It’s been a while since I wrote an article but I’ve been extremely absorbed in this Women’s World Cup and have been thoroughly amazed by the sheer amount of support and hype it has generated that I almost forgot to write… almost.

12 years ago on April 10th 2005, India played Australia in a Women’s World Cup final at SuperSport Park. Was anyone watching? Did anyone know it was going on? Mithali Raj didn’t think so. My reason for not knowing is that I was 12 myself so I had no idea. However I could have named every male cricketer playing for India – and most likely every other team at that time (and probably most of their stats) so I have no excuse.

This year however, I, along with my ladies cricket team and 26,000 others have my ticket ready to watch two of the most exciting ladies teams go head-to-head to a sell out crowd at the home of cricket. Women’s cricket has been on the rise the past few years. Last year Sky Sports dedicated a whole week to promoting women’s cricket from visiting local ladies clubs to broadcasting the England v Pakistan ladies T20 games live but even I could not predict such an incredible explosion in popularity this tournament has brought.

The opening game of England v India was a sell out and over the course of the past month, 47,000 tickets have been sold. Viewership in both India and England has increased by 50% in comparison to 2013 whilst in both South Africa and Australia it has increased by roughly 300% (no that is not a typo). From a game that was dominated by three teams (England, Australia and New Zealand) for as long as I can remember, to becoming this internationally competitive and truly absorbing sport on the cusp of a professional revolution.

This series, 12 players from seven teams averaging more than 50 so far (double that of 2013) and almost double the number of innings have passed the 250 run mark from 2013. The series as a whole has improved dramatically since it’s last appearance and in particular one team have stepped up to the plate. Mithali Raj’s ladies have taken it upon themselves to show the world what they’re made of. For a country where cricket is followed as a religion, where the men’s team could barely step out of their house without being mobbed, and where a champions trophy final ticket against Pakistan could fetch over £1000, the ladies have found very little support.

At the beginning of the tournament Raj was asked who her favourite male cricketer was and she shot back “Do you ask the same question to a male cricketer?”. Since then, India have played at the only two sold out games, toppled the reigning champions and favourites of the tournament and set themselves up for a third and final packed out game at Lords against the hosts, England.

Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami have become household names, they’ve put the Indian Women’s team on the map and have been backed up by a hoard of youngsters this tournament. Mithali Raj has finally been able to come out of her shell and play unburdened by the weight of a whole team. The fearless Mandhana and talented Deepti have taken responsibility and the upcoming final at Lords will be one to remember not just for the players but for the spectators too.

Women’s cricket is on the up and I hope this momentum continues past the tournament and the ladies continue to build their presence in world cricket.

It was cold, crisp morning. Blurs of blue and green filled the streets as fans made their pilgrimage to the holy grail of cricket matches. The game every fan dreams of being at, India vs. Pakistan.

The skies were grey but the atmosphere was far from it. The thundering sounds of dhol drums and chants flooded the stadium with a sense of nationalism. Armies of supporters filed into the ground pumped up and ready for one of, if not the most, historically intense clashes in cricket. Fans danced around the ground in vibrant dhoti kurtas and delicious thalis were being made at every corner. It was a morning to savour. Unfortunately the cricket was not.

The fierce rivalry that once existed between these two nations in every aspect of life may still exist off the field but it no longer exists on it. These matches still sit on a pedestal  for fans as the match to win but even for the players it has become just another game. We saw no heated rivalry as Rohit Sharma picked up the ball from his feet and handed it back to the bowler. We saw more celebration from the crowd than the fielders as Pakistan stumbled to 164 in an almost ritualistic collapse. Emotions on the pitch seemed to be about as cold as the rain that kept stopping play. There was more rivalry between these two nations and Australia in the 2015 World Cup knock-outs than between each other on Sunday.

It all began well for Pakistan, they won the toss and put India in to bat on an overcast morning. With rain expected on and off through the day a revised target could well go in their favour. That’s about as far as their success went for the day. It seemed as though they forgot they were supposed to be playing an international cricket match that day. Their fielding was sloppy with point extravagantly diving over the ball and back-up fielders forgetting to back-up. Their field placements were defensive but their defences were weak. Pakistan’s leading wicket taker since 2015 wasn’t brought into the attack until the 9th over and both Wahab Riaz and Mohammed Amir couldn’t finish their overs. Their batting was worse and even though India fielded almost as badly at times, it looked as though a 4th XI club cricket team had turned up to the wrong venue and were told they would be playing first-class county cricket.

