renamed the Sheffield Shield for a while!

This summer, we began to pay the piper for real, with a resounding loss not just to a better team but a better organisation.

There were signs we might be thinking on getting back in control of our cricket destiny, such as the review of the Ashes loss with its high powered corporates and the creme de la creme of Australia's on field thinkers from that successful period. Signs, that is, until today and most likely, tomorrrow. Today, our worst captain since Graham Yallop retired with the by far the best statistical record of anyone who has occupied the job. However, with his batting average declining (Tests and ODI's), two Test hundreds in twenty four months and an average since Cardiff '09 just under 39, he plans to bat on in the side, convinced the selectors will agree he is still one of our top six.

Tomorrow, they will agree with him and place a boarding pass in his hand for Bangladesh and they will hand the most poisoned of chalices to Michael Clark. Most of Australia don't believe he can do the job, with the Sydney Morning Herald hosting a poll that is 76% against him and Metro Man is one of their own. His own words during the last Sydney Test said as much. Now, he'll have to start making decisions with Poopy Pants biting his cuticles and scratching his testicles far enough away that his dinky pinky is safe but never far enough from Clarke that his opinion will not be obvious.

Only one of the 43 men who have been Captain of Australia have voluntarily stood down and continued in the team with success. Some, like the afore mentioned Yallop, Kim Hughes and others have been dropped from the role. Hughes had a turn at both, resigning awash and then playing two more games under Border for 0, 2, 0, 0 and the being dropped for the England tour of 1985, hearing a rebell yell and never wearing the Baggy Green again. The one was Ian Chappell, who played for two seasons under his brother Greg, split by the two years he returned to captain Australia in WSC. He was younger than Ponting and in much better form.

To rebuild, new thoughts have to actioned. Looking at our stocks, both in and out of the team, captains don't jump out at you, save but for one possibility. Shane Watson has the cricketing skill and has shown enough nous, that he might make a fine leader ... but not yet. So, if Lango was asked to joyously move into the Chairman of Selectors role, this is what I'd do.

Appoint Simon Katich as skipper. He has a fine record in state cricket and is good enough to hold his spot. He understands spinners and for the Australian ship to be sailing on blue water, we need at least one good 'un. Preferably a legspinner. Tell Katich he has two Australian summers in the job and then his deputy will assume the role. Appoint Watson as vice captain and give him things to do ... real on the job training.

Remove the dead wood (Ponting & Johnson would be two). Bring in young players with talent and stick with a squad of 16. Put importance back on the Shield and have the Test men playing, not resting from state duties. Reduce the one day games to short series. Make the the domestic one day and Twenty20 games knockout, not rounds. Less games will mean bigger crowds, not smaller. Make players more accountable for their actions by suspending , not fining them. Bet those indescretions won't happen twice. Reduce the emphasis from marketing to success and the marketing will take care of itself. Make the selectors roles fulltime, paid positions and make attendance by at least one of the selectors compulsory at state age carnivals and country championships so we identify talent earlier, just like Lawrie Sawle did.

As a guide to the selectors, the fiasco that is the non selection of Brad Hodge at any level for Australia in the past two seasons should never happen again. Australia has wasted his talent for absolutely zero gain. As his attitude was questioned he just continued to score runs on any paddock Victoria let him loose on, whilst Australian teams at Twenty20, ODI and Test level have gone from worse to worst.

Just for once, it would be refreshing if new ideas got the ear of the Happy Hooker and his Three Wise Men.

Like you, I hold little hope they will.

Punter Jumps ... Halfway

In a major press conference held at the SCG at 1:00pm today, Ricky Ponting announced he has relinquished the Test and ODI captaincy of Australia. He further announced his willingness to continue in the side as a batsman. With the Australian selectors about to announce their touring side to Bangladesh tomorrow, the timing was right for Ponting.

The decision further underline Ponting's inability to face the facts which have stacked up against him for two years. Its not his captaincy that's in decline as its never been great. Its his ability to consistently get the scores which will win games for Australia. This muted partial capitulation will only serve to create a shaky start to Michael Clarke's permanency as captain, and blight him with a fading star to manage through the undoubted failures which will occur.

Clearly, Ponting has been tapped on the shoulder, despite his protestations otherwise. That was obvious from his statements upon returning to Australia. The problem is, he may not have been tapped hard enough.

In the best interests of Australian cricket and the rebuild it needs to begin today, Ponting should accept the praise for his last innings, thank his team mates, nod with a smile at the accolades a champion gets by due reward and wave farewell.

Anything less is selfish and condemns Australia to a longer wait for the success that new blood and a new direction can give. What's needed now is a return to the conceptual basics that Lawrie Sawle devised and saw into practice in the 1980's which made us champions for twenty years. For that, new men must stand in the shoes of Andrew Hilditch, David Boon and Jamie Cox as none of them have the vision Sawle had. Even though Greg Chappell sat beside Sawle for much of his time, there are reasons to doubt him after his recent defence of Ponting's on field dummy spit.

The question remains: has Cricket Australia been brave enough with Ponting? We'll know in a few hours.

Postscript: Ricky acts alone apparently and who can argue with that claim. If the selectors had a say would they really wish to retain a batsman who has scored only 1403 runs at 39 in the last two years? In there, only two centuries ... one in July 2009 against England at Cardiff at the start of a losing campaign and the double century against Pakistan as far back as January last year on home turf at Bellerive when he watched a sitter go down before he scored.

