The Gauteng Cricket Board agreed to smile for the cameras and do exactly what everybody expected them to

Firdose Moonda14-Aug-2009It’s all over because the fat lady sang. Or rather, the fat cats agreed to disagree and smile for the cameras and do exactly what everybody expected them to. Cricket South Africa (CSA) and the Gauteng Cricket Board (GCB) resolved their dispute, the Wanderers was handed back international status, which means that England will play at the ground that CSA president Dr Mtutuzeli Nyoka calls “the Mecca of SA cricket.”What has gone unnoticed is the fine print and CSA’s perfectly executed trade-off. In return for lifting the ban on the Wanderers, the mediation agreement between the parties stipulated that the GCB has to undergo a management makeover and make greater commitments to transformation. The GCB are required to change the representation on its board so that 50% of the members are from previously disadvantaged (black) clubs, and the remaining 50% are from advantaged clubs (traditionally white clubs). Once the new board is in office, a committee of six will be chosen, whose job it will be to specifically address transformation.This way, CSA has smoothed over the issue of the IPL contract and hosting rights with the GCB and the issue of racial bias that threatened to split the GCB from within. In both cases, the parties see the agreement as a step forward. “We were not trying to isolate the issues, be it over the IPL contract, hosting rights or transformation; instead we were trying to tackle the issue of leadership at the GCB as a whole. If you look at the complaints that were being raised against the GCB they covered a range of things, from cricketing issues such as lack of results in the province and also a lack of transformation. We saw the leadership problem as the root cause and this is what we are looking to solve,” Nyoka said.The GCB have accepted the criticism of their management, admitting that they, “had to make some concessions” in brokering the deal. Barry Skjoldhammer, president of the GCB, said “the animosity has been taken out” of the situation and gave every indication the GCB was willing to change the composition of its board. “Our annual general meeting (AGM) was originally scheduled for next Wednesday (August 19) but it has been postponed. Instead we will have a special general meeting on that day, in which we will inform all our members of the changes we intend to make and hopefully within three weeks will have the AGM and elect the new board”.The new board will have to adopt a transformation charter, which Nyoka said CSA will help the GCB to implement. “We have a transformation committee of our own, who are experienced and who know how to deal with the issue and we hope the GCB will make use of them,” Nyoka said. “In fact, if the GCB wants assistance with aligning their new constitution with CSA’s model, we will be happy to provide help.”The GCB and CSA are presenting a united front with the GCB saying they will accept CSA’s assistance and understand that their board needs to be more “inclusive.” The body that brought the complaint of racial discrimination against the GCB, the Concerned Cricket Fraternity, is reacting with a little more concern. While they also lauded the progress made and said they believed their concerns had been addressed. It’s whether or not the transformation charter is implemented that has the Fraternity uneasy.In launching their original complaint, the Fraternity made clear that they had waited over fifteen years for a change in their province, and had tried on numerous occasions in that time to engage in dialogue with the GCB. Hussein Manack, their spokesman, explained that was their reason for calling on higher authorities, such as CSA and the Minister of Sport to intervene in their dispute.

The GCB are unlikely to risk ministerial intervention again and will probably want to stay out of CSA’s naughty kid’s roster for a while. They being so compliant with the governing body of cricket that they don’t even want to see the IPL contract anymore

