The papers say he is not part of any future, yet Inzamam, and many others, believe he still has a future

Osman Samiuddin02-Aug-2007

If he isn’t Pakistan’s greatest batsman, he is close © Getty Images

Inzamam-ul-Haq is in limbo. Behind him lies the vast expanse of a career well constructed. If he isn’t Pakistan’s greatest batsman, he is close. A World Cup winner, his captaincy tenure, in terms of matches led, is third-longest in Tests and ODIs; only Imran Khan, Javed Miandad and Wasim Akram have led Pakistan to more Test wins, and only Imran and Akram to more ODI victories.In front of him, at 37 and having given up green pyjamas and the captaincy, lies uncertainty. Less than a mile from where he is staying on a short trip to Karachi, in a training camp at the National Stadium, Pakistan cricket is going back to the future and, like the film franchise, it gets less funny each time it does so. The papers say he is not part of any future, yet Inzamam, and many others, believe he still has a future.Naturally, he is unruffled but as he nears his end the immediate past weighs on him. Bob Woolmer recollections flow, even a hint slipped in that all was not well towards the end. “It does not matter how we worked together, despite everything Bob managed to gel together a young side. He was completely committed and genuine about it.”A laughing acknowledgment too of Woolmer’s media savvy: “I never used to read the papers towards the end, but only because I knew that Bob would’ve read everything on the net and was waiting to tell me.”If it turns out that we don’t see Inzamam again, his last moments will have been his lowest. He decided to retire after the loss to Ireland and Woolmer’s death, and though it was taken in haste, he does not regret the decision. The thought of not being captain anymore prompts a broad grin: “Thank god.” He was always reluctant.And you just know he doesn’t envy Shoaib Malik, whose prospects, Inzamam philosophises, depend as much off the field as on it. “It’s one thing I learned: on the field is one thing, but off it is another altogether. Handling the media, the attention, the players, the board, dressing-room spirit: a good captain is one who can handle both well.” Like his batting, it is a subtle but powerful tip.”He’s just started and he needs more time. He needs to be supported by the board and by his players. In Pakistan cricket, the real test comes when the team is not doing well. When it is winning, everything is fine. It is when you are losing that the captain has to keep the players together. He has to fight for them.”Though Inzamam is lighter in heart, mood and weight, the immediate future also weighs on him. Details need not be publicised but he feels slighted by moves already afoot to prevent him from adding to his 8813 Test runs: he wants to score 10,000. The selectors refuse to admit this is so; in fact, they stress the opposite. Salahuddin Ahmed, chief of the committee, told Cricinfo at the camp, “He does have a place in the side, subject to fitness. Every player has to be fit, and a fit and in-form Inzamam is an asset for Pakistan.” The “subject to fitness” caveat makes Inzamam smile. “I played unfit all these years then?” It’s another matter that he doesn’t have any way of proving form or fitness before the South Africa series. The domestic season doesn’t start till December; he will, he says, turn out for Lahore Gymkhana.

Though Inzamam is lighter in heart, mood and weight, the immediate future also weighs on him. Details need not be publicised but he feels slighted by moves already afoot to prevent him from adding to his 8813 Test runs: he wants to score 10,000. The selectors refuse to admit this is so; in fact they stress the opposite.

The truth is the decision is not in the selectors’ hands. No board official will say publicly, but that they are not keen on Inzamam playing again is clear. The policy to award central contracts was tweaked to include only those players available for both Tests and ODIs, thus excluding Inzamam. No matter that the contracted Danish Kaneria has barely played an ODI recently, that Yasir Arafat is unlikely to make a Test debut, or that Younis Khan isn’t keen on playing ODIs anymore. The Indian Cricket League’s (ICL) offer to Inzamam, in fact, prompted the board chairman to go as far as to say that any player signing up wih the ICL will not be considered for future Pakistan internationals – a stance harsher on this matter than any other board’s.You can perhaps understand their concern. Inzamam back in the dressing room, unwittingly or otherwise, they feel, will undermine Malik’s captaincy. They are also worried that the religiosity they have been keen to dampen is likely to resurface. Inzamam is aware of this fear: he turned down the captaincy initially because he didn’t want to handle so many ex-captains. The senior group of players he is close to remain so. Speculation that Mohammad Yousuf might be shunted out of the Twenty20 squad elicits a loyal response from Inzamam: “How can they even think of doing that? It can destabilise the entire team.”But on paper, there is no case. Last year was a moderate one for Inzamam, but only the year before that he touched a rarified peak. And he still averages nearly 60 from his last 20 Tests with over 1600 runs. More importantly, who on earth replaces him? Misbah-ul-Haq, out of the picture for over three years and never really in it in the first place? Faisal Iqbal, who still hasn’t convinced entirely? Or Asim Kamal, whose promising career successive selectors have all but ruined?Thus Inzamam and Pakistan are both in limbo, stranded between whiles. On merit Inzamam is a shoo-in, yet you wonder how his presence will affect the dynamics of a new side. Nothing is clear save this: the Pakistani cricketer who retires with grace, dignity and at an opportune time has not yet set foot on this earth. He has lingered, he has not been allowed to linger; he is pushed, nudged, intrigued out. Often he is just forgotten. Inzamam is on the verge of joining that crowded fraternity. Perhaps he already has.

Stats preview of the Natwest Series between England and Pakistan

Kanishkaa Balachandran29-Aug-2006 The five-match one-day series assumes great significance for both England and Pakistan. While England desperately need to make amends for their 0-5 thrashing at the hands of Sri Lanka recently, Pakistan have a bit of catching up to do with their old rivals, as their head-to-head record indicates.