There is only one former Australian captain who stood down from the captaincy - only one - and batted on with success. Ian Chappell stood down when still in peak form and played two seasons under his brother Greg's lead, split by two seasons when he again captained the Australians in World Series Cricket. He was younger and he was in form and he is the only one of 43 captains to do so. Kim Hughes tried but left after four innings netted him 2 runs.

Given his form over the past two years, his easily inflamed temperament and the destabilisation that can only occur by having him in the side, why continue with him as a player? If reputation was enough, Greg Chappell would still be playing!

Lango on Prime News

Pickin' the Eyes Out of Yam's Tale

With thanks to, but apologies for Ian Charlton, who peeled off this tale to me.

Once upon a time, a Girl Potato and a Boy Potato had eyes for each other and finally they got married and had a little sweet potato, which they called 'Yam.'

Of course they wanted the best for Yam. When it was time, they told her about the facts of life. They warned her about going out and getting half-baked, so she wouldn't get accidentally mashed, and get a bad name for herself like 'Hot Potato,' and end up with a bunch of Tater Tots. Yam assured them not to worry - no Spud would get her into the sack and make a rotten potato out of her! On the other hand she wouldn't stay home and become a Couch Potato either. She would get plenty of exercise so as not to be skinny like her Shoestring cousins.

When she went off to Europe, Mr and Mrs Potato told Yam to watch out for the hard-boiled guys from Ireland and the greasy guys from France called the French Fries. When she went out west in the USA , they told her to watch out for the Indians so she wouldn't get scalloped. Yam said she would stay on the straight and narrow and wouldn't associate with those high class Yukon Golds, or the ones from the other side of the tracks who advertise their trade on all the trucks that say, 'Frito Lay.'

Mr. and Mrs. Potato sent Yam to Idaho PU (that's Potato University ) so when she graduated she'd really be in the chips.

In spite of all they did for her, Yam came home one day and announced she was going to marry Richie Benaud. Richie Benaud!!! Mr and Mrs Potato were very upset. They told Yam she couldn't possibly marry Richie Benaud because he's just ... well he's just a ...

COMMONTATER!!!

Ponting's Time Is Up

Read Ian Chappell's article outlining why Ponting needs to undertake the Gough Maneuver ... Its Time!

Ian Chappell on Ponting

Irene Goodnight

The England of fairy tales, where gallant knights of untold courage overcame dragons despite the circumstance, finally ran out of the story book endings which had so clearly book marked this World Cup. In their last appearance there were no dragons, just the Sri Lankan lions whose roar out matched them.

Batting first was a good omen foretold by the overwhelming record of the scene in which they were set at Colombo, as few chase and win at Premadasa. The mind set was endurance and in the main the batsmen did their job. Jon Trott was again the rock upon which England build her innings, with yet another fine display in which batsmanship was more dominant than flair and strokeplay tempered with defence. To survive is to provide the opportunity of runs and he has done it well in the various lands of nodding heads and deference to the heritage he has borrowed by convenience for an international place. Regardless, his batting spanning the last six months has been all or more that Dusty Miller and his generals could have hoped for. He has assimilated so well that he bats like a Yorkshireman despite haling from Cape Town via Warwickshire. Ravi Bopara, who name rolls off the tongue as well as any other Englishman, like Bell played supporting roles and the under used Welshman, Eoin Morgan provided spark and substance to an English innings that ended where Strauss dreamed it might on such a pitch, in such a place and at such a time. The English captain, who has done so much that has been good and positive and in the best interest of the men under his management, played a poor hand but in the end, it was almost unnoticed. What a fine man he is. His assertions this week against a boring old twat from Yorkshire are example of the finest, truest of characteristics of real meal to which more needs to be said. History wasn't enough against an opponent which has cruised for the most part, content with flexing muscles which needed little more than the occasional flick to progress in this tournament. Only Pakistan have worried them and that may be the case in a week if Afridi's men survive a promised epic against India. This, a difficult chase against history as much as England, was achieved with ten overs left and with the openers still in place. Sri Lankan's quite rightly much vaunted super batsmen, Sangakkara and Jayawardene made no appearance as Tharanga and Dilshan flayed an English attack which has struggled throughout. Swann bowled like a man who was more perspiration than inspiration and he was treated scant respect. As often as England beat the bat, the dashing bats of Sri Lanka beat the boundary as the home crowd screamed approval. In the end, justice prevailed and form found its truest expression here in Colombo. Had England won, travesty would have held hands with fairy tale. They failed to field the bowlers they needed and relied heavily on Trott's anchor rope and Strauss driving force. They were beset with injuries from the start and exhausted by the banquet of cricket they have feasted on. Hindsight would inform them that seven ODI's in Australia between the Ashes and this were ill advised but like other beautiful things, its not appreciated until time and rest provide shelter for such reflections. Sri Lanka, by contrast, are fresh as several spring paddocks full of daisies and New Zealand won't mess with their heads. This is not a side which chokes. We have the prospect of two more wonderful contests left of the three games scheduled and if the cricket gods might agree, the final one will match the two most imaginative sides in world cricket - Pakistan and Sri Lanka - and a little man with bulging eyes might leave a champion.