Given the vast difference between the two playing nations, it begs the question, is it still more important to thrash your oldest rival or have good competitive cricket even if your team sometimes doesn’t always come out on top? Cricket is not like many other sports. It’s rare to find a whole stadium clap the opposition for an incredible innings or an exceptional bowling spell. People appreciate the sport for the sport. Why do people remember the 2005 Ashes in particular? Because it was one the most competitive Ashes series (thanks mostly to an injured Glenn McGrath). Does anyone enjoy talking about the 2013/2014 Ashes when England were white-washed? When people think of India v Pakistan they think of GOAT vs. GOAT. Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid facing Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Shoaib Akhtar. India have moved light years ahead in regards to their fielding and bowling they’ve become a well-rounded side and currently seem to find much fiercer competition against the likes of Australia than Pakistan.

Pakistan have talent. There is no doubt the nation was born for cricket. They play in the UAE, their ‘home away from home’ and yet still manage to produce some of the best fast bowlers in the world. Their domestic cricket is decades behind that of England and India yet on a good day they’re competitive as any. Only today Hasan Ali picked up three wickets and Pakistan reduced the world number one ODI side to 219/8 from 50 overs. South Africa seemed to be struggling and Pakistan looked well and truly like an internationally competitive side. Pakistan have a long way to go and the PCB should take this as a chance to reflect and look at their domestic cricket, learn from it, and come back stronger in 2019 ready to once again make this match the GOAT vs. GOAT.

Team Combination

India will be coming into the tournament as favourites. This will be Virat Kohli’s first big competition as captain and as defending champions, India will be expected to go deep in the tournament. India’s squad is relatively unchanged from the previous Champions Trophy and includes the likes of Shikhar Dhawan and Ravindra Jadeja who were top run-scorer and leading wicket-taker respectively in 2013.

This is arguably India’s best limited overs bowling attack in recent history, with three out of four of India’s pace bowlers featuring in the IPL’s top ten wicket-takers. The reliable Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s place in the XI is likely to be under contention with Umesh Yadav’s pace and Jasprit Bumrah’s variations. Yet as leading wicket taker in the IPL, the selectors will have a hard time keeping Bhuvneshwar out, especially as he took three wickets in each of the the warm-up matches against New Zealand and Bangladesh.

India’s batting line-up is much more fixed. It’s so jam-packed with quality top-order batsmen and power-hitters that Ajinkya Rahane and Dinesh Karthik may struggle to find a spot in the starting XI even though Rohit Sharma has been unable to score and Karthik retired on 94 against Bangladesh today. India haven’t played an ODI since their series at home against England in January but they will feel confident with such an established team going into the competition. Their biggest potential issue may be a lack of confidence coming in from the IPL where only Dhawan made the list of top 10 run-scorers.

Opponents and Key Tactics

India will start their campaign in an eagerly anticipated game against Pakistan at Edgbaston, followed by games against Sri Lanka and South Africa respectively at the Kia Oval.

Pakistan
India hold a big psychological advantage over Pakistan when it comes to major competitions. They have dominated Pakistan in ICC events,  winning 11 out of 13 games, and playing off that could work to their advantage even though both wins for Pakistan came in Champions Trophy tournaments. India should aim to bat first – which would be good for Virat Kohli given his lack of form in the IPL as it would allow him to play without the added pressure of the required rate – and set a big total for Pakistan. Both Umesh Yadav and Bhuvneshwar Kumar will play key roles in this game given the location, and if India can pick up a few early wickets they will be well on their way to the play-offs.

Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka are coming in as one of the least favoured sides. India should aim for a big win here, should qualification come down to net run rate, given that their third game will come against a strong South African side. Sri Lanka’s main issue is their brittle middle-order batting and India would do well to put pressure on them from the outset by bowling first. India will hopefully be confident after a win against Pakistan and with the likes of Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni, they should feel comfortable chasing down any score against this Sri Lankan attack and in particular Lasith Malinga, whose career ODI bowling average jumps from 27.77 to 42.28 against India, as they have done so many times before.