England v Pakistan ODI record

Matches England won Pakistan won Tie

Overall 58 33 24 1 In England 26 17 9 Nil In Pakistan 19 9 10 Nil Neutral 13 7 5 1 Despite an enviable Test record in England, Pakistan have struggled in the one-dayers in the past, and their last victory in a bilateral series in England came way back in 1974, in which Pakistan won 2-0. Since then, the sides have played six bilateral series in England – with England winning all – and their most comprehensive victory came in 1992, when they took the series 4-1 after losing the Test series. Both teams have better records chasing a target, which is more prominent in Pakistan’s case. They have won six out of 14 games batting second, as opposed to three out of 12 batting first. As far as the toss is concerned, Pakistan have won only two out of eight matches in which they have opted to bat first.

Inzamam-ul-Haq and his side will be determined to leave England on a high © Getty Images
The absence of a specialist spinner in the England squad may seem like a gamble, but the numbers back this move. Part of the reason for Pakistan’s dismal record in England is the fact that they have struggled against the moving ball, and the comparison of wickets taken by the fast/medium-fast bowlers and the spinners is lopsided. In 26 ODIs in England, the seamers have accounted for 140 Pakistani wickets, while the spinners have just 29. England will rely on Marcus Trescothick to fire at the top, given that he was their most consistent batsman in the ODIs against Sri Lanka, averaging over 55. He has an impressive record against Pakistan, averaging over 40 in 15 matches. However, a closer look at his statistics against Pakistan makes for interesting reading. When batting second, he averages 69.16, but his average batting first is a paltry 18.75. Trescothick has an excellent head-to-head record against Shoaib Akhtar, though – in 119 balls from Shoaib, Trescothick has scored 89 runs and has been dismissed just once. Despite losing the Test series, Pakistan’s biggest gain was the performance of their middle order, and the performances of Mohammad Yousuf, Inzamam-ul-Haq and Younis Khan will be crucial in the ODI series as well. Yousuf averages 44.16 against England, and has done well against them in all conditions, but that’s not quite the case with Inzamam. His overseas average of 26.62 doesn’t quite compare to his average of 118 against England in home conditions. Steve Harmison’s withdrawal due to injury will come as a blow to England’s inexperienced attack, and will increase the responsibility on Darren Gough, now recalled to the one-day side. Gough will be the key, given that his bowling average in home ODIs against Pakistan is 24.46 compared to his away average of 47.67. The long-awaited return of Shoaib will bolster Pakistan, and he will be expected to carry the attack. He has picked up more wickets against England than any other member in the squad – 17 at 25.58.

Yuvraj Singh’s 169 was outstanding both for the manner in which he scored the runs and for the situation in which they came

Sambit Bal08-Dec-2007

Each one of Yuvraj Singh’s three Test centuries has come under trying circumstances against their old rivals Pakistan © AFP

Perhaps the best compliment for Yuvraj Singh, who played one of the finest innings under pressure you can hope to see, would be that he had a touch of Brian Lara. There was the same high backlift, with the bat flowing down from the eye level, the quick hands, malleable wrists, sensational timing and perfect placement. To top it all, there was the part that couldn’t be seen, only sensed: the ability to create a bubble where the external factors – a fresh pitch with a tinge of green, the hole that his team was in when he walked in, and the fact that he was playing for Test spot – ceased to matter.Yuvraj and Sourav Ganguly, for whom no praise can be too high, did for India what Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman have long been renowned for doing, but it will be no discredit to Ganguly to say Yuvraj’s brilliance shaded his second successive hundred. Not that he would have grudged it a whit: his eyes shone brighter when he celebrated his team-mate’s century than when he reached his own. No one present at the ground, even his opponents, could stay untouched by the breathtaking majesty of this innings.At lunch, India would have felt a touch despondent. They had won the toss and chosen to bat knowing that the pitch, which had been under covers for the best part of the last few days, would be soft and offer seam movement. But given their reliance on spin, in the absence of a full-strength pace bowling attack, it was the only option available. Pakistan’s bowlers wasted the first hour somewhat by either spraying the ball wide or bowling too short, but Yasir Arafat changed the course by introducing commonsense, and bowling close to the stumps. At 61 for 4, India were in the danger of having to bowl with the second new ball of the day.Two significant things happened after lunch. Shoaib Akhtar – is he Pakistan’s biggest match-winner or their biggest liability? – went off clutching his back. Far more importantly for India, Yuvraj batted like a dream. He was hit on the head once and played and missed outside off-stump a couple of times, and there was an edge off Danish Kaneria that Younis Khan put down but, rather than being intimidated by the situation, he chose to trust his game. He melted the pressure by allowing himself the freedom to play his strokes and by tea it was the bowling side that looked hunted.Yuvraj’s driving on the offside was sensational, both off the front and back foot, and the bowlers were clueless about what length to bowl to him. Some cover drives were played with the full flourish of the bat and some were punched exquisitely. Initially, Mohammed Sami and Arafat tried to cramp him by bowling straight and he either punched them down the ground or picked them through midwicket, generating velocity with his back-lift and wrists. Ganguly kept him company by piercing the offside either side of the cover fielder and the 127 runs they scored in the middle session changed the course of the innings.After tea, Pakistan were reduced to damage control. Sami sought to deny Yuvraj by bowling a couple of feet outside off stump while Kaneria chose to bowl his googlies from outside leg. And two men were stationed behind square on the leg side for the top-edge to the occasional bouncer. Yuvraj refused to be baited but neither did he slow down. He stayed away from the wide balls but put away everything in driving range. When the sweeper was posted at cover, he still managed to hit the ball wide of him; his only pull was hit through midwicket, all along the ground. As the day progressed and the pitch eased, fours became inevitable, irrespective of the bowler and the field. At the end of his innings, his wagon wheel offered evidence of his all-round domination: 92 on the onside, 77 on the off, 50 between point and cover, 37 between square leg and midwicket. Ten of his 28 fours were hit though cover and five through midwicket.