You Can Dress Them Up , But You Can't Take Them Out

It was one right out of the Greg Norman coaching book. Despite any of the ways South Africa might like to spin it, they have choked again when in complete control of a one day tournament and this one the biggest of them all. They have no excuses. They were fit, ready, in form and faced a spirited but inferior opposition. At oranges the game was theirs. 24 overs into their innings, the game was there's ...

... but they choked.

Both innings followed similar paths. Four men made starts and the rest failed. Both sides were in trouble early, recovered and then fell away. Both sides opened with spinners - New Zealand two of them, Vettori & McCullum - but a pace bowler took the most wickets ...

... but Sarth Efrika choked.

There were key differences. The burly Jesse Rider was the only batsman to take his innings on. He's an interesting character, highly regarded for his brilliance but feared by team mates for his brittle temperament and the excesses of life style that his bulk is merely an indicator of. He's been trouble for New Zealand in the Andrew Symonds mould but amplified and the Kiwis have worked hard to mine the gold from him. His innings was less expansive than other more explosive efforts but in partnership with Ross Taylor, he was the mechanic that put the wheels back on the innings and then Kane Williamson provided the wild driving to see New Zealand to some sort of total.

At 2-108 in the 24th over, South Africa's return statement of fact was already well worded and reading like a Tim Winton tale. They had been constrained by McCullum and Vettori who's opening spell was all about threat and a small man's bluff against a bigger, more dangerous man who has the knock out blow held cocked back just waiting for the right moment to knock the smart alec on the seat of his pants. It never came. Southee made the key breakthrough when Kallis pulled indiscriminately to Oram who took a good catch on the run at mid wicket. Three overs later, Dumminy tried to cut McCullum and lost middle and off and then de Villiers was run out on a too-sharp single to short midwicket. In all, 6 wickets fell for 38 in a thirteen over spell and despite the efforts of Faf de Plessis to bat with the tail, it was a lost cause.

Greg Norman would have been proud.

New Zealand did what they do well, creating pressure where they have no right to and turning a situation back on a better team so they can stew in their own juices. They played on the South African's mentally, knowing that man for man they were no match. It is an effective strategy, learned from years of having limited resources and battling with an over confident foe just across Abel Tasman's short stretch water which provides sanity to both nations. Its a reality Dan Vettori knows well, as did Stephen Fleming before him but its a trick with limited applications. It would pay to remember that it relies on several of their mercurial temperaments to work in alignment, like planets of the solar system. Its not likely to work again on sub continent opponents.

For the elder South Africans like Kallis, this continues to build a legacy which reduces their real worth, and that applies equally to the current young stars and ones that will follow. With no sign of fragility they have looked the class team here but wiser heads, such as the ABC's Tony Meppem called them for what they have been and still are. Their chokes move from famous to infamous and will hang about them like sackcloth. Some sides wear badges of courage, but theirs is that annoying symbol of arrogant American youth pop culture ... the right angled thumb and forefinger pasted to their veldt weary foreheads.

Losers.

India Comfortably Into Semis

Well, that's that! You'll have to forgive me if my fingers are bleary this morning but it was a game that had to be watched but in the end, one that was well beyond the armaments the Australian off field generals had equipped their battle scarred team with. India won with measured comfort.

Batting first, the Australians scored 260 where 300 was required to cause a sweat from this run-heavy Indian team. Their innings was built around a typically bullish century from the Ponting - a man who's fighting qualities have never been at question. Unfortunately, as he has faded, these innings have become fewer and much, much harder for him to conjure on demand as they were in his halcyon days of the early naughties. It was admirable batting, much like the lighting in art galleries - small spotlights highlighting parts of the innings as gems but larger tracks of darker shadows in between. He competed with but never dominated the bowlers until his ugly demise, an awkward but well struck reverse sweep, hit as though laser guided straight to the hands of Zaheer Khan at a short third man. It has always been a dreadful shot, no matter who has played it since Mike Gatting threw away a World Cup final against the Australians at Eden Gardens - a victory which was to herald the start of a long Australian dominance of the game. Its a mystery shot, mainly as to why otherwise high quality batsmen play it.

Ponting deserves commendation for an innings made against a backdrop of doubt but unless he alters his path, it will be an opportunity wasted to depart on his own terms. If he wanted the Greg Chappell exit, his hundred was the script writer's stage but his lack of instinct appears to extend off the field as well and he looks determined to experience a grizzly end.

The other Australians batted carefully, to no end. Haddin made fifty but it was at best workmanlike. David Hussey's was the best innings of all, including that of his captain and underlined more of the same thoughtless selection policy which has gradually rotted the stuffing from the Boxing Kangaroo. He has been our best in the middle order and yet White was preferred. Last night, Smith was axed for his return and the Victorian remained in place. He must stay well away from the captain in the field. Regardless, none of them deserved a place more than the forgotten Brad Hodge, still the best short game batsmen in the world and stated by an observer without the Big V branding.

