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South Africa took a substantial lead and then prised out the Indian openers to take charge of the Kingsmead Test

The Report by Siddarth Ravindran29-Dec-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
0:00

Manjrekar: Pujara, Kohli key for India

First session: 96 runs at 2.73 runs per over. Second session: 102 at 7.20. Third session: 73 at 1.91. The vastly varying scoring rates that Test cricket allows were on vivid display as the game meandered in the morning, before South Africa stepped on it post-lunch in search of a declaration, after which India’s batsmen put up a backs-to-the-wall display in the murky light at Kingsmead.Despite the fluctuating run-rates, it was a day on which South Africa progressively increased their advantage, first taking a substantial lead and then prising out the Indian openers. India face a fight for survival on the final day of the series.The morning was all about one man. Jacques Kallis slowly and steadily made his way to an emotional farewell century, his 45th in Test cricket, went past Rahul Dravid to become the third highest run-getter in Tests and gradually pushed India towards an unwinnable position.The sentiments involved were clearly evident early in the day itself, when nightwatchman Dale Steyn hugged Kallis after a miscommunication over a single. No South African wanted to be remembered as the person responsible for causing Kallis to be dismissed in his final Test, especially not before he reached a century.In that session, it seemed as if both teams were waiting for the other to make the play. South Africa weren’t playing with the intent of setting up a declaration, and India were content sitting back and limiting the runs with an increasingly ragged ball which was used for as long as 146 overs.The bowling was almost entirely about one man too. Ravindra Jadeja bowled unchanged for half the day in a marathon 25-over spell as he provided the control India were searching for. Jadeja also finally broke the stubborn 86-run partnership between Kallis and Steyn by getting Kallis to top edge a slog sweep and complete his five-for.Jacques Kallis celebrates a century in his final Test•Associated PressAs Kallis walked back, there were poignant scenes. The Sunday crowd saluted him with a standing ovation, the South African team greeted him with hugs outside the pavilion, and the captain Graeme Smith kissed him on his head.There wasn’t too much initiative from South Africa even after that dismissal, but a short rain break after lunch shook things up. Robin Peterson and Faf du Plessis came out looking to play the big shots, and in the first three overs they plundered 29 runs – almost as many had been made in 16 overs leading to lunch.India were clueless against the adventurous batsmen, and the flood of runs continued after the umpires finally forced a ball change midway through the session. Peterson galloped to a half-century off 44 balls, and the highlight of his innings was a stunning switch hit over the right-hander’s long-on for six. Du Plessis was marginally slower, playing more orthodox but equally eye-catching strokes – such as a gentle flick over mid-on off Mohammed Shami – and in little time the lead had ballooned past 150.Peterson perished going for another big hit to end a partnership of 110 off 108 balls, and the rains returned to cut the session short, giving time for Smith to mull over whether it was time to declare. The decision was taken out of his hands when play resumed as Jadeja ran to his right and dived to secure Morne Morkel’s leading edge to take six for the match and end the innings.That left India needing to bat out about two-and-a-half hours on the day. Steyn and Vernon Philander turned in a high-intensity spell with the new ball. Steyn harried the batsmen with the short ball but couldn’t get the breakthrough as he delivered 5-4-1-0. Philander had been ineffective in the first innings but had more impact this time as he set up Vijay perfectly – a series of short balls, followed by the fuller one which Vijay nicked through to slip after taking only half a step forward.Shikhar Dhawan, who has had a mediocre tour so far, survived the initial examination, constantly urging himself to concentrate, and leaving as many deliveries as he could. Cheteshwar Pujara was struck on the armpit with a vicious bouncer early on but slowly he gained a measure of the pitch.The light wasn’t great in the evening, but not so poor that they could come off with a significant chunk of the session still left to play. India would have wanted this on the first day when they were dominant, instead of today but Dhawan and Pujara were showing signs that they could make it through till stumps. That feeling grew as the umpires deemed that only spinners could bowl in the fading light.Dhawan though went for a big hit off Robin Peterson, only to see du Plessis at short midwicket pull off one of the catches of the year with a one-handed leaping effort. India’s best batsmen, Pujara and Virat Kohli, were in the middle at stumps, and how long their partnership lasts could determine the course of the match tomorrow.0:00

Cullinan: SA have played India out of the match

Brett Lee conceded 14 runs off the last over of the match but helped the Sydney Sixers win by two runs to mark the end of the Melbourne Renegades’ final’s aspirations