Even after those authorities have got involved; the Fraternity remains concerned that the commitment to transformation is sustained. Nyoka provided some reassurance. “We will definitely be monitoring the progress of the GCB. It’s not just CSA who will be acting as a watchdog but the local government as well, because they have their own guidelines regarding transformation.”The Fraternity may only be convinced once they see aggressive development. Manack said they want “rapid transformation”. While the GCB and CSA agreements have been made in good faith, they have yet to set clear deadlines and this concerns the fraternity. Manack hoped to see “complete” change in one to three years, which includes development of facilities in disadvantaged areas, such as Soweto, Lenasia and Eldorado Park, and the development of players from those areas.”In the last meeting with the GCB (before the agreement), they presented us with a ten-year plan for transformation and we don’t want to be in that situation again,” Manack said. “While we understand that this time the Minister will be monitoring the process, we don’t want to be going nowhere slowly again.”The GCB are unlikely to risk ministerial intervention again and will probably want to stay out of CSA’s naughty kid’s roster for a while. They are being so compliant with the governing body of cricket that they don’t even want to see the IPL contract anymore. “Our issue is more about hosting rights,” Sjkoldhammer said. Nyoka confirmed that CSA and all the affiliates were working on defining the hosting rights for all grounds.What everyone seems to have realised is what Nyoka plainly states, “South African cricket needs a strong Gauteng, as the richest province and the province with the most players, so we need the problems fixed”. It’s the understanding of a “strong Gauteng” that differs. For CSA and the GCB that means an organisation that doesn’t cause problems but for the fraternity it means something a lot more intricate. It means ensuring players like Johnson Mafa and Sushil Parbhoo are no longer sidelined and are given the same chance as any other white player in the province, it means having the Soweto Cricket Stadium up to international level so that one day England will be able to play a match there and it means not waiting another 15 years for change.

Not Polly, Rusty is South Africa’s new un-hittable death-overs specialist – and lots more besides. Watch out for him at the World Twenty20

Firdose Moonda01-May-2010Lynn Theron is one of the few South Africans who took a day off work to watch an IPL match, and she was probably the only one supporting the Kings XI Punjab. The reason she was backing the wooden spooners – at least in some of their matches – was because her son turned out for them. “When Rusty told me he was going to be in the team, I decided to stay home and watch, since I couldn’t see it live,” she said.This devoted single mother has followed her son’s cricket career since he played in her backyard and tried to dye his red hair black (Juan Theron got his nickname “Rusty” because of the colour of his hair).Lynn said at first she didn’t think he was anything more than a child who enjoyed sport, but then he got a scholarship to Grey High School in Port Elizabeth, renowned for producing cricketers like Graeme and Peter Pollock, Dave Callaghan, Dave Nosworthy, and more recently Johan Botha and Wayne Parnell.Theron was treated like a star in waiting when he entered the century-old school for the first time. The headmaster took him and Lynn on a tour of the place where Theron would spend his next five years. When they got to the main cricket oval, Lynn remembers the headmaster telling her son, “See this field. When you play on this field, that’s when you know you can play cricket.”Fast-forward to a few years later: Theron has played at every first-class venue in South Africa, a few in India, and in a matter of days he will walk out onto turf in the West Indies, where he will represent his country in the World Twenty20.Davy Jacobs, captain of the Warriors, Theron’s domestic side, thinks it’s about time his team-mate received international recognition. “He has been bowling like this since he started playing first-class cricket five years ago and it just took people a while to see it,” Jacobs said. “He is a real modern-era bowler, bowling slower balls, bouncers and yorkers, and he swings it at the beginning. I think he is the one element the South African team are missing.”Theron is the only uncapped player in the South Africa squad, and after his phenomenal domestic season, many see him as a key player in South Africa’s quest for their first ICC trophy in 12 years. He topped the MTN40 bowling charts with 21 wickets at an average of 18.80 and was the fourth-highest wicket-taker in the Pro20 with 11 from eight matches at an average of 19.27.Although his wicket-taking ability was what made him stand out, Theron is quite the Boston Strangler as a death bowler. In the Pro20 semi-final, the Cobras needed eight from the final over. Theron gave a single off the first, had Vernon Philander caught off the second, and ran out Rory Kleinveldt on the fifth to take the Warriors to a three-run win. His domestic performances earned him a lucrative contract with Kings XI in the IPL, and he was in the thick of things in his first match – the closest of the tournament.The Chennai Super Kings looked comfortable at 65 for no loss, chasing 137. Theron’s first over (the sixth of the innings) went for eight runs. In the 13th, he ran out Suresh Raina by kicking the ball on to the stumps, trapped M Vijay leg before for a duck and gave away just three runs. He conceded eight more in his next two. So when the match came down to the Super Over, the only one in the tournament this year, it was Theron Kumar Sangakkara turned to. His ice-cool temperament was on show during those five balls, in the course of which he clean-bowled Matthew Hayden – surely Theron’s moment of the tournament, although team-mates say playing alongside his hero Brett Lee would come close. His disciplined length ensured only nine runs were scored in that over.Further in the tournament, he established himself as the best damage-control bowler to come out of South Africa since Shaun Pollock (with red hair to match); and there’s no doubt that’s the capacity he’ll be used in, in the Caribbean.