India's response was clever. They measured the target and set about achieving it. Its the outstanding trait of this Indian side and the reason they can afford to still have a bag of allsorts in their bowling treats. Sehwag wasn't fit and it showed in his reduced fire power but it didn't matter. Tendulkar, Gambhir and Yuvraj Singh all made steady half centuries and the support cast did what was required, including Raina, who played the same role David Hussey had. Australia's "speed kills" policy was found out for the danger it was as it effectively killed the Australians. The pace men bowled 15 extra deliveries, with Tait being the dominant transgressor with two no balls and six wides so whilst India won in the 48th over, it was gifted fifteen free runs. Tait was as dreadful as Tait can be and even when not spraying the ball wide of leg stump to exercise the umpires, his misfires gave the batsmen plenty of scope to score. His opening eight ball over to Tendulkar typified his mischief, with Tendulkar taking two fours plus extras. It should have been enough to send a sane man to bed but I have an escape clause.

India controlled this match and may well progress against Pakistan. It will certainly be a clash of style and management against pizazz and raw emotions. However, neither look good enough to beat South Africa. We shall see.

The Quarter Finals

If one was to apply common sense, logic and as a last resort form to a discussion about the World Cup quarter finals that begin this evening, then the four winners are obvious: Pakistan, India, South Africa and Sri Lanka. In fact, those watching results closely, have been naming these four as semi finalists whether they were playing the tough games when the top eight played clashed or the games against lesser lights with sub continental left overs. These four are the stand out sides of the last month of preliminaries.

You don't have to be a sage to also know that any contest which has only two contestants battling for one spot in the next game can still go either way but here, in this set of quarter finals, it seems unlikely.

Tonight, Pakistan will hope to continue to mine the rich vein of form that they shown, including but not the best being their win over Australia in the last of the round matches. They withstood all that Lee offered and despite his four wickets, they won. There was great common sense in their batting which Mishba and Younis must take credit for. They are fine Test players and when calm is required, they play their best innings in ODIs. Afridi is a passionate and infectious captain who has mastered the art of bubbling this side along at just the right pace. The old reverse swinging yorker man Waqar has worked wonders as their coach - his most remarkable achievement being the bringing of the various factions together. Their spin attack is the most potent, Umar Gul would be the equal of Brett Lee as the best pace man on show and their fielding is so sharp that no single is run in complete safety. Against them, the West Indies provide an improving side with some fine athletes who are on the rise such as Kemar Roach and Keiron Pollard and of course loads of experience in the likes of Gale, Sarwan and Chanderpaul. They'll compete but not well enough to worry Pakistan.

The second match is the one Australians will have their eyes on and thanks to all of the off field issues involving Ponting, not necessarily because a loss here means the end of Australian domination of the World Cup. So much of the lead up has been predictable ... Mr Cricket assures us that all of the players are behind the Skipper, although what they are doing back there wasn't made clear ... Mitch Johnson is going to attack Virender Sehwag's rib cage (good luck with that Mitch) ... the coach claims India will be the side under pressure in front of 54 000 screaming fans, 99.9% of them in Indian blue (can't see it myself). India have been sketchy but less so than the Australians. They have the better bowling attack - Lee accepted - and as good as Watson and Haddin have been, Ponting is in the doldrums and Clarke has been good but not great. Great wins these matches and his greatest won't come until the substantial shadow of Ponting has finally stepped out of the spotlight. India, by comparison, have a very potent and dangerous top four who will tear an unbalanced and inappropriate Australian attack. If Australia was concerned at the runs Kenya and Canada made against them, then India's top end will terrorise them. Its true that the Indian line up has collapsed several time but only after they already had banked a fortune in runs.

South Africa are the form team and they will crush New Zealand. Unlike Australia, who share some handy pace resources, although not in the class of Steyn and Morkel, South Africa have spinners who have taken swags of wickets. Robin Petersen and Imran Tahir have both had turns opening the bowling with their bewitching spin and their success and the confident South African batting from one to six makes them very much the side to beat. New Zealand have struggled with injuries and their easy capitulation to Australia is the form guide here. South Africa will romp into the semis.

The final match is the hardest to predict. It shouldn't be. Sri Lanka are a close second to Graeme Smith's men on form and if it were that alone, expecting them to win would be easy. However, against them are the completely split personalities of England, the only side to topple South Africa and also tieing with India but losing twice when wins should have been completely assured. Who will forget the jig Ireland danced over their reputations? If Strauss fires to back up the dependable Trott and Graham Swann can find another miracle in his bag of magic tricks, England could beat the Sri Lankans ... but in Colombo? Its hard to see England being able to lift of the canvas again and if any batsman hand out an ugly beating to Swann, Sangakkara can. England haven't enjoy playing spin in this event and Sri Lanka have three of the best, including that man with the bulging eyes and the impossible action who has many times wrapped English batsmen in webs that have them tripping over themselves.

My winners would be Pakistan, India, South Africa and Sri Lanka, with England being my sleeping dragon.

New Address - Same Old Rubbish

Those who follow The Cricketragics should note that we have a new web address which will graduallly migrate over the next three days but don't worry, if you use the old address for a while, you will be forwarded to the right place.