Despite his outstanding run in the shorter version of the game, doubts have lingered over the suitability of his technique and temperament for Tests. Yuvraj has banished those misgivings with an innings of such force and pedigree that to keep him out would be a brave decision – and may ultimately be a foolish one

The innings was littered with dazzling strokes but a couple will stay in the mind.
The first was a mere push, perhaps a defensive jab, at a full ball from Sami; such was the balance and timing that the ball sped past a bemused mid-on fielder to the boundary. The second was a back-foot cover drive to a ball from Arafat that deserved nothing more than a dead bat. By then, though, Yuvraj was long past his hundred and the merit of the ball had ceased to be of consequence. At that supreme moment, you felt in awe of the batsman but it was difficult not to feel sorry for the bowler.To Indian fans who have long been riled by the tendency of Pakistan’s batsmen to reserve their best for India – Zaheer Abbas and Javed Miandad have been succeeded by Kamran Akmal (three of his four Test hundreds against India) and Salman Butt (all his four one-day hundreds) – Yuvraj’s third Test century against the old enemy would seem soothing retribution. That might be missing the story, because of far more significance is another common thread: each of these centuries have come when his team was in desperate trouble. On a green top at Lahore in 2004, India were 94 for 4 and 147 for 7; at Karachi in 2006, they were 74 for 4 and Mohammed Asif was in the middle of a dream spell, having knocked out Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman in quick succession. To each crisis Yuvraj has offered his fulsome and natural brilliance. His stroke-making has always exceptional, but his three Test centuries have demonstrated that he has that special ability to play them all when the chips are down.His latest hundred has given the Indian management a happy headache. They will have one hell of a decision to make when they sit down to pick the team for the next Test, in Australia. Despite his outstanding run in the shorter version of the game, doubts have lingered over the suitability of his technique and temperament for cricket’s most challenging form. Yuvraj has banished those misgivings with an innings of such force and pedigree that to keep him out would be a brave decision – and may ultimately be a foolish one.There is plenty left in this Test yet, but Yuvraj’s innings is potentially series-clinching for India. For himself, it could turn out to be career-changing.

What made Shaun Pollock different to other sportsmen with an ultra-competitive streak was that he was gracious in victory and, after a few minutes to recover, equally gracious in defeat

Neil Manthorp and Telford Vice13-Jan-2008

So long, and thanks for the memories: Andre Nel and Graeme Smith chair off Pollock after his last Test © Cricinfo Ltd
“There’s no way we’re settling for that,” Shaun Pollock growled at the umpire. “We didn’t come here for a draw – I want this thing settled, I want a play-off. Nobody’s going to bed yet.”The venue was the Pearl Continental Hotel in Peshawar on the 1998 tour of Pakistan and the competition involved putting golf balls into strategically placed glasses along the corridor. The umpire was coach Bob Woolmer and Pollock, as competitive as ever, was disputing his call of “tie” when Dave Richardson holed a tricky left-to-right eight-footer through bright yellow, damp stain where a room-service waiter had recently dropped a bowl of korma.”Fine then, you win,” said veteran wicket keeper Richardson. “I’m going to bed.””No you’re not, Grandpa,” Pollock said. “We’re going to have a play-off. I want to win fair and square…”If it was worth playing, it was worth playing to win for Shaun Pollock. And if it wasn’t worth playing to win, it wasn’t worth playing. From table tennis (at which he excelled) to tennis, bowls and Trivial Pursuits – at which he also excelled, being one of the very few members of the squad with tertiary education once Richardson retired.But what made him different to other sportsmen with an ultra-competitive streak was that he was gracious in victory and, after a few minutes to recover, equally gracious in defeat.He made the play-off putt.Woolmer rued his enjoyment of puddings and ice-creams, especially the fact that his sweet tooth demanded more the higher the tension became in the dressing room. He would sometimes help himself to a second bowl of chocolate pudding and then mutter something about not doing it again.Pollock loved and admired Woolmer, but was equally merciless with his comments about diet and weight control. The situation presented a perfect opportunity to combine two of his favourite pastimes – practical jokes and practical help. Having safely confirmed that all the squad were finished with the ice-cream and pudding, Pollock would pour a cellar of salt over it and then quietly tell the dressing room attendant not to clear the leftovers away. Eventually Woolmer could resist the temptation no longer and Pollock was on hand to cherish the grimace on his coach’s face and to tell him that bad habits always end with a sour taste.When Woolmer died during the World Cup [coaching Pakistan then], Pollock knew he would be asked to comment. Too emotional to do so live or in person, he wrote a statement by hand and asked team manager Goolam Raja to distribute it to whoever asked. He was devastated, yet was the first – along with fielding coach and fellow Woolmer friend Jonty Rhodes – to urge the rest of the players to increase their efforts on the field for the sake of the former coach rather than be deflated by his tragic death.Pollock’s easygoing nature helped him deal coolly with a sticky situation on a flight a few months ago, when he was squeezed snugly into the middle seat with his wife, Trish, to his left, and a fellow traveller to his right. The three of them became engaged in conversation, and at one point Trish waved an arm across her husband to illustrate a point. All well and good. Except that Pollock sat with two opened cans of soft drink in front of him as she did so. A long moment passed as the three of them thought about Pollock’s suddenly – not to mention strategically – soaked trousers, and what to do about them.Between whispered apologies, Trish fussed with paper towels. But as she was in a public place with a public figure, there wasn’t much she could do without adding to the spectacle. “Don’t worry,” Pollock said quietly after several damp seconds. “It’s fine.” The conversation promptly resumed, with Pollock happy to sit on the wet spot.

