Ponting's real test

Ponting is thought to be greatest Australian test captain ever by many leading analysts. He has led Australian cricket team successfully over last 5 years. Consider this:

1. Australia's winning percentage of tests under his captaincy is more than any other Australian captain.
2. He has always led from front by contributing heavily in middle order. His batting record speaks volumes - a batting average of more than 50, more centuries than any other Australian. (He may even go on to become leading century scorer in the world - Most Hundreds in tests)
3. His team hold the record of winning most tests on the trot.
4. He was Man of the Series as Australia became the first team in 86 years to achieve an Ashes clean sweep.
   

Did Ponting make Australia near invincible or was there some other factor in play. Australia was already number 1 test team before Ponting took over. What made them number 1 team? The answer is Steve Waugh.

Ponting took the baton from Steve Waugh as a test captain at the beginning of 2004 (by that time he was already captaining one day side). He not only inherited the captaincy from an extremely successful captain but also inherited hugely talented players. His playing 11 included Warne, McGrath, Gilchrist, Langer, Hayden, Gillespie, Martyn, Lehmann, Lee and Ponting himself. All of them were match winners in their own right and all of them had impressive records. It was next to impossible that anyone could beat the team comprising of these players.

The credit must go to Waugh for making an unbeatable outfit. The players and the team was nurtured by Steve Waugh. All these match winners (except for Lee and Ponting) have since then retired leaving Australian team in dire straits. Neither CA nor Ponting realized what would happen once these were not available. They didn't take any preventive action to fill their places at right time.

Today team is bereft of greats' services and half of the team consists of bunch of inexperienced players. Australia started losing there domination near the end of 2007. 2008 was the worst year for them in recent history - they lost test series to India and SA.

It is true that Ponting has services of Clarke and Hussey but apart from them there is no one in the team who can match the previous team's greats. It is also true that they won the test series again SA in their own backyard with new players. But the real test for Ponting has already begun.

1. Can Ponting leave behind a good team to relive the great moments?
2. Can he create a near invincible team?
3. Can he relive Waugh's legacy?

Only time will answer these questions. If Ponting is able to successfully lead his team for next two years and pass over a winning combination to next captain (most probably Clarke), history will remember him forever.

BBC - Buchanan Bashing Continues

As reported by Cricinfo

Martyn lashes out at Buchanan over 2005 Ashes

An excerpt

"All comments by Warne and MacGill are right and you'd find that 99% of the group from that era would agree," Martyn said in an interview with the Wisden Cricketer. "They're just the only guys who've got [the courage] to say it. The management team didn't plan right, we had a not-very-good, quick preparation in Brisbane and then we landed and away we went.

Future of test cricket

It is interesting to read the comments of die-hard test cricket fans in the following story



ICC chief suggests four-day Tests

There are tests and then there is Ashes

Ashes is considered as most important tournament among Australian and English fans. Fans, critics, analysts, players alike consider it to be more important than many other prestigious tournaments.

One just has to follow the news coming out of Australian and English camps to notice the premium attached to Ashes.

1. Players and important stakeholders started talking about Ashes even before Australian team landed in England. Even while they preparing for T20 World Cup (considered to be more important than a test series in all other countries), all they talked about was Ashes.
June 4, 2009
Siddle ready for Ashes taunts
June 2, 2009
Pietersen thrilled by Ashes talent pool
May 29, 2009
Ponting warns England against half-fit Flintoff
May 26, 2009
Lee and Clark no certainties for first Test
May 24, 2009
England switched Ashes venues on purpose - Ponting
May 20, 2009
England can win Ashes - Flower

2. Former players, who were moot participants in T20 World Cup were/are talking fervently about Ashes.
Don't rely on Bopara for the Ashes - Warne
Gilchrist not convinced of Flintoff's fitness
Dropping Vaughan a mistake - Warne
Hayden warns Australians on reverse-swing
Use World Twenty20 to build Ashes momentum - Gough

3. Current players are no different - they were/are talking more about Ashes even while playing in T20 World Cup.
Pietersen ready for 'big allrounder' Johnson
Siddle wants new-ball responsibility
Reverse-swing could decide Ashes - Pietersen
Fit Flintoff desperate for the Ashes
Lee and Clark train sights on Strauss

4. England set off for secret bonding session

5. England hire Ashes most successful Australian coach in the hope of winning ashes.
Buchanan agrees ECB deal

Why a bilateral test series is considered so prestigious? I do not have the answer for it. Perhaps it has something to do with maintaining the old cricket order. One thing is for sure test cricket will survive the onslaught of T20, at least in England and Australia.

Buchanan and the art of remaining profitable

Mr Buchanan, the renowned Australian coach, must have very good communication and self selling abilities which allow him to get new jobs even after sever public criticisms from the people who have worked with him.