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Jan-2014
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsMoises Henriques took a wicket and scored his first fifty of the tournament•Getty ImagesBrett Lee bowled a tight last over to help Sydney Sixers to a two-run win that ended Melbourne Renegades’ semi-finals aspirations. The Renegades needed 17 off six deliveries but could only manage eight in the first five as Lee bowled full and fast. Although his last delivery was hit for a six, the match had been decided already. The win pushed the Sixers to third place with 10 points.Put into bat, Sixers lost Nic Maddinson in the second over, to left-arm spinner Aaron O’Brien’s first ball, as he missed a heave to off side and was stumped. Moises Henriques joined Michael Lumb and upped the run rate by smashing O’Brien for a six and three fours in his next over. Lumb, who was dropped in the fifth over, top-edged a full toss to be caught at cover in the next over. Muttiah Muralitharan and Matthew Gale slowed things a bit, giving 17 runs in the next three overs, before Steven Smith clobbered Gale for a six over deep midwicket to push the pedal again.Smith handed a return catch to O’Brien to fall for 25 but Henriques went on to score his fifty off 36 balls in the 14th over. He was dismissed for 55, stumped down the leg side off Muralitharan. Marcus North lost two partners – Jordan Silk and Daniel Smith – in the last seven balls of the innings but scored an unbeaten 30 off 21 to take the Sixers to 151.The Renegades started slow in their chase, scoring 13 in the first three overs, before picking up pace in Nathan Lyon’s first over. They were 35 after five overs when a direct hit from Henriques, at cover point, lit the bails at the non-striker’s end to break the opening stand. Michael Hill kept the required run rate in control with boundaries in the next two overs but was caught at long-on for 35. Dwayne Bravo eased the nerves for them with two sixes but a mix-up led to Alex Doolan’s run-out.They needed 60 from 42 and tight bowling from Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon made it 32 from 18. Lee had two overs left and full-length deliveries from him in the 18th over meant the Renagades couldn’t score a boundary. The equation came down to 25 from the last two overs. In the 19th, Sixers struck twice and gave away just eight runs to swing the game in their favour.

Imrul Kayes said he had to fine-tune his mental make-up more than his batting technique to forge a comeback to the Bangladesh Test team after more than two years

Mohammad Isam24-Jan-2014Imrul Kayes said he had to fine-tune his mental make-up more than his batting technique to forge a comeback to the Bangladesh Test team after more than two years. Imrul is one of two openers picked in the 14-man squad for the first Test against Sri Lanka starting in Dhaka on Monday.Imrul was not expecting the call-up to the Test squad and was preparing for the National Cricket League, the season’s second first-class competition, after having played the Bangladesh Cricket League earlier in the year.”Actually I was not even too sure if I would do well in the Bangladesh Cricket League, but I had targeted to play well in the National Cricket League,” Imrul said. “I was very serious in the Dhaka Premier League as I felt that it is a big tournament from our point of view. I was eager to perform there, and I did decently.”Perhaps this is the change in his mentality as he began focusing more on domestic cricket, keen to put in the big scores, instead of paying too much attention on getting back into the senior team.Shamsur Rahman is the likely candidate to make his Test debut at the Shere Bangla National Stadium but, having received the surprise call-up, Imrul is pushing his case too. He has a century and a half-century in his last five innings, enough to keep him excited that he might get the nod to open with Tamim again.”I had made some technical changes but, importantly, I changed my mentality that is required to play Test cricket,” Imrul said. “I had to put in a lot of hard work and that is the reason I could be successful. Obviously it feels nice to be back again but the enjoyment would be bigger if I get a chance in the Test matches.”Like any other person, I was also going through the ups and downs of life. But I had the belief that I can make a comeback if I can play some good innings. And I have done that. I am always ready to grab the chance if I can return to the national team on the back of some good form.”But Imrul’s Test record isn’t too encouraging. He averages 17.15 in 16 Tests since 2008 and lost his place in the Test side after the series against West Indies in 2011. Despite the below-par personal record, Imrul is one half of Bangladesh’s most successful opening pair. But his poor personal form caught up, and the selectors decided to try the likes of Nazimuddin, Junaid Siddique, Jahurul Islam, Shahriar Nafees and Anamul Haque instead.Imrul has batted decently in the first-class competitions over the last two years, and has peaked at the right time, notching an average of more than 74 in the Bangladesh Cricket League this season. He has also scored 655 runs at 43.66 in the Dhaka Premier Division that concluded in December last year.At the same time, Imrul also had to correct the balance in his batting stance and while playing certain shots, and he took the help of a senior coach. Like any other Bangladesh cricketer dropped from the national team, Imrul, too, had to deal with the lack of proper practice facilities at the club and division level. However, it was not enough of a deterrent for a man keen to make the comeback.”I worked with [BCB’s game development manager Nazmul Abedeen] Fahim sir, as I had some problem with my balance. Now, as that is removed, I am batting more comfortably and easily. When you are batting well, you can play any stroke. He told me that if my batting is in the correct order, I can play any stroke. It becomes easier that way.”You usually don’t get facilities that the national team does in other places in the country. Despite that, whenever I got a chance I tried to complete my individual practice at the Mirpur indoor facilities, or the National Cricket Academy.”