Pollock loved and admired Woolmer, but was equally merciless with his comments about diet and weight control © AFP
Few South Africans and Australians will forget Pollock’s heroic performance in the Adelaide Test in 1998. Having assumed the spearhead mantle that had fallen from the shoulders of the injured Allan Donald, the then callow red-headed fast bowler sent down 41 overs in the first innings and took 7 for 87.The travelling South African media had organised a braai (barbecue) for that evening, and the players had been invited. A fair sprinkling showed up, among them youngsters such as Makhaya Ntini and Adam Bacher, as well as older hands including Daryll Cullinan and Gary Kirsten. No-one expected Pollock to arrive, not after his gruelling day. But he duly did and behaved not like the flavour of the moment that he was, but like the proper human being he always will be.Let’s not mistake Pollock for some sort of fop who happened to be blessed with a load of blue-chip cricket genes. There’s real inner strength under all those freckles.There was no doubt about that in the fraught days that followed South Africa’s dreary first-round exit from the 2003 World Cup, when they fritted away a winning position against Sri Lanka and tied the match in the rain at Kingsmead. The then United Cricket Board demanded Pollock’s resignation. He refused, and quite rightly: why should he have to carry the can for a dressing-room full of people who failed to read a Duckworth-Lewis sheet properly?”You’ll have to fire me,” Pollock said. He was duly axed, and he held a press conference where he calmly sat making notes while the media bustled around him until they were ready to ask their questions. He answered them all clearly, and managed to let slip the still unconfirmed news that Graeme Smith would be his successor.

Outside of the international matches played in England this summer, Middlesex v Surrey at Lord’s is the biggest attraction there is

Jamie Alter at Lord's16-Jun-2008

	Fans signal four during Middlesex’s Twenty20 Cup match against Surrey at Lord’s © Getty Images

It’s the big London derby and the old rivals, Middlesex and Surrey, are playing a Twenty20 at Lord’s. Simply put, outside of the international matches played in England this summer, it ought to be the biggest attraction going.There are plenty of spectators in pink – more male then female, incidentally – and that’s because today Lord’s has turned pink to support Breakthrough Breast Cancer. There’s plenty of beer and chips doing the rounds, fans rise to their feet and wave boundary placards every time a batsman finds the ropes, and there’s even an American couple settled in London – knowledgeable about the game – who have brought their two young boys to Lord’s for their first match. Unlike in 2004, when the volume of musical interludes accompanying key moments of the first Twenty20 here were kept to a reasonable limit, now Akon, Dexy’s Midnight Runners, 10CC and a bevy of 80s funk mixes blare out at regular intervals.It’s a marked difference from exactly a week ago, when Middlesex wrapped up an innings victory over Essex in a Championship match in front of a smattering of a crowd. This game turns out to be a low-scoring affair, keeping with the trend in the Twenty20 Cup’s first week, but that doesn’t deter the crowd from cheering and swaying in the stands.From an outsider’s perspective – and one who has viewed the disparity between attendance at Ranji Trophy matches and Indian Premier League fixtures – it’s a shame there isn’t more of a crowd to do justice to the occasion. The attendance for today’s match is estimated to be about 16,000, out of which 14,000 were pre-sold and the remaining were tickets held by MCC members. That’s poor by local standards and all the more so when you consider Surrey are playing Middlesex at the home of cricket, which is also the largest ground in England.When these two teams played here in 2004 there were 27,500 spectators, the first sell out at Lord’s since the two teams met in the County Championship in 1953. There were nearly 30,000 here when the two teams played on a warm June evening in 2005, and in 2006 more than 28,000 packed Lord’s as Surrey maintained their unbeaten Twenty20 record against Middlesex.Forty-five years ago the Gillette Cup, England’s original one-day tournament, was launched, primarily as a result of dipping attendances for county matches. Twenty20 was ushered in in 2003 as an antidote to the diminishing crowds for county four-day fixtures. Lord’s stayed away from the new format that year, but hosted one Twenty20 game in the 2004 and 2005 seasons. That improved to two the next year and in 2007 it hosted three and that figure stands for this season, which means crowds have the option to choose which games they will watch live. That could be one explanation for why the numbers are down, as compared to when there was just one derby match between these two rivals.”This isn’t nearly as good a crowd as I’ve seen in recent years,” says an elderly gentleman in the lower tier of the Edrich Stand, who has made it to three of the last four London derbies at Lord’s. “The crowds love it but this is disappointing. You’d think because of all the developments in Twenty20 cricket and Middlesex’s unbeaten run in the competition that there would be a buzz here.”Another fan, in his late 20s, says he and his colleagues have tickets to all the Twenty20 matches at Lord’s and a handful for ones at The Oval. “It’s just something fun for us to do after work. The crowd’s into it, there’s beer to be drunk, so what’s not to like?” He and another colleague rise to their feet and wave their hands as Surrey’s James Benning cracks a boundary towards midwicket, and then he adds: “It’s not so much about the cricket as it is the chance to chill out with friends.”The thoughts of the two fans differ slightly but they’re still brought here by the cricket. It’s a shame there isn’t a bigger turn-out, but that doesn’t entirely deter from a pleasant evening’s cricket.