“He is a real modern-era bowler, bowling slower balls, bouncers and yorkers, and he swings it at the beginning. I think he is the one element the South African team are missing”Warriors captain Davy Jacobs on Theron

However, Russell Domingo, Theron’s coach at the Warriors, warns against seeing Theron simply as one to tighten the noose. “People mustn’t get the impression that he is only a death bowler. He has always bowled well with the new ball,” Domingo said. “He has a whole range of tricks up his sleeve. For example, he has a very good yorker. He bowls wide of the stumps and angles the ball in. All those other elements of his game must also be used.”Jacobs says Theron can be a “go-to man in all situations”, and that the national side should take advantage of his consistently high confidence.Theron is unwavering in his self-belief, and it’s something the team need to have as well if they hope to shake off the chokers tag once and for all. Domingo says Theron thrives under pressure and won’t crumble because of high expectations. “The more we expect of him, the more we’ll get. That’s the type of guy he is, if he knows people are watching him, he’ll rise to the occasion.”Corrie van Zyl, South Africa’s coach, refuses to elaborate on what he expects from Theron. “It’s good that we know he can handle pressure, and he’s got exceptional cricket awareness. We need to look at a team that can adjust to the conditions we will face at the World Twenty20, especially our bowlers. We have bowlers that can bowl good cutters and good pace and it will vary how we use them,” said van Zyl.While van Zyl stresses on players adapting to the environment, Domingo says Theron should stay focused on doing things as he always has. “He’s a coach’s dream. He prepares well and always gives 100% – that should never change. Obviously, he will need to make little alterations on match day, depending on the situation, but he knows his own abilities very well and he should just use them as he has always done. What will be crucial is to make sure he keeps his feet on the ground and accepts all the challenges that are presented to him.”Remaining humble should not be a problem for Theron, says his mother. “We were watching a domestic match at St Georges Park and a whole bunch of people came up to me and started offering congratulations. I asked them what they were congratulating me on and they said Rusty had got a contract with Cricket South Africa. He was still on the field and didn’t know. After he found out, the first thing he promised was to help me [financially] since it’s always just been the three of us – me, him and his brother.”Since he started playing for the Warriors, I’ve kept all his pictures and articles from newspapers and put them up at work.” Lynn doesn’t say if she’ll take any more days off to watch World Twenty20 matches, but she should have a few more mementoes from that tournament to add to her collection.

South Africa have a 4-4 win-loss record in India, and the key has been their ability to largely keep the Indian batting line-up in check

S Rajesh05-Feb-2010They haven’t had the best off-pitch preparation for the tour of India, but South Africa go into this two-Test series with a genuine chance of regaining the top spot in the ICC Test rankings. A 1-0 win is what they need to topple India, but that’s easier said than done, as no overseas team has achieved a Test series victory in India in more than five years; the last side to do this was Australia, in October 2004, when they triumphed 2-1. Since then, nine times teams have tried, and failed, to defeat India in India. South Africa have been to India twice during this period for Test series, losing 1-0 in 2004 and drawing 1-1 in 2008. (Click here for India’s results in their last ten home series.)India will feel confident of maintaining their No.1 spot – they are coming off wins in their last five Test series, and their last three at home. Against South Africa, though, their record isn’t as impressive – overall, they’ve lost twice as many as they’ve won, and even at home they only have a 4-4 win-loss record.