South Africa:
This will be India’s biggest challenge in the group stages. ICC’s number one  ranked ODI team have a strong and settled side. South Africa’s biggest weakness is the tournament itself. They have a history of poor chases and if India can set a big  total as they did in the 2015 World Cup they will have a huge advantage. The last thing India will want to do is allow Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers  and that explosive middle order free rein with the bat. South Africa’s bowling attack will be a big concern for India in early summer English conditions, especially if Kohli struggles to play off  his 4th and 5th stump, but if the top-order can find some rhythm in the first two games they will be in with a big chance.

Recent ODI performances:

India have had some close games against New Zealand and England with the most recent series going in their favour 3-2 and 2-1 respectively. However, both series were played in India and the last time India played outside of their home country was in August against the West Indies. This may be a problem for India given how early in the English season this tournament is.

The last time India played an ODI in England  was in 2014 where they won the series 3-1 with  some comprehensive wins. Kumar and Rahane did especially well in Edgbaston and Raina should feel unlucky given his IPL performance and success in 2014. Even though this was almost  three years ago, the visitors should feel comfortable coming into the tournament  having won their last series in the host country.

Predicted outcome
Team India are serious contenders to defend their title. They have match-winning players and have a knack for ICC tournaments. If the team can find some momentum in the first game and can adjust to the conditions quickly they’ll be well on their way to their third title.

Probable XI

1. Rohit Sharma
2. Shikhar Dhawan
3. Virat Kohli (c)
4. Yuvraj Singh
5. MS Dhoni (wk)
6. Kedar Jadhav/Dinesh Karthik
7. Hardik Pandya
8. Ravindra Jadeja
9. Mohammed Shami/Bhuvneshwar Kumar
10.Jasprit Bumrah
11.Umesh Yadav

Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan; the heroes that Pakistan deserved, but no longer the ones it needs right now.

The curtain is finally coming down on the respective careers of Misbah and Younis. The men who have led Pakistan through thick and thin, through the few highs and the many lows of Pakistani cricket are finally bidding farewell. These two men have carried a nation on their shoulders for best part of the last decade. They have paid their dues and served their country with all their heart and soul.

Misbah was the light that shone in the darkness; the beacon that led Pakistani cricket to safe shores from dangerous waters. He took a team that no one else believed in and dragged them to the top. Misbah took Pakistan to the summit of Test cricket, to becoming the number one ranked team in the world. Could any other man have achieved the seemingly impossible? After being dropped aged 36, and having played just 19 Tests, he took over a nomadic team in 2010 from which Younis had been banned from playing, Shahid Afridi had been fined for biting into a cricket ball, and three players – including disgraced former captain Salman Butt – were serving time in prison for spot-fixing. In spite of this, Misbah brought them the Test mace.

Misbah put his team before anything else. His career tells the story of a man who put his nation before his own personal success. It was his duty to lead Pakistan and he did just that. He played whatever role they needed from smashing sixes to get Pakistan down to needing 6 off 4 in the 2007 T20 World Cup final to scoring consecutive 99s against the West Indies in his final Test series. He is the highest run-scorer in ODI cricket to have not made a century, having scored 5122 runs with a top score of 96*. The ageless man has made 37% of his Test runs since turning 40. In the last three years he has scored over a third of his career tally of runs and it looks as though he could go on if he wanted to.

It will be a severe shock to the system when not only Misbah leaves, but also the great Younis Khan. On April 23^rd, Younis made history as the oldest man and the first Pakistani to join the exclusive 10,000 Test runs club as only man to achieve this with more centuries than fifties. Since Saleem Altaf, Pakistan’s team manager, threatened to drop him in India in 2005 he has been a rock for Pakistan, and for the next decade Younis held a Test average of 60.41.