A team that loves playing at home is to play three Tests against a team that has performed well overseas in recent years – except that India are hardly a visiting side when in neighbouring Sri Lanka

Jamie Alter in Colombo22-Jul-2008
A lacklustre performance at the SSC will put pressure on Harbhajan Singh © AFP
A team that loves playing at home is to play three Tests against a team that has performed well overseas in recent years – except that India are hardly a visiting side when in neighbouring Sri Lanka. From the first day of the first Test against Sri Lanka at the SSC, India have an anomaly to set straight: they have only won one Test series in Sri Lanka in four attempts, and their record in the Emerald Isle reads – played 12, won 2, lost 3, drawn 7.The dynamics of Indian cricket may have changed – no longer are they a side expected to do well on slow and low Asian pitches – but in fact, they have struggled in such conditions in Sri Lanka as well, winning only two Test – at Kandy in 2001 and in 1993 – out of 12.India’s batsmen, especially Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman, like the ball to come on to the bat. India’s most famous victories in recent years have come overseas – in Johannesburg and Perth. Unlike India, Sri Lanka’s batting revolves around two men, Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara, but the conditions suit their style of play. The SSC is their fortress; few sides have been able to break in. Whenever Jayawardene walks to the crease at the SSC [where he has scored a record 2062 runs], a century seems there for the taking.While other countries in the subcontinent have found it hard to win series at home, Sri Lanka have a formidable record at home. Apart from losses to Australia, almost expected at the time, and two to Pakistan, their record in this decade reads 25 wins from 45 Tests. Sri Lanka’s greatest strength is that they play their home conditions very, very well.Against their formidable home advantage, Sri Lanka are trying to find a settled Test XI. Sanath Jayasuriya’s retirement has left a void. What he brought to the top order was immense – when India toured Sri Lanka in 1996-97, Jayasuriya scored 570 runs at 190.33, with 340 coming in one epic innings; his overall average against India was 67, while his left-arm spin was a huge bonus. Sri Lanka’s likely openers, Michael Vandort and Malinda Warnapura, have played 20 Tests between them. This puts immense pressure on Sangakkara and Jayawardene, but in recent times they have thrived in that adversity.India have a more balanced bowling attack, with better new-ball operators in Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma, but with Chaminda Vaas and Muttiah Muralitharan boasting more than 1000 Test wickets between them, Sri Lanka can be quietly confident of having the more potent attack. On paper India hold the advantage in batting and bowling. If Rahul Dravid or Sachin Tendulkar – who needs another 172 runs to overhaul Brian Lara’s Test record of 11,953 runs – fail, India have VVS Laxman and Sourav Ganguly to follow. Sri Lanka have Thilan Samaraweera and Tillakaratne Dilshan, both of whom haven’t completely cemented their places in the Test team.Local experts reckon the SSC pitch will assist the fast bowlers for about 90 minutes, before becoming a perfect batting track. Vaas aside, Sri Lanka don’t have a new-ball bowler to trouble the very best, with Lasith Malinga, Dilhara Fernando and Farveez Maharoof currently stuck on the treatment table. Murali doesn’t always like to come on to bowl early, and Ajantha Mendis is yet to play Test cricket. If Sehwag gets stuck in and starts pillaging the new-ball attack, Sri Lanka might be short on options.Also, Sangakkara not keeping wicket creates a problem in terms of fitting an allrounder who can bowl. Unlike India, Sri Lanka do not have a Ganguly who can bowl 10-12 overs of accurate medium-pace a day, as well as Sehwag’s tidy, partnership-breaking offspin. Dilshan has filled this role well occasionally in one-day cricket, but not in Tests.India’s spin attack consists of two proven match-winners in Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh. There is no doubting Murali’s record, but as Kumble pointed out, all the pressure is on Mendis. He stunned India in the Asia Cup final this month but should he make his Test debut here, he will be up against a very different batting line-up. There are no Rohit Sharmas, Yuvraj Singhs, Suresh Rainas or Robin Uthappas here.This series will also be a trial of sorts for Harbhajan. He did little with the ball in Australia, and though he was Man of the Series against South Africa not too long ago, he took wickets on a minefield in Kanpur. With the likes of Pragyan Ojha and Piyush Chawla also in contention for the second spinner’s spot, and RP Singh or Munaf Patel able to fill the role of third seamer, Harbhajan is under pressure to get his act together. If he does, India would have taken a few important steps towards correcting their poor record in Sri Lanka.