India v South Africa in Tests

TestsInd wonSA wonDrawnOverall225107In India10442In fact, South Africa’s ratio of one win per loss is the best that any team has managed in India in the last 14 years. Pakistan have the same ratio as well, but the next-best team has only half that ratio: Australia have won four Tests and lost eight during this period.South Africa are also the only team with a higher batting average than bowling average in India during this period – in other words, they’ve scored more runs per wicket than conceded them. Like South Africa, Pakistan have won as many as they’ve lost too, but South Africa’s wins have been more emphatic – of their four victories, two have been by an innings and one by 329 runs. In fact, South Africa are the only side to inflict innings defeats on India in India in the last 15 years. (Click here for a list of India’s home defeats since 1996.)

Overseas teams in India since Jan 1996

TeamTestsWonLostW/L ratioBat aveBowl aveSouth Africa10441.0034.2629.24Pakistan9331.0034.0039.09Australia15480.5031.3736.65England8130.3332.0335.82New Zealand5010.0037.7348.40Sri Lanka9040.0034.2046.93West Indies3020.0024.7643.15Zimbabwe4030.0033.0164.08Many batsmen from outside the subcontinent have struggled to come to terms with the conditions in India, but South Africa’s current lot have dealt with the challenges pretty well. AB de Villiers scored a magnificent double-century when South Africa last toured, while Jacques Kallis has scored a century in each of his last two series in India. Hashim Amla and Graeme Smith average in the mid-40s as well. The only batsman who has struggled is Ashwell Prince. He had a torrid time against Graeme Swann recently in South Africa, getting out to him three times in five balls, and India’s spinners will be licking their lips in anticipation: he has been dismissed four times in India, and each time to a spinner – twice to Harbhajan Singh, once to Virender Sehwag and once to Anil Kumble.

South African batsmen in India

BatsmanTestsRunsAverage100s/ 50sAB de Villiers330476.001/ 0Jacques Kallis755755.702/ 2Hashim Amla433347.571/ 2Graeme Smith540144.550/ 3Mark Boucher518130.160/ 1Ashwell Prince36817.000/ 0The Indian batsmen, on the other hand, have been strangely subdued against South Africa, and even more so at home. Virender Sehwag is an exception with 634 runs in eight innings, which is the highest by an Indian in home Tests against South Africa. Dravid averages marginally less than 40, with only one century in 18 innings, but even that is significantly better than the stats for Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman. Between them, they have played 26 innings without a hundred.

Indian batsmenagainst South Africa, in India and overall

BatsmanHome TestsRunsAverage100s/ 50sOverall ave v SAVirender Sehwag563479.252/ 151.29Gautam Gambhir212943.000/ 143.00Rahul Dravid1062839.251/ 336.51MS Dhoni311428.500/ 127.25Sachin Tendulkar836728.230/ 235.35VVS Laxman826722.250/ 230.33In the only previous Test at this venue – against Australia in November 2008 – offspinners from both teams dominated, with Jason Krezja taking 12 and Harbhajan Singh seven. How South Africa tackle the Harbhajan threat could have a huge bearing on the series: in five home Tests against South Africa he has taken 32 wickets at an average of 25.09.Among the South Africans in the current squad, AB de Villiers has done the best against Harbhajan, using his deft footwork to score 107 runs off him for just one dismissal. Against Prince, though, Harbhajan will fancy his chances: in 92 deliveries Prince has managed only 26 runs, and has been dismissed twice.

Harbhajan v South African batsmen in home Tests

BatsmanRunsBallsDismissalsAverageRuns per overAB de Villiers1071921107.003.34Graeme Smith75188237.502.39Hashim Amla106197335.333.22Jacques Kallis131236432.753.33Ashwell Prince2692213.001.69Dale Steyn was South Africa’s leading bowler on their last tour to India, taking 15 wickets at an excellent average of 20.20, but South Africa will want him to inflict more damage against India’s top-order batsmen this time. In 2008, out Steyn’s 15 wickets, nine were specialist bowlers – he was most successful against Harbhajan, dismissing him four times, while RP Singh fell thrice to him.

