FEATURES

Ryan Sidebottom has returned to the England set-up and made an outstanding impact, from county pro to currently one of the finest bowlers in Test cricket.

Am I the only one yawning during fifty over One Day Internationals these days? I don’t think so; the game is losing its appeal.

How often do we see a close finish to an ODI these days? Even with the introduction of the bonus point system, and the “power plays”, most games I’ve watched in past two or three years have been dull, un-eventful and even boring, with most results pretty much decided before the lights are even turned on.

Now nearly a year on from Duncan Fletcher’s resignation as England coach, we can begin to assess how his successors in the selection box are going. It does not look good.

Sometimes is pays to keep things simple.

Since transformation and South Africa’s reintroduction to international cricket, much work has been put into developing Black African cricket. There are many different opinions on whether enough has been done and what the correct strategy should be. However, whatever the viewpoint, goodwill and resources have been devoted to this topic and yet the majority of cricketers are still products of the traditional White and Coloured cricketing communities. The relatively small number of Black African cricketers that are coming through are predominantly bowlers. What are the reasons for the lack of Black Batsmen?

With another testing series against Sri Lanka ahead, the West Indies selectors are back to work to earn their ample wages. The search is on for the eleven men who can compete for five days at a time and reverse a humiliating trend of mediocrity. Thus far the selectors have named a squad of fifteen players in preparation for the first Test. But the only firm selection decision as yet is the confirmation of Chris Gayle to the West Indies captaincy. An unfortunate consequence of his injury, the move resigns Ramnaresh Sarwan to the role of deputy again.

Sri Lanka’s performance this Australian summer has been far below its ability. There has been a severe slump in their one day form over the last six months or so, which included a series loss at home to England.

In the midst of what is only a few steps short of complete chaos at administration level, Zimbabwe has still managed to field a decent batting lineup.

At the time of writing, it is uncertain whether Australia’s tour of Pakistan will go ahead, while Bangladesh’s tour Down Under has been postponed due to its clashing with the Beijing Olympics.

The decision to move to England and register as a non-overseas player is becoming increasingly frequent for the countries with such an agreement with the EU. So how is this effecting English cricket?