Cricinfo’s timeline of Andrew Symonds’ controversial moments

Cricinfo staff24-Nov-2008
Oops, I did it again … © Getty Images
June 2005
Turns up drunk to the one-day match against Bangladesh in Cardiff and after Australia lose he is banned for two matches. In Roy, Going for Broke he said: “I was also told in the clearest possible terms that any further misdemeanours would see me sent packing. For good.”March 2006
Asks a Super14 rugby player to “take it outside” while at a nightclub during Australia’s tour of South Africa. “I was on my way out of the VIP area when Pup [Michael Clarke] zoomed in to steer me away and calm things down,” Symonds said.2007 World Cup
In the Caribbean there’s an attempt to set Symonds up. “I walked out of a nightspot and a bloke ran across the car park and slapped me in the face as we were walking into a taxi,” he told the Sydney Morning Herald. “He had a bloke with a camera behind him. You get to a point where you work very hard to achieve something and when you look at it, you’ve got so much to lose if you make a bad mistake. You have to spare a thought – stop, and have a think – every now and then to try and prevent problems.”January 2008
Is the victim of an alleged “monkey” sledge from Harbhajan Singh at the SCG that turns into the biggest incident of the summer. Harbhajan escaped suspension on appeal and the fall-out, intense glare and feelings of being let down by Cricket Australia contributed to his problems over the past four months.August 2008
Goes fishing in Darwin instead of attending a team meeting and is sent home before the one-day series against Bangladesh. He undergoes rehabilitation, which includes psychiatric help, and later admits he drank too much at times in the lead-up to the suspension.November 2008
After apologising to his team-mates and undergoing a “welfare programme”, he comes back into the side for the first Test against New Zealand. At the end of the match he goes to a Brisbane hotel where he claims he was provoked by a member of the public. He is back at the team accommodation by 9.30pm.January 2009
On the mend from knee surgery, Symonds calls Brendon McCullum a “lump of s…” during a radio interview on a show known for its light-hearted nature. Symonds was referring to McCullum’s signing for New South Wales to play in a domestic Twenty20 final when he made the comment.Symonds publicly apologised and was fined A$4000 at a Cricket Australia hearing. His international career was left in doubt when Cricket Australia’s directors ruled that he should be stood down from the tour of South Africa, resulting in him missing a second straight overseas tour.June 2009
Although overlooked for the Ashes, Symonds’ powerful strokeplay was deemed an asset for the ICC World Twenty20 and he was given a final opportunity to prove himself. Instead he was disciplined on the eve of the tournament for another “alcohol-related issue” and sent home to Australia after an episode described by Cricket Australia’s CEO James Sutherland as “the final straw”.

Nearly 40 and still going strong, Sri Lanka’s veteran opener is looking to contribute to the side, but he’s not eyeing a leadership role again

28-Feb-2009

	Globetrotting gun for hire: Jayasuriya played for the Dolphins recently and will be seen in action for Mumbai Indians in April © AFP

Did you enjoy your time with the Dolphins in South Africa?
Yes, it was a great experience. The only regret is that we lost our semi-final to the Cape Cobras and missed the chance to get into the Champions League, which had been our target this year. Nevertheless I was very grateful for the chance to play down in South Africa. It was a fresh challenge and a good experience. They have a good set-up there in Natal. I hope to go back and play next season too, depending on my international commitments.What went wrong for Sri Lanka during the recent India series?
I thought the first two games were crucial in that series. We could have won them both and should have won the second, when we were chasing just 256. That was a big game. It left us under a lot of pressure in the third game and kept our confidence down. India then carried it away from us. Anyway, the problem was the consistency of the batting and the fact that we did not take responsibility during crucial periods. Not winning the toss is not an excuse, but that did not help in the day-night games.How do you rate this Indian one-day team right now?
In my mind they are the best one-day team right now. They are playing some brilliant all-round cricket and all their batsmen are in top form. I feel they are ahead of both Australia and South Africa. That does not mean we should not expect to beat them. On the contrary, I think we can match them when playing at our best. It was great to win the final game and show that. We need to raise our one-day game fast because we have a very tough tour to India scheduled for later in the year.Sri Lanka’s one-day form has been inconsistent since the 2007 World Cup. What has been going wrong?
The main problem for us has been batting. We have been talking and discussing this a lot but at the end of the day we have not been delivering. All the batsmen, including me, need to take responsibility for that. The good news recently is that [Tillakaratne] Dilshan has performed in his new role as opener. The middle order has been a bit of a concern. We lack a guy like Russel Arnold, who has experience and the ability to absorb pressure. You need that kind of player at No. 6 or 7. Having said that, guys like Thilina Kandamby and Angelo Mathews are developing fast, which is encouraging. I think the talent is there. We just need to keep building and developing.What are your views about the right balance for the team? During recent years Sri Lanka has moved towards a 6-5 batsman-bowler combination, where in the 2007 World Cup, and indeed the 1996 World Cup, there were seven batsmen in the team.
Personally I think 7-4 is better in Asian conditions, unless you have a genuine allrounder who is a top-order batsman at No. 7. Outside the subcontinent it makes sense for a 6-5 combination. The problem is that the Powerplay rules have made it important to take wickets, hence why we have liked to have five wicket-taking bowlers. But I think on balance, especially in Sri Lanka, we can get away with using good part-timers to fill in as the fifth bowler.You are 39 but still clearly enjoying your cricket and performing.

I am pretty happy with my form right now. I have been batting well and it was good to get a century in the first game against India. In the other matches I was a bit disappointed to have wasted some good starts, as the team needs me to go on and make big scores. I’m also happy with my fielding and bowling at the moment. On the fitness front I have been working really hard. The older you get, the harder you need to work and I have been doing that, putting in lots of time in the gym and keeping myself in shape.What are your plans for the future, and do you think you can play on to the 2011 World Cup?
The 2011 World Cup is a long way away right now. Yes, it is at the back of my mind, but it depends on form and fitness and it is too early to say. When you get to this stage of your career you need to perform all the time. That’s the reality.