Thilan Samaraweera showed what he was truly made of, and his chemistry with Ajantha Mendis at the crease came at a time when things were going horribly wrong

Sidharth Monga at the P Sara Oval06-Aug-2010Get the erasers out and start removing the asterisk against Thilan Samaraweera’s record. Two days ago, his century in difficult conditions was being belittled by critics, who find him boring, a flat-track bully, or a fair-weather batsman, or all of them. He laughed at the suggestion that most of his centuries have come after the top order has scored heavily, and then disagreed.”I have got some hundreds at crucial moments,” Samaraweera had said after his first-innings century. “When the top order has not scored runs, against Pakistan we were 9 for 3 (in Faisalabad), I got a hundred, and against Bangladesh we were 20 for 4. I don’t think I have got (all the) runs when the top order has scored runs. I have scored runs when they were important for the team. But this is a special one because this is a real Test wicket. Your skills are tested here unlike in SSC. I am happy to get a hundred here.”His first-innings century didn’t come in a dire situation. Sri Lanka were 241 for 4 when Samaraweera came in to bat, and then he had a good partnership with Angelo Mathews too. Although not a crisis, it was a time when all could have gone wrong. Samaraweera didn’t let that happen.In the second innings, though, all had gone wrong. Sri Lanka were 87 for 7, leading by 76, the rest of the line-up had combusted, and the word going around was “now we will see what he (Samaraweera) is made of”. When he walked off for a smartly made 83, featuring partnerships of 38 and 118 with Lasith Malinga and Ajantha Mendis respectively, he was greeted by an appreciative crowd.For company during a major part of his effort, Samaraweera had a familiar ally. In Mendis’ last three Test innings, he has had partnerships of 73 (19.3 overs), 35 (13.4 overs), and 118 (38.4 overs) for the ninth wicket with Samaraweera. All against India.Both of them must be doing something right, India must be doing something wrong too. Samaraweera, for starters, has been batting until the end despite the fall of wickets. He is also an under-rated tactician. He reads situations fast. He plays spin superbly, with quick feet and soft hands. He compensates for lack of power with cricketing acumen and graceful strokes.Samaraweera trusts Mendis, who has worked hard on his batting. He also knows which bowlers might trouble Mendis. He is not uniform with farming the strike. In the first innings, for example, he took singles in the first half of the over, except when facing the dangerous-looking Pragyan Ojha. In the second innings, even long after Mendis had started looking like a proper batsman, Samaraweera kept making impromptu decisions of turning down singles. He had the pitch and the bowling sussed out.

Samaraweera trusts Mendis, who has worked hard on his batting. He also knows which bowlers might trouble Mendis. He is not uniform with farming the strike

In between, Samaraweera struck opportunistic boundaries too, using his feet to upset the spinners’ rhythm. He first drove Amit Mishra through the covers, and then charged at Ojha and lofted him over mid-off. At that point the field was spread for him, something he perhaps relished. The late-cut was used for singles and the occasional four. He didn’t shy away from the powerful sweep, a shot he doesn’t normally employ.In the over that Samaraweera reached his fifty, he was at his best. First he swept Virender Sehwag and bisected the gap between deep square and deep midwicket. Then came the paddle sweep, fine enough to take two. Then a punch nicely placed between long-off and sweeper-cover for two. And then, off the last ball of the over, a better placed inside-out drive to let him take three and retain strike.Mendis responded to Samaraweera beautifully. He stayed alert for the calls for singles, he didn’t run away from bouncers, and also played a few smacking shots. For long has he been a thorn in India’s side. Today he did that with the bat. At times MS Dhoni placed three fielders at third man for Mendis, and asked his quicks to bowl bouncers from round the stumps. Mendis still survived. It was his batting that got the crowd involved. His family and his partner were there too. Percy Abeysekara, the famous Sri Lankan cheerleader, wanted to kiss him on the cheek.For the purists who miss proper tailenders who provide funny moments by backing away, playing with eyes closed, Mendis saved the best for until Samaraweera got out. The inside edge, the top edge, the lovely correct straight loft and the awkward defensive shot were all there. All through, he couldn’t stop grinning. India will remember that grin from two years ago.