Mr. Buchanan was able to retain his job as director of coaching staff for KKR throughout IPL 2 while they lost game after game and finished at the bottom of the league. Many renowned analysts bunked his theories and warned against his way of working but somehow retained his assignment. Some of my earlier posts touch upon his coaching style

Controversies and Team Standings
Realize your mistake and move forward
Foreign players and IPL

After IPL 2 there were rumors that he along with many of his coaching staff members will be fired. And what does he do? He not only gets a new assignment even before he is fired and that too for the most prestigious series in International cricket.

June 17, 2009
Buchanan on his way out of Kolkata Knight Riders

June 10, 2009
Buchanan agrees ECB deal

Even now the criticisms are not dying down but Mr. Buchanan is carrying on. Excerpts from Australia unruffled by Buchanan deal

Shane Watson, who is in the Ashes squad, said Buchanan would have little impact on England's campaign while the retired Stuart MacGill said the move was more likely to hurt England than help them.

MacGill said in the Daily Telegraph. "What won England the Ashes in 2005 was their bowling, and if you look at it now, we got Troy Cooley and they got John Buchanan. Troy Cooley won England the Ashes and John Buchanan lost it for us. I don't begrudge Buck for trying to make a living, but his coaching record in England isn't crash hot. He lost the Ashes and had a stint with Middlesex that also didn't work out."

Shane Warne, one of the strongest critics of Buchanan's coaching methods, couldn't resist another dig at him. Warne reckoned that Buchanan's switch would only motivate Australia to go harder at England.

"I think that's a great move because that means we've got more of a chance," Warne said. "Hopefully, Buck (Buchanan) will be doing his stuff and he'll be working and doing all his things and hopefully overcomplicating things. I reckon it gives our chances a big boost and makes our blokes more hungry. Hopefully, he gets all of them in a boot camp and Freddie (Andrew) Flintoff and (Kevin) Pietersen hurt their knees, that would be great."

Bravo! He must add a coaching course on "How to lure people into giving profitable assignments?" in his portfolio of consulting services. It will be a huge hit in these times of recession.

India in West Indies - Series preview

Who will the win the series?

Bookies are still favoring India even after pathetic T20 World Cup performance. Media is not particularly favoring any team. I will go with the bookies even though WI has lot of positives to bank upon:

1. India's premier players are not playing - Tendulkar, Sehwag, Zaheer and Raina are nursing injuries.
2. WI is going into the series with lot of confidence after dumping Australia and India out of T20 World Cup and reaching semis.
3. Fatigue of Indian players or as proclaimed by media after poor performance in T20 World Cup.

Let's analyze the perceived positives. It is true that absence of key players will hurt India but it will also reduce fatigue factor. Zaheer and Raina were important members of T20 World Cup but they are replaced by fresh legs. More than the physical fatigue, mental fatigue hurt India in T20 World Cup. That too will be reduced by introduction of new players. Moreover there are many strong contenders for a place in team India. Excerpt from one of my earlier posts

Beyond the bench - Players like Karthink, Nehra, Munaf, Mishra, Balaji are not in the 15 member squad. These players performed exceptionally well in recently concluded IPL and have donned India colours before; they can walk in any other international side based on their performance. Alas! There is no space for them in Indian team. And I am not talking about the other young guns who also performed well in IPL but do not have the international exposure. Surely they will put positive pressure on the players in world cup squad.

More than anything else T20 and one dayers are different games and not for nothing India are placed close 3rd in ICC ranking whereas WI are placed poor 8th. India has lost just 3 dead games in last 18 one dayers. Dhoni's comments sums up everything Indian team reaches Jamaica

West Indies is playing good cricket at the moment. They are having a very good World Twenty20 tournament, but in the 50 overs, you have time to settle down."

IPL is HOT

What about IPL? It has been a month since it got over. Well! A news about IPL just came in...

Excerpt from Behind NFL, MLB & NBA there is IPL

The IPL has emerged as one of the top five most valuable global sports properties in the world. The IPL, which is just two years old, has been placed fifth globally, valued at $ 1.6 billion, behind the established American giants.

Are you kidding me?

I do not know what method did they use to arrive at the results or how scientific was their analysis. But it certainly proves few things:

• Mr. Modi is a great administrator - He has made his mark in the history of cricket. India and BCCI was wary of T20 cricket to the extant of repugning it. Mr. Modi, I must say against all odds, not only conceptualized IPL brought it up in a very short period. And of course made it hugely successful.
• India loves shortest form of game - Why do you think IPL is a USD 1.6 b property?
• The money in cricket world flows from India - What would a billion crazy fans do without cricket.
• Whatever ICC might do to control number of T20 matches, T20 cricket will grow.

I am sure BCCI and IPL governing council would be proud of this news but they must realize that along with adulation comes the responsibilty. BCCI and IPL must use this opportunity to make cricket world much better:

• IPL must use the money judiciouly to develop domestic cricket. It must nurture cricket in small towns and reach out to
• BCCI must support ICC in developing cricket where it is not a major sport.

Mr. Shahrukh Khan has a winner in his hands even though KKR has not made a strong statement on the field.