	“The 2011 World Cup is a long way away right now. Yes, it is at the back of my mind, but it depends on form and fitness and it is too early to say”

The recent decision by Mahela Jayawardene to step down from the captaincy after the present Pakistan tour has surprised many around the world. Were you also surprised?
Yes, I was surprised. It was surprising for everyone, I think, because he was doing really well. But it is his personal decision and he felt it was the right time, so you have to accept that. I spoke to him over the telephone from South Africa and he explained that it was something he’d been thinking about for a couple of months. He did a good job and can look back proud of what was achieved during the three years he was in charge – the England tour in 2006, taking us to the final of the 2007 World Cup, being adjudged Captain of the Year, and leading us to the Spirit of Cricket Award in 2007 and 2008. He had his own way of leading the team and I think one of his biggest strengths was that he always had confidence in his players. He always backed the players and led the team calmly, never showing any frustration. He was a good man manager.Who do you think should take over?
Personally, I think Sanga will make an excellent captain. He has the experience after about eight years of international cricket; he has a very good cricketing brain; and he is a sensible guy with the right temperament to be a strong leader. He may have a lot on his plate, also keeping wicket in ODIs, but I don’t see that as a problem for him. He can handle that responsibility easily.What about yourself? There has been some talk of you being considered for the ODI or the Twenty20 captaincy. Would you be interested?
No way! I have done my four years as captain. I enjoyed it a lot and it was an honour to lead the team. But my job now is to contribute to the team as a senior player. I have to keep performing consistently and that is my focus. I will help and support whoever the selectors choose, but I am certainly not interested in captaining any of the teams.The second edition of the Indian Premier League is fast approaching. Are you looking forward to it?
The next priority is Sri Lanka’s one-day series against Zimbabwe, but yes, I am looking forward to this year’s IPL. I really enjoyed being with the Mumbai Indians last season. It was exciting playing in front of huge crowds, and the standard of cricket was very high. We started badly but I was really pleased with the way we bounced back in the second half of the tournament. We are looking to build on that this year. I love the city; it’s full of life, energy and amazing people. I was made to feel a part of Mumbai, and I’m looking forward to going back.The IPL’s critics worry about its impact on Test cricket. What are your thoughts on this?
I don’t see why the IPL or Twenty20 cricket will threaten Test cricket. Test cricket is unique and you can’t touch it. Serious cricket fans and the players will always love Test cricket. I do think, though, that Twenty20 cricket is a competitor for the 50-over format. That’s why we are seeing modifications and innovations being made to this form of the game. That’s good and will help cricket become more popular.Do you believe the IPL needs a window in the Future Tours Programme?
Yes, I think most people accept that now. The IPL is going to be the biggest Twenty20 tournament in the world and it has proven its success. You can’t have windows in the international schedule for all domestic Twenty20 tournaments, but the IPL deserves one when the new FTP is agreed. When there is a window there will be no clashes for players or problems for sponsors or franchises. This will also be a positive for national cricket boards by raising funds through the Champions League. For a country like Sri Lanka, that revenue is very important for the development of the game.

Verity, he of the marvellous length and unerring direction, had one of the most acute brains in the history of the game

Alan Hill10-Oct-2009Seventy years have passed since Hedley Verity played in his last first-class match, against Sussex. The vital fire of a great Yorkshire and England cricketer who warmed others in his flame remains unquenched in the memory. The distinctive calm he displayed in triumph or defeat was once again proudly recalled in commemorative events at Hove in September.The autumn leaves were beginning to fall, as they are now, when Verity wheeled in to bowl, and with his left-arm wizardry took seven wickets for nine runs, the second best analysis of his career in six overs. Amid the congratulations on his performance, Verity observed: “I wonder if I’ll ever bowl here again.” The tentatively expressed premonition that he would never again play first-class cricket reflected the sadness of a generation of sportsmen whose world was to be consumed in the horrors of war.”War was upon us and the guns had started in Poland,” remembered the late George Cox, one of three century-makers in Jim Parks’ benefit game at Hove. “The tension was awful, there was a feeling that we shouldn’t be playing cricket. Yet there was also a festive air. We knew that this was our last time of freedom for many years and so we enjoyed ourselves while we could.”The valour of Verity’s cricket was matched by his heroism as a Green Howards officer. His batman said he was as good a soldier as he was a cricketer. The last words he spoke to his men, as he lay in front of the burning corn of Catania, were: “Keep going.” Like another great slow left-arm bowler, Colin Blythe, who was killed in France during the First World War, Verity was fatally wounded on a night of murderous gunfire on the Sicilian plain in 1943. Both were aged 38. The news of his death in an Italian hospital shocked all who knew him, players and supporters alike. One of his Yorkshire mentors, George Hirst, said: “Anyone who came into contact with Hedley had but one thought: he may be a fine bowler but he is certainly a fine man. I am so glad I knew him so well. I will cherish his memory as long as I live.”