Younis holds a number of accolades, from being the only player to score the Grand Slam of centuries in the eleven countries that have held Test matches, to leading Pakistan to the T20 World Cup title in 2009 (achieved just weeks after Pakistani cricket had been devastated by the terror attacks in Lahore), but it’s his fourth innings runs that have made him so special to Pakistan. The rearguard specialist holds the most number of centuries in fourth-innings totals and has scored 1465 runs when chasing at an average of 50.52. His ability to not only absorb pressure but also thrive under it have made him invaluable to Pakistan, and he will be desperately missed not only by the players but by the fans too.

A new leader won’t change much for Pakistan. In fact they’re going to realise just how much they have relied on these two giants to get them where they are today. Pakistan don’t have it easy being a country that’s ‘home’ is away from home but they don’t help themselves. After their win against England in August at the Oval, only one player – Sami Aslam – played a first-class match before their next Test against the West Indies in October. As much as we like to imagine it, Pakistan are no fairytale team. They have their magical moments but have their flaws like everybody else. Now they will need to work harder than ever to fill the shoes of Misbah and Younis as they play their final farewell Test against the West Indies.

This article was first published on TimeChor: http://timechor.in/misbah-and-younis-is-it-really-time-to-say-goodbye/

“God is not coming to save us” – MSD

This is what MS Dhoni said to his team before they took to the field in 2013 to defend their below-par score in the Champions Trophy final.

This line truly embodied the Dhoni era. He made his own luck, created chances, set fields even the commentators didn’t understand, took off his keeping pads to bowl himself (on nine occasions), bowled Ishant Sharma at the death of the CT2013 final and promoted himself above man of the tournament Yuvraj Singh to win the 2011 world cup final.

However he was not only a mastermind in his captaincy. MS Dhoni reinvented the art of wicket-keeping, from his under leg flick-ons to his lightning quick stumpings. There has been no captain/wicket-keeper like him and there will be none like him. Not necessarily in skill but in sheer determination to be the best. When he started out he was no better than any other keeper that had come India’s way. He struggled behind the stumps against Anil Kumble but grew and went on to become the most successful keeper in terms of stumpings (surpassing Kumar Sangakkara).

 

These stats do not do Dhoni’s keeping skills justice. During the T20 cup last year, he manufactured a stumping against Sabbir Rahman who lost balance for what was later estimated to be 0.35 seconds (about as long as it takes to blink).

 

As far as ‘step-downs’ go, this was by far one of the most graceful. A man who led India through 199 ODIs,  scoring 6633 runs at an average of 53.92, 72 T20s and 60 Tests. He guided India through their transition from Tendulkar to Kohli and has built a young and formidable side. He has given Virat Kohli the chance to lead India into a big tournament this year and has given the young prodigy time to prepare for the 2019 World Cup in England.

Very few other captains have stepped down and stuck around to play under another. Dhoni (aged 35) still has a lot of cricket left in him but has given his successor the best opportunity to succeed by sticking around and potentially the best opportunity for himself to play without the weight of a billion fans hopes on his shoulders.

Shaun Pollock, Sourav Ganguly, Ross Taylor, Younis Khan. All team men who continued to play under their successors, and to great avail. Younis Khan became Pakistan’s highest run getter – and it appears MS Dhoni is on that same track. 

India’s 2-1 series win against England in the ODIs was no surprise. Virat Kohli led from the front in the first ODI scoring 122 and setting the tone for his captaincy and England won an incredibly tense final over in the third but it was Dhoni’s 134 that was the highlight of the series and will be a key talking point in the lead up to CT17. Having scored the highest number of ODI hundreds by a number 7 he was finally promoted to play up the order (where he should have been from day one). He and Yuvraj Singh, who scored 150, put on a mamoth 250 run partnership and it almost felt like it was 2011 again.

Dhoni’s skills as a batsman have been and will be vital for India, his calm presence, his ability to pace an innings and his incredible self confidence have helped them recover from 29/5 against Pakistan in 2012, beat Australia in the 2012 Commonwealth Bank Series and win the ICC 2011 World Cup.

As Kohli had put it before the series started, it’s a ‘win-win’ for India as Dhoni will be around to give advice and offer input but will also have the freedom to play without the burden of captaincy. This was Dhoni’s first ODI century since 2013 against Australia in Mohali and I expect it won’t be his last.

(special thanks to Jaymin Thakrar on this one for his expertise on all things Dhoni related)

 

I had a dream last night, or rather a nightmare, that AB de Villiers retired from international cricket.