The new address is www.thecricketragics.com

Alas Poor Ricky, We Knew Him Well

The baying of the media wolves has finally started - twelve months after the fact - especially as a member of the Cricket Australia board has been caught having a leak. What a difference a directorship makes. Years ago a member of my club leaked on the pitch during a game and had a few weeks off to train his greyhounds to winners. The leak is of course, just part of the process of promulgating a new direction we have adopted from the Westminster system of politics. As Sir Humphrey said in Yes Minister, "the ship of state is the only ship that leaks from the top" and so it goes. The Board, we are shaped to believe, is concerned with the marketability of a 36 year old captain whilst the vice captain and next big thang has the Mo Matthews mojo with younger fans.

Oh and there is the thing with Ponting's uncontrolled outbursts and apparent inability to lead himself - let alone the team - by any example that is conducive to long term winning cricket. Let's not mention standards.

Punter has been prolific in these few long weeks of the World Cup. First there was the box throwing breaker Marantz incident and then the MC Ponting "You Can't Touch This" dance with a bemused Steve Smith. Now he's under further scrutiny not so much for his failure to walk when he laid half a Brazilian rain forest on a ball against Pakistan and then stood gobsmacked that anyone would appeal at such a thing but more for his startling admission at the press conference afterwards. The real hanging offence was his failure to keep that same gob smacked with the media.

Of course Fox Sports was keen to publish a comparison between Ponting's hell no, I won't go and Tendulkar's immediate turn and walk on the same night against the West Indies. It was pushed nicely in that direction by an obliging Indian media still seeking revenge over the incidents with Harbhajan and the Indian team in Sydney in January 2008 during a highly fractious tour. They say elephants - prized on the sub continent - never forget and they remember Ponting's role in the fiasco and his celebratory shenanigans were never punished by his own authorities.

What of walking? Surely, its only an issue when a batsman chooses to leave immediately when there is a decision which could be at all questionable. Therefore, Gilchrist made headlines for leaving when he knew he was out but others were not so sure. In the circumstances in which Ponting fell against Pakistan, there was no question. The full speed first view showed it and the first replay confirmed a big, fat, healthy edge. In those circumstances, players have always left, in much the same way as one does when the castle is felled. This is not walking, its just expected.

Ponting is a drowning man. His behaviour has shown it and now forcing an umpires hand only makes it seem an even more desperate act of a man on his last involuntary dip below the waves. Desperate men are selfish but not necessarily by choice or conscious decision, so Ponting won't consider that he has questions to answer with what followed. Pakistan erupted we he stood his ground, even when faced with what Pakistan coach Waqar Younis later described as the inevitability of replays and remember, Ponting stood there, knowing he had hit it. Haddin reacted out of ill-founded loyalty to his skipper in that passionate, big mouthed, chest strutting way he finds it necessary to be the world's expert in. The umpire was placed under unnecessary pressure and ruled on a lie, something which can't help his development. Pushing, shoving, another ugly incident and all of it unnecessary and tied, inexorably to that drowning man.

I've never been a fan of this pugnacious little map of Tassie, despite recognising the beauty in his cover drive, the skill in his pull shot and his poise in the field but even though I have called on his departure from the international scene before, these current events bring no joy, no smugness in the accuracy of my prediction. Instead, a deep sadness invades me as I watch a man loose his chance for greatness either through poor counsel or the last vestiges of a never say die attitude. Its like watching Hawke stride down that corridor on the way to the party meeting which gave him the Brutus treatment and its always worse when you know that the end could have contained so much more grace and appreciation. After this, the applause will be at best muted.

Please Ricky, please. throw us the necessary crumbs. Announce your intention to retire when this campaign ends and go out the way you have played, full steam ahead toward the sunset.

Sydney Morning Herald Poll "Should Ricky Ponting remain as Australian Test Captain?"

"Crash" Craddock Talking on Fox About Ponting's Retirement

"I Think We'll Get A Better Feel Tomorrow When This Game Is Finished About How Well We Are Placed In This World Cup" - Ricky Ponting

Australia lost its final group match of this World Cup after spending most of the time since it started complaining about the lack of quality opposition. Certainly on the face of things, the wash out against Sri Lanka was a hindrance but in the end you make your own luck. When the opportunities came this week to hand out crushing wins, the Australians won with comfort instead and much of that falls not on the bowlers but on the short sighted and arrogant policy of believing you can changed a hundred years of history on the sub continent and win here with a pace dominant attack.

How much must the selectors and Ponting must be missing he man they ignored all summer, Nathan Hauritz but not so much as a replacement for Krezja but as a bowling buddy. Last night, Krezja was the only spinner used, so far has the gloss been tarnished from Steve Smith. The truth is, the kid's not up for it bowling at the highest level, in much the same way as Phil Hughes can't score runs with the big boys.

Australia batted first on a wicket which was certainly playing two heights rather than two paces and although Pakistan's pace men took the majority of the wickets, it was their three spinners, Rehman, Afrida and Hafeez who won the game. The Australian batsmen are nearly all confidence players who like to feel the bat coming forward through the ball but they were choked by the spinners who gave up just 94 runs from their combined 29 overs and made all of the batsmen look uncomfortable. Clarke resisted best but in the end played a dreadful hoick across the line to Razzaq which spoke of his frustration at not being able to accelerate against the slower men. Bear in mind, he's the best player of spin in the side.