“His whole career exemplified all that was best about cricket”Don Bradman

The principal guest at the Hove ceremonies was Verity’s youngest son, Douglas. His reminiscences of his father rekindled the reverence for a master. “My dad said: ‘The best length is the shortest you can bowl and still get them playing forward’. With slow bowling particularly, you set your field and try to get them driving at you. Then you try to deceive them with flight or a change of pace or spin.”The essence of Verity’s art was a “marvellous control of length” and a direction as “straight as an arrow”, to quote the words of Bill Bowes, a close friend and superb bowling ally in Yorkshire’s championship years in 1930s. As Verity’s England captain, Bob Wyatt witnessed the Yorkshireman’s astonishing triumph and 15 Australian wickets on a memorable June day in 1934. He provided another telling note of appreciation. “One of Hedley’s chief assets,” said Wyatt, “was his ability to make the ball lift on a wet wicket and bounce on a dry one. Batsmen frequently found themselves playing the ball in the air when they thought they had got well over the top of it.”Verity’s “perching ball”, as another contemporary neatly described it, did lead to the downfall of many of his victims. But in a decade dominated by batsmen, with Bradman and Hammond as the gods, it was the ever-present guile and one of the most acute brains in the history of the game that accounted for his tally of 1956 wickets, costing fewer than 15 runs each, and including 144 for England in less than 10 years. His achievements defy superlatives. He took a world-record 17 wickets in a day against Essex at Leyton, and twice took all 10 in an innings, including his best figures – 10 for 10 against Nottinghamshire at Headingley – ever returned in a first-class match.Few could challenge Verity’s record on a bowler’s wicket, but his value was the highest on a batsman’s wicket, where he would bear the heat and burden of the day in a manner that could not be conveyed by figures. His name as a potential menace was linked, in the opinion of many astute judges, to one other only – that of Harold Larwood.The scorecard from the 10-for-10 game. Click for larger•WisdenThe competitive stimulus of bowling against Don Bradman was to become the high point of Verity’s career. He was one of the few not to be overawed by a cricketing genius. He dismissed Bradman 10 times, eight times in 16 Test meetings. Norman Yardley, the former Yorkshire and England captain, commented: “I think the greatest pleasure Hedley got in his whole life was bowling to Bradman. No one who did not watch him closely can realise the time and thought he gave to working out a method of attack that would find a chink in the Australian’s armour.” Bradman’s own memories of the shy, spinning perfectionist glowed as brightly as the steel of Verity’s character. “His whole career exemplified all that was best about cricket,” observed Bradman. “I deem it an honour and a privilege to have been on the same stage as him in those golden days of the 1930s.”Bradman compared his English rival favourably with the great Australian spinner Clarrie Grimmett, who also took his wicket 10 times. “I think I knew all about Clarrie, but with Hedley I was never sure. You see, there was no breaking point with him.”It was on the tour of India in 1933-34 that Verity formed a close friendship with the Gloucestershire batsman Charles Barnett. “I well remember the day we sailed from Tilbury to India,” said Barnett. “It was my first trip from home and I had just parted from my mother. I felt a bit under the weather. Hedley was so understanding. He turned to me and said, “I think a walk along the deck is indicated.'”Barnett never forgot this gesture of solidarity. In 1984, on the 40th anniversary of the Allied invasion of Normandy, he wrote: “During the last few days our thoughts have been concentrated on those who lost their lives in the Hitler War. Naturally mine centred on Hedley and I have realised that he really was a ‘rock’. Nothing seemed to make him flap. He was absolutely reliable. I know of no other on whom could rely whatever the state of the match when the chips were down.”

Sri Lanka’s inexperienced new-ball attack gave India an early scare but Chanaka Welegedara and Dammika Prasad were unable to finish the job

Cricinfo staff16-Nov-2009Less than an hour into the opening session, Chanaka Welegedara had grabbed the attention of those trying to discover merely whether his initials – UWMBCA – expanded into the longest name in cricket. He did so with a terrific spell of swing bowling that, with a little help from Dammika Prasad, reduced India to 32 for 4.The irony was that both Welegedara and Prasad weren’t even expected to play until Nuwan Kulasekara was dropped and Thilan Thushara injured his shoulder after crashing into Kaushal Silva during training on Sunday. Welegedara was asked to put on his whites only five minutes before the toss. It was that sort of day for Sri Lanka: frantic and busy, without a moment’s respite.In contrast to the evening, after India’s Rahul Dravid-inspired fightback, the morning gave Sri Lanka tremendous hope: Welegedara deceived Gautam Gambhir with a delivery that began to shape away before holding its line to hit off stump. A couple of overs later he silenced the Ahmedabad crowd with two massive blows in four deliveries, getting rid of Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar. Welegedara later said Tendulkar’s was the “best” wicket of his life.Prasad darted one in soon after to bowl VVS Laxman and Sri Lanka were a couple of strikes away from exposing India’s tail in the first session. Their fast bowlers couldn’t find a way, though, and India recovered through century stands that Dravid shared with Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni.It was, however, a learning experience for Sri Lanka’s raw pace attack: Prasad had played three Tests while this was Welegedara’s first game in two years. Welegedara could have been groomed into a replacement for Chaminda Vaas but injuries, a recurring technical glitch with his action and inconsistent selection sidelined him after a satisfactory debut against England at Galle in 2007, where he equalled Vaas’ match tally of four wickets.The glitch for this tall and broad-shouldered bowler was his habit of running on the pitch, which annoyed selectors and prompted a visit to the MRF Pace Academy in Chennai, where Dennis Lillee and TA Sekar fine-tuned his action. Welegedara hit speeds of 135kmh during his first spell today and bowled a full length around off stump. He made smart use of the crease and was deceptive with his swing, a trait he learned from his mentor and coach Rumesh Ratnayake, the former Sri Lankan fast bowler. But he overdid it against Dravid and kept feeding the batsman’s strengths.While the incoming delivery had succeeded against Sehwag and Tendulkar, Welegedara used it too frequently against Dravid, who clipped the ball effortlessly off his pads. Dravid took 44 runs off 40 deliveries from Welegedara and was beaten only once, when the fast bowler angled one across.While Welegedara’s last-minute selection was unplanned, Prasad was alerted on the eve of the Test that he would take the new ball. He had performed well on debut against India in Colombo last year, rattling the top order with three wickets in the first innings. Prasad is similar to Peter Siddle – a bowler who tirelessly charges in, maintains a brisk pace, and suddenly surprises the batsman with movement.However Prasad, who was picked ahead of Dilhara Fernando, struggled to find a proper rhythm. Injuries apart his biggest failing is his wavering length, which allows batsmen frequent scoring opportunities. Prasad was up against a master technician today and he bowled a terrific short ball around off stump that Dravid decided to let go. The next ball was fuller and Dravid positioned himself on the middle stump and clipped a fluent boundary on the leg side.”To be fair to them they bowled really well and a couple of the guys got really good balls,” Dravid said after the day’s play. It was a commendable performance from Welegedara and Prasad especially considering the world’s best bowler – Muttiah Muralitharan – was ineffective on a flat pitch.