Afghanistan, fresh from their landmark win against Bangladesh, will be full of confidence when they take on Sri Lanka in the first ever ODI between the two teams

The Preview by Mohammad Isam02-Mar-20140:00

Agarkar: SL too strong for Afghanistan

Match FactsMarch 3, 2014
1400 local (0800 GMT)Big Picture With wins against Pakistan and India, Sri Lanka have been the dominant side in the tournament and one more win will confirm their place in the final. But they would not want to slip up against Afghanistan, who surprised the hosts on Saturday with a 32-run win.Watching Afghanistan’s all-round display was perhaps the most refreshing sight of this Asia Cup. Mohammad Nabi leads a group of hungry cricketers who do not look out of place in ODI cricket. The performances of Samiullah Shenwari and Asghar Stanikzai in particular were eye-catching, as they completely changed the course of the match against Bangladesh. Shenwari and Stanikzai now hold the record for the highest sixth-wicket partnership among the Associates.Shenwari is the more attacking of the pair, with a penchant for playing the cut and hitting straight, and his timing hit near perfection against Bangladesh. Stanikzai started off slowly, but has said that he has the confidence of increasing the strike-rate whenever he wants.Samiullah Shenwari’s match-winning 81 against Bangladesh has been one of the biggest highlights of the tournament so far•Associated PressAfghanistan’s bowling attack has good variety and the bowlers can be aggressive with the new ball. Shapoor Zadran, Dawlat Zadran and Hamid Hassan have been quite attacking with their lengths, but surprisingly, they have not been using the bouncers. Nabi, Shenwari and Hamza Hotak have been tidy with the spin too.Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews would hope that the likes of Mahela Jayawardene and Dinesh Chandimal find some form. They also have the opportunity to experiment with their bowling attack, but will be wary of Afghanistan, who have shown they have the ability to surprise.Form guide
(Completed matches, most recent first)
Sri Lanka WWWWW
Afghanistan WLWWWWatch out for
The all-round showing by Samiullah Shenwari has been very impressive. He bats freely and can go after any bowler. His legspin is also effective, particularly his ability to generate turn.Sri Lanka are beginning to get the benefits of Kusal Perera, an opener who bats aggressively. He has given them rapid starts recently, and will be expected to do so once again.Team newsUnless there are injuries, Afghanistan are not likely to change their playing XI.Afghanistan (possible): 1 Mohammad Shahzad (wk), 2 Karim Sadiq, 3 Asghar Stanikzai, 4 Nawroz Mangal, 5 Mohammad Nabi (capt), 6 Samiullah Shenwari, 7 Najibullah Zadran, 8 Mirwais Ashraf, 9 Hamza Hotak, 10 Hamid Hassan/Dawlat Zadran, 11 Shapoor Zadran.Sri Lanka could rest a few of their big who have been playing non-stop for a month and a half, which means Ashan Priyanjan, Dhammika Prasad and Suranga Lakmal could get a chance to play.Sri Lanka (possible): 1 Kusal Perera, 2 Lahiru Thirimanne, 3 Kumar Sangakkara (wk), 4 Mahela Jayawardene, 5 Dinesh Chandimal, 6 Angelo Mathews, 7 Chaturanga de Silva, 8 Thisara Perera, 9 Sachitra Senanayake, 10 Lasith Malinga, 11 Ajantha Mendis.Pitch and conditionsThe Mirpur wicket will remain batting friendly, and unlike Fatullah, the batsmen would want to go after the bowling early in the game as the wicket slows down with time.Stats and trivia This is the first-ever Sri Lanka-Afghanistan ODI match. Sri Lanka have lost only one game against an Associate, to Kenya in the 2003 World Cup.Quotes”We will hopefully do well against Sri Lanka too.”
“Afghanistan’s bowling attack is very strong and they have an aggressive attitude. We are not taking them lightly.”