Ponting didn't even play a cameo. He struggled from the first ball and his first boundary was the shot of a man all at sea with foot work and searching for runs. Determinedly aggressive - always the sign of a man who is lost - even his best shot continues to misfire for him and he top ended like a number eleven to a ball which got big on him and it landed in uncontrolled splendour just inside the boundary behind the keeper. For those of us who wish for him to announce his impending declaration - something which might hard-weld his side long enough to win this world cup - there was one, glorious cover drive, played on the up with all of the impeccable timing of old. The inevitable kept none of us waiting and he edged Hafeez into Kamran Akmal's webbing when trying to drive/cut/glide the ball ... who knows. Its another sign that its time to go when Akmal holds a chance you offer him.

Haddin was feisty but long winded, not understanding the wicket but trying to wait it out and as usual, as interested in chat with the opposition as he was with scoring the runs Australia needed from him. He may well adopt the take no prisoners John McEnroe approach and may well believe it pumps up his performance but he often heads to the pavillion soon after such outbursts, walking carefully over the tracks of his tears.

Smith played mostly back to the ball, watching it closely and respecting the wicket and making the best of it he could. His was an impressive innings.

Pakistan won by six wickets but not before Brett Lee gave them a scare with a Lillee-like performance. He has been so impressive at this tournament. Age and injury have certainly bought a smartness to his bowling that was only seen in flashes previously. His first two spells where fabulous and kept Pakistan back on their haunches and a third, called for earlier, may have even given Australia an undeserved victory. Recalled for his last spell on the basis of overs and not the run target was a mistake by Ponting and underlines the lack of instinct he has always bought to the job. The rest of the bowlers tried but didn't have the guns to fire on this pitch or the ability to fire them. Why Smith or Clarke weren't tried is another one of those mysteries but its a fair guess they weren't on the bit of paper Tim Neilsen handed the skipper.

Against the top sides in their group, Australia notched an easy win against the Kiwis, were in an interesting position against Sri Lanka and have been embarrassed here. Their quarter final looms against India so their loved ones will be seeing them soon.

ABC Radio New England North West - The Cricket Tragics on the World Cup

Hear what Peter Langston, Tony Mephem and Doug Selems have to say on all things World Cup, including their comments about Punter Ponting Poopy Pants.

ABC NENW Cricket Tragics 18/3/11

England ... Just!

In a game they had won and lost several times, England eventually beat the West Indies in Chennai when their opening bowler, off spinner Graham Swann, triggered a last minute collapse which saw the last four wickets tumble for just three runs. The Windies were within agonising grasp at a distance of only 18 runs.

Earlier in the day, England made a rapid fire start with Prior and Strauss which for once got even faster when the normally obdurate Jonathan Trott came to the crease. His first 26 runs came from just nine deliveries as England raced to 79 in the twelfth over when Strauss was out in a familiar fashion, top edging a pulled short ball to Gayle at mid wicket. When Trott changed his mind to debutant Devandra Bishop and chipped a simple lob to mid wicket, England were still in charge at 3-121 and more than half the overs still left but as Bell, Morgan and Bopara all followed him in the space of 11 overs and only 30 runs, England had their wobbly wheels back on. Luke Wright led a mini recovery but 243 still looked thirty runs short of a winning score.

Gayle made 43 of the first 58 until Tredwell struck him playing forward and two umpires and the technology gave him out. The technology said it would have clipped the bails. The ridiculous nature of the review system means that if the field umpire had shaken his head and England had sought the review, the same technology would have ruled it not out. Gayle could consider himself unlucky. Smith, Bravo, Sammy and Thomas all went in the next 13 overs, as Tredwell cut a swathe through the West Indies. Sammy had looked particularly good in an aggressive 29 ball stay. Devon Smith's departure was perhaps the most unusual, not only given out stumped of the off spinner Tredwell after the ball seemed to hit ever obstacle it could before dribbling back the Roy Rene look alike Prior behind the stumps but the 3rd umpire pressed the wrong button initially and had to quickly recant!

At 5-118, the West Indies looked done but with overs to spare, Sarwan got his head down while Pollard and Russel did some considerable hitting. As the 42nd over started, the West Indies had the match well and truly won at 6-222, with 22 required from 54 deliveries. Tredwell struck. Bowing round the wicket to Andre Russell, he hit him on the pads going back and was sent. Had a review been available, Russell would likely have batted the West Indies to victory. Two overs later, Swann was back for his last spell and a delivery got a little big on Sarwan, who went back to turn it to leg for a single, nicked it onto his thigh pad and Bell picked up the easiest of catches at short leg. With singles enough to win the game, Roach left two balls later with a dreadful attempted heave down the ground which lobbed to Chris Tremlett who took a good big man's catch at mid off. It finished soon after, with another West Indies brain explosion. Benn bottom edged toward fine leg, completed one and took on Trott for the second but as the Australians discovered, the man with the Geoff Boycott hair style is quick, clean and has a flat, fast throw and Prior completed the formalities.

This was a game the West Indies squandered and England kept scrambling long enough to win. The success of James Tredwell should be enough for them to abandon the shock and awe policy of a pace dominated attack- what Australia calls "speed kills" - and kept the second spinner in their line up.

All that remains in this topsy turvy English campaign is to see Bangladesh beat South Africa. It might have been interesting if the Bangers were playing Pakistan.

"Sorry About That Chief ..."