It was a terrible dream yet it was one that wasn’t completely unreasonable. In the morning, I switched on my computer and frantically googled ‘AB de Villiers retired’ and nothing new came up. I felt a deep relief but the thought stayed with me. AB de Villiers is missing his third consecutive series having not missed one in his first 98. People age and as difficult as it is to imagine our heroes as regular people, they are.

I’d had this thought before, it crossed my mind when India’s golden four retired from the international stage, when Brian Lara retired, when Kumar Sangakkara retired. The list went on and on from Shane Warne to Jaque Kallis and I realised how often I had I said to myself “who will I even want to watch now?” or “Cricket won’t be the same without …” It made me think how many times had I questioned what the game would be like without this person or that person. I realised that people must have been thinking this since the beginning of the game. What did people think when Donald Bradman retired, or when Imran Khan retired.

Gary Sobers retired in 1974 but that same year, Viv Richards made his debut. Players come and go, they make new marks and we discover new heroes. New players with new skills. Wasim Akram introduced the world to reverse swing, Shoaib Akhtar and Brett Lee introduced the world to 100+ mph deliveries. Who knows what the next cricket match holds for us.

My religion on Facebook may still be ‘Sachinism’ and I may always compare all players to him and Rahul Dravid, but I was rooting for Wahab Riaz with every fibre of my being in the 2015 quarter final against Australia. When Rahat Ali dropped that catch I felt my heart sink. I have written about that piece of bowling on countless occasions but that display of bowling will be ingrained in my mind forever. I watched him throw lightning bolts again this summer against England, live at the home of cricket, and was once again mesmerized.

Cricket is an ever changing sport. No two players are the same and that’s what makes it interesting, if everyone was a Sachin Tendulkar, we would get bored of it. Everyone has their own personality, their own technique, their own flair. There are always new talents revealing themselves and we may never have another player with an average of 99.94, one scoring 100 100s or one scoring 400* but records are made to be broken and they wouldn’t be records if everyone could do it.

With the women up and coming, young players like Haseeb Hameed and Karun Nair breaking onto the scene and with the likes of Virat Kohli and Joe Root around, we will never be short of new heroes.

(but luckily AB hasn’t retired just yet)

All sportspeople have their pre-match rituals, Rafael Nadal had to decline a meeting with the queen during Wimbledon to not mess with his winning routine. Cricketers are very superstitious about which pad goes on first and which bats and gloves they use but here are 12 of the more individual ones.

1. Every time the South African Neil Mckenzie went out to bat he had to make sure all the toilet seats are down and checked the lights eight times. He was most famous for his habit of taping his bat to the ceiling of the changing room. McKenzie also feared treading on the white lines of the cricket pitch (which must have made batting rather difficult).

2. It was David Shepherd who popularised the practice of keeping one foot off the floor when the score of 111(Nelson) was reached. On 11/11/11 South Africa needed exactly 111 runs to win a Test against Australia. Umpire Ian Gould, and a good part of the crowd, spent that minute hopping on one foot.

3. Virender Sehwag used to wear a number 44 jersey but that wasn’t turning out to be too lucky for him. So after consulting a numerologist, he decided to wear a numberless shirt and since then, the bowlers rarely got to see the back of that jersey.

4. Duck seemed so ominous to Steve James (Glamorgan) that he refused to eat it! He also wouldn’t even let his children have a rubber one to play with in the bath until after his career was over and he had retired when he also finally tried duck.

5. Anil Kumble became the second man to take all 10 wickets in a test innings against Pakistan in 1999. During the match, Kumble got a wicket every time he began by handing over his cap and sweater to Sachin Tendulkar

6. England cricketer Sir Len Hutton always carried a five-shilling coin with himself which was given to him by his grandfather’s friend with recommendation never to part ways with it as it might bring bad luck to his game.

7. For Jack Russell, twenty cups of tea per day was standard. He would dip the tea bag in once, and then hang it on a nail, ready for the next cup. The story goes, in 1989 at The Oval, he used one bag for a whole Ashes Test match. He also likes his Weetabix, soaked in milk for precisely eight minutes.