R Ashwin has defended his action in the Asia Cup as an experiment, saying he did not want to “lag behind” bowlers who derived more advantage from long sleeves that allowed them to use their elbows a little more.

Abhishek Purohit29-Mar-2014Offspinners’ actions, especially while bowling the doosra, have been under constant scrutiny, and it has become a common practice over the last few years for bowlers to bowl with long sleeves that cover their elbows. R Ashwin, who prefers the flicked carrom ball to the doosra, had regularly bowled in half sleeves until he opted for the more popular approach during the Asia Cup in Bangladesh earlier this month.Ahead of India’s last league match in World T20, against Australia, Ashwin defended his action as an experiment, saying he did not want to “lag behind” bowlers who derived more advantage from long sleeves that allowed them to use their elbows a little more.”I want to do something different. I want to keep trying something – unless you try you don’t go and venture and find out what can work or not,” Ashwin said. “I’d never bowled in full-sleeves before [the Asia Cup]. So I wanted to see how it would feel. And I just wanted to see if you can get more revs on the ball, if you can do a little bit with your elbow, as much as [is allowed], that is. That’s what it was all about. You can get a lot of advantage with these things. So why should I lag behind if someone else is getting a competitive edge?”In the Asia Cup, Ashwin had experimented with a vastly different action, similar to Sunil Narine’s, and had also bowled with longer sleeves. He was seen practising the different release during training in Wellington during India’s recent tour to New Zealand. While he has not tried either the different action or long sleeves during the World T20 so far, Ashwin said it was something he has not ruled out attempting again.

Twice in a row, Glenn Maxwell and David Miller made light work of a massive target, this time 140 runs off 64 balls between them

The Report by Sidharth Monga20-Apr-2014
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
7:56

Maxwell and Miller – masters of the chase

Lightning has struck twice. After they made mockery of a 200-plus chase in their first match, Kings XI Punjab captain George Bailey said this was not going to happen every day, and that his bowlers needed to turn up. The bowlers failed to turn up again, but Glenn Maxwell and David Miller made light of another massive chase. The numbers there were staggering: between them Maxwell and Miller smashed 140 off 64 balls, smoked 12 sixes and reverse-hit and caressed eight fours. What made it better was that this came against the best defenders in the IPL: this was the first time Rajasthan Royals lost after posting 190 or more.Kings XI had got off to a sluggish start, their promotion of Wriddhiman Saha had backfired, and the asking rate was 10.5, to be maintained over 17 overs, when Maxwell walked. The ask would cross two a ball as soon as in the 10th over, and a struggling – by T20 standards – Cheteshwar Pujara would make it more difficult for Kings XI. Maxwell, though, turned it into a ‘me’ v ‘them’, farmed the strike to the tune of 45 balls to Pujara’s 23 in the partnership between them, and ran away with the game with 89 off 45.The innings was full of incredible hitting, preying on one considerably shorter side boundary and the short straight ones. He began by going after Kane Richardson in the fifth over, moments after Richardson had failed to latch onto an incredibly difficult return catch to his right. The first ball of the next over he smacked Pravin Tambe over square leg, and then eliminated – for the time being – the other big threat, James Faulkner. It began with the first ball of the over again as he flicked a low full toss for six, but he stunned Faulkner with the fifth ball of that seventh over. Faulkner had every reason to believe he had done Maxwell in with a slower bouncer, but from almost halfway down the pitch Faulkner adjusted and upper-cut him for six.Tambe and Rajat Bhatia pulled things back with their non-turning legrollers, and not much pace to work with. The asking rate shot past 12, and Bhatia began the 11th over with fielders deep on the leg side, and three men behind and around point in the circle. This is when Maxwell in the Mirror made his appearance.Two reverse-sweeps either side of short third man and one reverse-flick over cover later, Maxwell had gone well past his fifty, and had also brought the asking rate back under control. The next over from Dhawal Kulkarni had a similarly strong leg-side field, and Maxwell produced his touch play again. One upper-cut, one flick, and two gentle pushes past the man at cover brought him 16 runs. And when Maxwell manhandled Bhatia for two sixes in the next over, time had come for Royals to go back to the big guns.On came Richardson, too much elevation got Maxwell, another century was missed, and Rajasthan were breathing again. They had little clue they were about to jump from the frying pan into the fire, the fire of Miller’s 51 off 19. Miller came in with 66 required off 36, which became 60 off 30 with a canny Stuart Binny over, and three quiet deliveries from Tambe compounded it even further, but now Miller began to pick his deliveries to hit. Even though Tambe bowled the next ball short, Miller smashed him over long-off for six. Pujara sort of took care of the next over with a four and three, and now Kings XI needed 37 from the last three.Richardson and Faulkner had one each left. Royals went to Kulkarni for the third. They could have gone to Binny, who had cut off all pace, and had conceded just four in his only over. They could have kept Kulkarni back for later, and given him a slightly softer scenario if Faulkner had bowled the 18th and got the asking rate even higher. But these decisions have to be made fast, and Kulkarni it was. Kulkarni’s idea was right: he was going full, he was going low, but Miller was murderous. Kulkarni didn’t miss his yorkers by much, but Miller hit him for four merciless sixes to end the contest then and there.Bailey will be pleased he has been proven wrong that such chases don’t come about every day, but he will want more from his bowlers and fielders. The bowling was listless, they dropped two catches too, and Sanju Samson and Shane Watson feasted on them. Mitchell Johnson, the leader of the attack, looked dull again, bowling just the one bouncer, with which incidentally he hit the batsman. Looking back, they will think that they had triumphed in not letting them score big fifties, but Bailey is right, these chases don’t happen every day. Except when Maxwell and Miller are at their best.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board has issued a tender to sell worldwide media rights for six years until 2020