I'll commence with an understandably apology. For those who sin daily and drop in to scoff at what is written, I'm sorry that I haven't been here for a few days. The other half of the writing team - the half which supplies the food and more importantly the encouragement - has been in hospital since the weekend and this created a conflict of priorities which placed The Cricketragics in 2nd place. Also scheming against us was a suddenly unhappy and erroneously named wisdom tooth, with which I parted company on Monday morning, although the infection it left in its room before leaving is taking longer to evict.

Catch Up
Let us press on. Since the last instalment, The Bangers mashed the Netherlands by more balls than an AFL squad, not accounting for those who play one short owing to what is now know as Capperitis. In doing so, Bangladesh maintains a one point lead over the only inconsistent side in the tournament, England, but more on that later. Pakistan assured their quarter final spot with an impressive win, batting second under Duckworth Lewis conditions against Zimbabwe. South Africa were just as good as England should have been against Ireland, with Jean-Paul Duminy having the luck of that same Irishman, Kevin Bloody O'Brien, who pulled of a screamer when he was on 99. Steyn only bowled 4 overs.

Last night, most of the Australians were very professional in beating Canada. Lee was again superb and if Ponting is to lift his third World Cup, The Wheatbix Kid will be one of the key contributing factors. Kreja continues to punch above his weight and Tait has done well but he hasn't really had to face many good batting lineups. Watson and Haddin went the whole nine yards with an opening stand of 183 and that big blond kid looked pretty damned awesome.

Mr Cranky Pants
Of the course, the talking point of the game during the Canadian innings came when Steve Smith and Ricky Ponting came into contact physically in trying to take the same catch and then verbally when Mr Anger Management vented his spleen and several other organs at the young alrounder. As he has aged and his mellowness has shallowed like his batting average, Ricky and his cranky pants have become increasingly synonymous. The fact is, the Australia skipper was ill-tempered through most of the Canadian innings and although he had a right to have a clear shot at the catch, having seen Smith approaching and having made a clear call, his temperamental toss of the ball to the deck after the catch, growling demeanour and refusal to talk with his team mates was symptomatic of a man who finds maintaining control over his emotional overflow switch as difficult now as he did as a youngster. His cod piece TV killer from earlier in the tournament and episodes in the Ashes series are part of the same continuum which stretches back through his career. There are plenty of incidents to name and each one is followed by a contrite and as usual, conditional apology.

His behaviour was abysmal as an arrogant youngster who had arrived on the Test and ODI scene as a bona fide superstar. No one has ever seriously doubted his ability with the bat or ghosting in from either short mid wicket or short cover. Even in slips he was handy. It was his sudden, white hot anger that could flare on and off the field that was the problem but when you're a star, much ... no all is forgiven. Aging and no longer having his performances to save him, now he's turning his toddler moments on team mates, which is what happens when your ego has the cheque book. The Australian innings, an opportunity he once would have taken to make all indiscretions right with his team mates by driving his fierce skills with fiercer anger, was another failure for a man proud of his achievements and again journalists are casting their eye over his stats and finding the equation no longer provides escape.

Ponting is a fractured fairy tail. He was finished 12 months ago. Finished in the Greg Chappell, Lillee, Marsh, Gilchrist, McGrath, Warne sense of finished. Unlike each of them whose reputation fixes in the cricket firmament since retirement, each new game, he further risks the cricket community and those other punters - the ones who pay rather than get paid - fixing his memory below the high water mark his playing deeds had earned him. Greatness will not stick to a career whose only continuous, consistent and reoccurring feature has been ugly, unacceptable acts of angry personal self-indulgence.

As much as I have often pointed to these shortcomings and expressed my disgust, to be honest, I now feel sorry for him.

Ian Chappell's View
Doug Walters Calls For Ponting's Head

Do Or Do Not
England, having painted themselves into a corner owing to the erratic nature of their first five performances, must win tonight against the West Indies. Their batting isn't really the question, its the bowling that's debatable and the Windies are just the type of side that could tear them limb from limb while the steel drums play in stands. Of course, England could still win and be knocked out when Bangladesh beats South Africa on Saturday but there's more chance that the market in blood diamonds will dry up. I fancy the Windies, who have played good cricket so far but have only lost to South Africa among the leading teams. Chris Gayle hasn't cast his magic spells yet and the predominantly English pace attack looks to be pretty tasty for a man of his appetites.

Pacific Nations Cruising

Australia and New Zealand cruised to wins, despite allowing their opponents to have their day out with the bat.

For Australia, Watson, Haddin and Ponting got things underway with their customary solid start, leaving Clarke and Hussey to add a century stand and press the accellerator pedal. Clarke was very, very good and with Hussey making his dubious but much planned debut at this World Cup after the excess baggage of Doug Bollinger was sent home, Australia made a wall too huge for Kenya to scale. The batsmen did no more than their job for an Australian side which ruthlessly goes about its business, wanting no repeats of its long game disappointments inthe last home summer. It was a big score but Kenya's bowlers weren't very good, so in reality, this was a controlled innings.