During this World Cup, watching Pakistan practice fielding drills has been the best, possibly most revealing, part of watching them

Osman Samiuddin in Colombo02-Mar-2011The maxim that fielding is a measure of a side’s togetherness and quality – like many other cricket maxims – has never applied to Pakistan. They have mostly disproven it, winning matches despite dropping catches, turning singles into doubles and doubles into boundaries. Their game has never been geared particularly to percentages, or details; the big and small plan is to win, everything else is left to higher forces.But with the greatest caution it can be said, broadly over the last few months and series, there has been – improvement is too strong a word – a growing lack of errors in the field. They are still capable of putting together the kind of sequence they did against Sri Lanka at the Premadasa on Saturday. But one reason those lapses were noted so extensively was because they haven’t been so common.Setting aside the science of fielding momentarily, the most visible change has been the energy players bring to the field and not only on match days. Pakistan’s fielding sessions during practice, even as recently as last year, used to operate like government offices, meandering along, wrapped in the warm comfort of bureaucracy and lethargy; things will happen when they need to happen, meanwhile how’s the weather?During this World Cup, however, watching Pakistan practice fielding drills has been the best, possibly most revealing, part of watching them. Nothing outlandish or path-breaking is being done. High catches, low catches, recreating match situations, run-out drills; it all happened before. But
the zeal and energy invested into them has been unlike anything this correspondent has seen with them.A number of people have contributed to this, led by Waqar Younis. In his youth, the Pakistan coach was athletic, no more, with a stinging throw. In practice, however, he builds such intensity you can sense how dearly he misses playing the game. The core group of fielders who dominate these
sessions capture the balance of this squad in terms of youth and experience: Ahmed Shehzad, Umar Akmal, Mohammad Hafeez, Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq.Waqar Younis, their coach, is the man behind the change in intensity•AFPThe two eldest – Misbah and Younis – according to a few players are the ones who have really led the way. Both are the best catchers close in and on the boundary. The youngest, Shehzad and Akmal, are the wheels in the field, to keep things ticking over, keep up spirits. They are the ones who
throw themselves around the most in the circle and who make the most noise, who man the boundaries at the death. It is why their batting failures might not always be scrutinized as much as others are; both look every bit the modern-day cricketer in the field as much as someone like Mohammad Yousuf or Saeed Ajmal might not.Waqar knows they have made an impact. “The youngsters have made a big difference, guys like Ahmed Shahzad, Umar Akmal, Asad Shafiq, but also Younis Khan, who is still as energetic as any youngster,” he said. “That makes a big difference, if you have a few guys in the side who push
everyone else to do things in fielding practice and in the middle. Umar and Ahmed you see are running around in matches making sure things are sorted quickly, catching most of the things.”If nothing else, it can be said that this Pakistan side dislike fielding a little less than many previous ones, though we are talking degrees here. Let alone the rest of the world, Pakistan are not the best fielding side in their own backyard. Sri Lanka and Bangladesh long flew past them and even India struggle to generate the sense of total meltdown Pakistan did when Sri Lanka batted on Saturday.”If you go back ten or 20 years, we have come a long way, we have really improved a lot,” Waqar said, an irrelevant scale given how much the game has changed. But “there is still a long way to go, if you look at other sides who are still far ahead of us, like South Africa, Australia, England.”It is not a change of personnel but a change of thinking, which is what is encouraging about the arrival of players such as the younger Akmal, Shehzad and Shafiq; it suggests that below the national team, change may be brewing.”The culture needs to come where they understand that fielding is the most important part,” Waqar said. “They love their batting, you go into the nets, they’re still hitting the ball around. In bowling, they are doing their job, but when it comes to fielding the culture is not there yet. We’re getting there but there is still a long way to go.”