Mohammad Isam24-Apr-2014The Bangladesh Cricket Board has issued a tender to sell worldwide media rights for six years until 2020. Two India tours to Bangladesh and a slightly enlarged international schedule during this period are what the BCB are hoping would attract bidders, who have to submit their proposals by May 8.Interested parties can start buying tenders from April 27 till May 8. There will be an open auction on May 12, which Kazi Inam Ahmed, the BCB’s marketing and commercial committee chairman, believes will ensure the best valuation for the board. He has laid the groundwork to devise the best way to find a suitable broadcaster, which now includes an eligibility clause that will enable Bangladeshi TV channels to apply.”We are going to hold an open auction on May 12 which we believe will allow us to find the best possible offer,” Inam said. “This time the tender will be slightly different as broadcasters with a year’s experience in the business can also apply. Over the last two years, we have found out that local TV channels are capable of handling this type of work.”This is BCB’s second attempt to find a new broadcaster, having been frustrated by the lack of considerable offers two years ago.Their last such long-term deal was with Nimbus, which lasted till early 2012. It was a botched-up six-year deal, from which the BCB did not get the full contracted amount till date. For the last three home bilateral series (West Indies in 2012, New Zealand in 2013 and Sri Lanka in 2014) therefore, the BCB had to bring on single-series broadcasters, including local TV stations Channel 9 and Maasranga TV.BCB president Nazmul Hassan had confirmed in February that India had signed the Members’ Participation Agreement to tour in 2014, 2015 and 2020. This year a tri-series involving Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka and a Test series against Zimbabwe are planned, while Pakistan, South Africa and Australia are also scheduled to tour next year.

Anil Roberts, Trinidad and Tobago’s sports minister, has urged the WICB to rethink its decision to rule Sunil Narine out of consideration for the Test series against New Zealand