To Kenya's credit, they batted well after a great opening spell by Brett Lee, who continues to be the class act of this Australian bowling line up. Tait gets wickets, especially at the death, where he spears in yorkers at 150km/h which tail in from the off. While ever he can do that, Ponting won't quibble about him going at six runs an over. Krejza is the other trump and has been all along, extracting big turn at times from his off spinners. If Australia are to stay unbeaten and topple either South Africa or India, Krejza will be the crucial man. Not much could be said of the others as they bowled poorly. Johnson for all his early wickets in this tournament, doesn't impress and Ponting looks to be three bowlers short - a deficiency which won't be found out until Australia rubs up against the top sides.

Due credit to Mishra and Obuya who added 115 against the No 1 side in the world and at a time when their own side was house of cards on a nasty lean. Both struck the ball cleanly, with Mishra looking more like a batsman. That Australian ruthlessness was never more evident as Ponting closed Obuya down in the last four overs to prevent him becoming the 4th Kenyan to score a ODI hundred. Steve Tikilo, the 39 year old veteran and scorer of the most ODI hundreds for Kenya, sat watching in the stands for the first time at a World Cup. Until last night, Tikilo had played in ever Kenyan World Cup game, dating back to a debut against India in 1996.

Meanwhile, at Mumbai, all of the New Zealanders - minus Dan Vettori - got runs in massive total against Canada. Only John Davison contained the Black Caps as Brendan McCullum finally fired and Ross Taylor again showed leadership suits him with five 6's in a 60 ball innings of 74. Canada made good runs in much the same mold as Kenya, as New Zealand used 8 bowlers. Bagai and Hansra bated well again, adding 125 mid innings and Canada had the distinction of not being bowled out. For New Zealand, Oram's form was pleasing but they may be struck with yet another bowling injury after Kyle Mills limped off during his third over with the new ball, immediately after taking his second wicket.

South Africa Rampant; England Banged & Dashed

India v South Africa

We really are moving to the sharp end of the tournament, judging by the outstanding performance by South Africa in inflicting India's first loss since the World Cup opening on February 19th. Then, India's batsmen ran amok at Dhaka and her bowlers gave up far too many runs to Bangladesh. India looked a little fat and lazy and perhaps they haven't yet reached the razor edge they will need to be ultimate victors. Perhaps they thought this time, home would bring them easy success. If they did, South Africa have provided a rude shock.

It was a game where the turning point was so clearly defined. Sewag, Tendulkar and Gambhir had handed the South Africa attack rough treatment for 39 overs and at 1-267, perfectly primed the innings for an avalanche of runs to crush any South Africa reply. They hit as they wished for twenty seven fours and three Tendulkar sixes, including one, the perfect hook shot off Dale Steyn in his opening four over spell which went for 30. Tendulkar was against magnificent, the sort of innings that makes you realise as a bowler that its a matter of patience and eventually pushes you to wonder it there is any point even competing with him. But these boys from Down Under & Across are not like those who Waugh or Warne could intimidate. Their mixture of youth and experience is of sterner or is that Steyner stuff. The world's best fast bowler returned with India in command and took 5-20 of nearly six overs and the Indian juggernaut sank with all hands losing its last nine wickets for just 29 runs.

Even so, South Africa might have choked in the chase, after Amla and Kallis were solid in getting to 127 in 28th over. Just when acceleration was needed, de Villiers provided it with a scintillating half century in just 39 balls. From there, everyone did their job as Dumminy, du Plessis, Botha and Peterson did exactly what was required. Despite Harbhajan finally getting some wickets, India had no answer and their bowlers were made to look like little sub continent Olivers, asking this time for NO more.

Despite their off-colour batting against England, South Africa must now be the favourite to lift the silverware on April 2nd.

Bangladesh v England

By contrast, the Heckle & Jive outfit which badges itself as England, completely lost the plot the night before against Bangladesh. Some might remember I thought this a danger match for the Poms and so it proved but it needn't have been so. Batting first, they never scored enough against what can only be described as an adequate attack. Again England looked unable to put pressure on a spin-dominated bowling line up and it was the top order who were most guilty. In the eleven overs between Prior's dismissal (opening again in place of the injured Pietersen) and Bell's, England gave up three soft wickets and could score only 19 singles. Trott did his job anchoring the innings but only Eoin Morgan, fresh to the team, provided anything like the impetus needed. The rest had no idea and exactly what Paul Collingwood was going to offer batting at 8 is tactically beyond the imagination of anyone but Strauss. Their 225 looked vulnerable.

Tamim Iqbal came out swinging and broke into Jimmy Anderson's run piggy bank and Imrul Kayes was batting sensibly with the win in mind but after Tim Bresnan broke the openers, Shahzad and Swann combined with the aid of some dreadful between the wickets running to have Bangladesh with hopes dashed again at 8-169. Then, a miracle aided and abetted by more English mayhem. As Swann carped and complained about everything, the rest forgot how to bowl at the tail and the No 10, Shaiful Islam took control of a partnership of 58 at better than run a ball, including two 4's and a 6 off Swann's last over. In the final six overs, Shahzad, Bresnan and Anderson were lame lions, chased from the arena by terrible tigers and Shaiful and Mahmudallah got their with an over to spare.

England must win against the West Indies to progress. Heckle & Jive? How can the same side which has beaten one of the tournament favourites and tied with another, manage to just fall in against the Dutch and lose to Ireland and Bangladesh? On that sort of checkered form, England are sure of two things: sponsorship by Charlie Sheen and they won't be winning the World Cup!