8. Mark Ramprakash chewed the same piece of gum for the duration of his innings. He batted for long sessions facing ball after ball and top scoring in first class with 301* and reaching 131 centuries (that’s a lot of time per gum). He was known to place his gum on the top of the stumps before heading off for a break, and pop it back in his mouth when he returned.

9. Sourav Ganguly and the photo of his Guruji (spiritual teacher) in his pocket. He always made sure his guru’s photo was in his pocket whenever on the field. He also wore rings and maalas (prayer beads) which he believed were lucky.

10. Steve Waugh one of the most famous Australian captains used a red rag to wipe away some sweat during a Test match against England at Leeds in 1993. He went on to score a hundred and kept it in his pocket when batting for the rest of his career. However Marlon Samuels asked Waugh for a piece but hasn’t scored very much since!

11. Mohammad Azharuddin and his black tabeez. A ball hurled towards his legs usually ended up at the fence. He was brilliant in the field as well and always wore his black tabeez. However, whenever he was batting, he let it hang out of his jersey to bring him better luck.

12. Michael Clarke believes in listening to loud music before going out to bat, saying that it is lucky for him and also helps him concentrate better.

On Friday, Middlesex won their first County Championship title in 23 years.

As a Middlesex girl, I’d seen my fair share of county championship games but this decider-game at the Home of Cricket between Yorkshire and Middlesex was one that excited me almost as much as watching India does. The title was still up for grabs, a three-way contest between Yorkshire (who needed 350 in the first innings and a win), Middlesex (who needed a win) and Somerset (who needed them to draw).

Middlesex had set Yorkshire a first innings target of 270 but to stay in the county race, they needed to get to 350 runs within 110 overs. It was in true dramatic style that a 10^th wicket partnership between Tim Bresnan and Ryan Sidebottom saw Yorkshire over the 350 mark (with an hours break at 349) and gave the defending champions a 120 run lead.

A 200 run partnership between Nick Gubbins and Dawid Malan meant the game was looking more like a draw and more like a win for Somerset who had beaten Nottinghamshire by a resounding 325 runs. The two well-matched teams were still neck and neck battling it out by lunch on day four to no avail.

So they decided to get a result. Neither team benefitted from a draw so the two teams agreed to intervene. Both sides agreed on an equation. One that would allow Middlesex to set a target for Yorkshire to chase – almost nullifying the first two innings to set up a sort of one-day decider.

240 in 40. That was the agreed target between captains James Franklin and Andrew Gale. The target that Yorkshire needed to chase down for the title. They had agreed to speed up the game for half an hour and allow Middlesex to reach a lead of 240.

To achieve this situation however, Yorkshire had to serve up balls on a silver platter. Their opening batsmen Adam Lyth and Alex Lees came on to bowl and were dispatched for 128 runs in 11.5 overs at an RR of 10.82. Boundary after boundary came with the odd wicket inexplicably falling here and there. Brooks standing at square-leg held a catch of Lees’ bowling that he appeared to really not want to take and Lyth held a caught and bowled. The players were smiling unsure about how to react to such a debacle.

The teams were artificially creating a result, not to specifically benefit/sabotage each other but to push the game along. They did not together decide on who would win but they did ensure someone would win. Was it legitimate and in the spirit of the game? Would a draw have been the right thing to do? To have the game wane and taper off (in favour of Somerset) with the knowledge and ability to do something about it? Both teams were prepared to lay it all out there for the chance to win so they took the game into their own hands.

Middlesex declared on 239. With 40 overs to go it seemed like a very generous target especially in modern day cricket but it appeared all too much for Yorkshire. A small enough target to entice but a long enough game for the batsmen to think twice.

The equation moved to 153 off 20, then 87 off 10 and Toby Roland-Jones took the game home for Middlesex with a hat-trick to remove Yorkshire’s lower order and win them the County Championship title after 23 years, dashing the dreams of two other counties in the last and final over of the 2016 season. Any other game and the teams might have blocked it out for a draw but this was an all or nothing situation. Both teams had done their part and a game that was at an impasse was brought back to life.

However with the county championship decider being manipulated into a result are we likely to see more controlled target setting and match handling? Will it change the four-day game in the future? For the better?