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Jun-2014Anil Roberts, Trinidad and Tobago’s sports minister, has urged the WICB to rethink its decision to rule Sunil Narine out of consideration for the Test series against New Zealand, which starts in Jamaica on June 8. Set a June 1 deadline to join West Indies’ pre-series camp, Narine chose to stay on in India and represent Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL final.In a letter to WICB president Dave Cameron, Roberts said Narine’s decision did not flout the board’s stated “West Indies first” policy.”I put it to you today that allowing Sunil Narine to participate in the final of the IPL on June 1 as a West Indian, as a “Trinbagonian”, as an ambassador of Caribbean brilliance and then ensuring that he arrives at the West Indian training camp post haste does not, will not, and cannot breach any of the tenets of your “country first policy”,” Roberts wrote.”In fact, this addendum to the policy which may serve Sunil Narine today, will serve Chris Gayle, Kieron Pollard, Dwayne Smith, Lendl Simmons, Krishmar Santokie and any other great West Indies Cricketers in the future.”Mr. Narine is not on holiday with his family, he is not shopping, and he is not viewing the NBA Playoffs. He is plying his professional trade in what stands as the epitome of international quality cricket in the world today.”He is plying that trade not for himself but for the people of the Caribbean who will turn on their TV sets and tune in with 1.3 billion people across the globe to support the West Indian Sunil Narine.”Playing the IPL final, Roberts argued, would be the best way for Narine to prepare for the Test series.”Therefore, for us to ask any player to forego the opportunity to grasp greatness to attend the first few days of a training camp is itself in breach of the very policy that it is designed to uphold, for there can be no greater preparation or training, than plying your trade at peak adrenalin, peak emotional levels, peak risk factors, peak psychological levels,” Roberts wrote.”He will face peak global scrutiny against the peak global performers in a final to be crowned the best in the world. Sunil Narine, on 1st June, will be at his peak performance level.”So on the contrary, Mr. Sunil Narine, by clawing and fighting his way into the final is in fact ahead of the curve as compared to his other West Indies team mates in terms of preparation for the upcoming home series.”Excluding Narine from the squad, Roberts said, would hurt West Indies’ chances of winning the Test series.”Dear Sir, our beloved West Indies team … has been unable over the past decade to take twenty wickets in five days on a consistent basis. This in essence is what is needed to win a Test match,” Roberts wrote.”To achieve this, a globally respected strike bowler is required. Sunil Narine fits this bill to a “T” and is now arguably the number one bowler in the world. He is also still regarded as a mystery spinner, who the best in the world have been unable to figure out, even in this age of modern technology and systematic analysis.”The inclusion of Sunil Narine increases the chances of the West Indies team of taking 20 wickets in five days to win a Test match.”

Andrew Strauss has apologised unreservedly after a stray comment about Kevin Pietersen in the Sky TV box was inadvertently broadcasted

David Hopps05-Jul-2014Andrew Strauss, the former England captain, has made a shame-faced public apology to Kevin Pietersen after he was inadvertently caught on air describing him as a “c***” from the back of the TV commentary box at Lord’s.Strauss, part of the commentary team for the MCC’s bicentenary celebration match against the Rest of the World, thought he was off air, but the feed was still being broadcast on some channels and viewers using the Fox Sports app in Australia caught the expletive.It was not long before Strauss’ faux pas was being gossiped around the world with former England captain Adam Hollioake one of the first to exclaim with surprise on Facebook.”I apologise unreservedly, particularly to Kevin Pietersen,” Strauss said, as his error became public knowledge. “I am mortified and profusely sorry.”His co-commentator, Michael Atherton, another former England captain, remarked: “I think that’s covered it; let’s move on.” But there will be no moving on for a while as Pietersen’s supporters will find just cause to rail against the double standards they perceive to be at the heart of English cricket.Sky TV also felt obliged to apologise for Strauss’ stray remark – although only for the bad language. It tweeted: “Earlier comments were made during a break of play which were heard overseas. We apologise for the language used.”Two years ago, Pietersen famously incurred the ECB’s wrath by texting that Strauss was a “doos”, an Afrikaans word that strictly speaking means “box” but which has similar connotations to Strauss’ remark. Except some linguists might point out that “doos” can also be slang for idiot, whereas c*** pretty much leaves nothing to the imagination.Pietersen’s comment on Strauss came midway through a Test at Headingley against South Africa in 2012, and was made to a South African player who, whether by accident or design, allowed it to reach the public domain. The ECB saw it as evidence of an outright rebellion against an England captain; Strauss has written that he never entirely trusted Pietersen again after that point.Strauss, twice an Ashes-winning captain, retired following South Africa’s 2-0 win in that series. He reflected soon afterwards on the brouhaha in his autobiography, . He wrote: ‘For me, he had crossed the line. He seemed to be at best destabilising and at worst undermining our carefully cultivated team environment.”Both insults were, in essence, private communications that entered the public domain. The difference is that Pietersen and Strauss were team-mates in the first instance, charged with maintaining at least the pretence of unity.Pietersen’s comments effectively cost him his international career. He had to undergo a theatrical “process of reintegration” before he was allowed back into the England fraternity. Then he began to show impatience with the careworn captaincy of Alastair Cook, Strauss’ successor, during a demoralising 5-0 whitewash in Australia and he was removed for good at the end of the series with the ECB stating it wanted to rebuild the “team ethic and philosophy”.Paul Downton, the MD of England cricket, has since called Pietersen “a man of too many agendas” and claimed he did not have a single supporter in the side – a claim furiously dismissed by Pietersen.There were immediate calls from Pietersen supporters for Strauss to suffer the same fate. But Strauss has retired; such an outcome is impossible. ‘Then sack him from his Sky contract,’ will come the cry. Such a taste for revenge would make the response even more disproportionate, but modern life, with every dot and comma analysed on social media, is laced with a desire for blood.Predictably, Piers Morgan, chat-show host, former tabloid editor and Pietersen confidant, was the first to do just that. Prior to Strauss’ apology, he tweeted: “If Strauss story is true then he’ll have to be fired, surely? Or is a commentator calling @KP24 a ‘c**t’ on air acceptable @SkyCricket?”After all, Strauss himself axed KP from his England team for allegedly saying similar things about him that weren’t even broadcast.”That Pietersen and Strauss, despite their shared South African roots, do not get on is not news. Everybody knew as much. That a stray insult was made when Strauss presumed he was off air would also not normally be news. But any suspicion of double standards in this tawdry, overblown soap opera is news and, as such, Strauss’ remarks need to be made public.When Pietersen, to his horror, was outed in 2012, he tried to influence public opinion by issuing a fulsome apology on YouTube, only to make the ECB even more angry because of his presumption.Strauss will suffer his shame privately. There will be shame because he knows his public perception will have faltered as a result. There will be shame, too, because he made his slip during the MCC bicentenary match and because as a natural conservative, a proud believer in tradition, to have slipped up at Lord’s will feel even worse.He can no longer hold the moral high ground. Until today, it is a privileged position from where he has observed this whole, shoddy, tiresome business. He is now down in the gutter, wallowing around with the rest of us.

Trent Bridge has escaped with a warning from the ICC after their pitch for the first Investec Test against India was rated “poor”.

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Aug-2014Trent Bridge has escaped with a warning from the ICC after their pitch for the first Investec Test against India was rated “poor” with the ICC adding it was “an unacceptable standard for Test cricket”.It was within the ICC’s remit to hand a fine of up to $US15,000 to Nottinghamshire, but limited the punishment having taken into account the history of good Test wickets at the venue, the county’s openness in admitting the surface was far from ideal – Steve Birks, the groundsman, acknowledged he had not got it right during the Test – and the fact that ECB followed guidelines ahead of the match.Lisa Pursehouse, the Nottinghamshire chief executive, confirmed that the pitch will be relayed before next year’s Ashes series when Trent Bridge will host the fourth Test from August 6″We accept the ruling of the ICC and we now plan to relay our primary Test wicket ahead of our 2015 Investec Ashes Test,” she said.”We’re pleased that our record of producing consistently good pitches for international cricket has been reflected in this judgement. The ECB have been in close contact with our head groundsman throughout this process and I would like to thank them for their ongoing support.”The India Test was played on a lifeless surface where the ball regularly failed to carry to the wicketkeeper and slips from the first day. The match featured two huge final-wicket stands – India added 111 and England a world record 198 – as the teams traded first-innings scores of 457 and 496 over much of the first four days before India batted to a draw.An ICC statement said: “In reaching the verdict, the ICC observed that the pitch did not provide a fair contest between bat and ball throughout, and concluded that the pitch prepared for the match was of an unacceptable standard for Test cricket.”The decision was made by the ICC’s general manager – Cricket, Geoff Allardice, and the ICC’s chief match referee, Ranjan Madugalle, after David Boon, who was the match referee for the Trent Bridge Test, gave the pitch the “poor” rating.It is the first time an international pitch in the UK has been rated as “poor” since a new process for grading pitches was introduced by the ICC in 2010, though pitches in Galle and St Kitts have also been rated poor. In extreme cases, the ICC can also describe a surface as “unfit.”If any venue that has had a surface rated “poor” suffers a repeat within a five-year period they facing an automatic sanction of a $US30,000 fine