Ricky Ponting doesn’t think Australia bowing out of the World Cup marks the end of an era, but it’s impossible to come to any other conclusion

Brydon Coverdale25-Mar-2011Ricky Ponting doesn’t think Australia bowing out of the World Cup marks the end of an era, but it’s impossible to come to any other conclusion. For more than a decade, Australia have owned all sorts of silverware, Cricket Australia’s headquarters in Melbourne more a trophy cabinet than an office. Now, the last of those major prizes is finding a new home after 12 years in Australian hands.Over the past six months, Ponting’s men have lost the Ashes and the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, or to be more accurate, they have failed to regain them. Those crowns were already gone. They are clinging on to the Champions Trophy, but there’s every chance the ICC will soon scrap that event entirely. In any case, it is a trinket compared to the World Cup.Losing the World Cup for the first time since 1996 will hurt tremendously, but winning three in a row should be celebrated. No country has ever matched that feat in the FIFA World Cup. Since Steve Waugh’s men began the dynasty in 1999, the football title has changed hands four times: from France to Brazil, then Italy and now Spain. Winning one world tournament is exceedingly difficult, let alone three in succession.That is little consolation to this 2011 Australian squad, roughly half of whom didn’t experience any of those earlier successes. Times change, and to be beaten by an India side that was better than Australia is no disgrace. Ponting’s team entered the tournament with the No.1 ODI ranking – for now, they still hold that position – but were far from being the favourites.There were factors beyond their control that contributed to their lack of success. Their two frontline spinners, Nathan Hauritz and Xavier Doherty, were unavailable due to injuries, as were fast bowlers like Clint McKay and Ryan Harris, who could have added variety. Two weeks in the middle of the tournament without a match, when their clash with Sri Lanka was washed out, didn’t help either.But ultimately, Australia just weren’t good enough. Four teams will reach the semi-finals, and will deserve to be there. Australia did not play well enough to join them. That is not to say that the powers that be should blindly accept that nothing can be done. Moving on and making hard decisions will allow regrowth and rejuvenation.The natural time for change is at the end of an unsuccessful World Cup cycle, on the heels of a disappointing Ashes cycle. As Ian Chappell told ESPNcricinfo in his analysis after the loss to India, Australia must look to a new captain to guide a new team. They have a chance to begin that process with next month’s one-day tour of Bangladesh.The selectors will be loath to make any major changes, including to the leadership, before the review of Australia’s on-field performance is completed around August. After the Ashes debacle, they have their own jobs to worry about without rocking the boat further. Why pre-empt the review, they will ask. But it would be wise to use the Bangladesh trip to look at some new faces, men who might become key players for Australia over the next few years.There are no shortage of options – Aaron Finch, Daniel Christian, Steve O’Keefe, Luke Butterworth, James Pattinson, James Faulkner, to name but a few. And by the next World Cup, Michael Clarke will be the likely captain, so if the selectors are brave enough, it wouldn’t hurt to give him the one-day leadership now and allow him four years to mould a side.Veterans like Brett Lee, who was impressive at the World Cup but wants to go on and aim for 400 ODI wickets, should consider what is best for the team. Can they contribute to the next era of Australian one-day cricket? And if not, is it right to take up a place that could go to a younger man?”It’s a bit premature to say it was the end of an era for Australian cricket, it was a pretty good game tonight,” Ponting said after the loss in Ahmedabad. “I didn’t think we were far away from winning a game against a very good Indian team on their home soil. I thought we were very competitive tonight, we’ve lost our last two games in the World Cup, I’m disappointed with that. I thought we were a better team than we probably showed in the last few games. I think it’s a bit too early to say it’s the end of an era.”But if not now, when?

ESPNcricinfo presents the Plays of the Day from the World Cup, Group B match between India and West Indies in Chennai

Sharda Ugra at the MA Chidambaram Stadium20-Mar-2011The departure of the day
He was welcomed; it was awaited and it took all of four minutes to snuff it all out. Sachin Tendulkar’s nick off a Ravi Rampaul beauty was met with a shake off the head by umpire Steve Davis and the ultimate compliment from the batsman, who turned on his heel and walked off to deafening silence. Okay, it’s not the World Cup semi-final but remember, the UDRS is minus the snickometer; and this on a day when Ricky Ponting
admitted he doesn’t walk.Clumsy captain of the day
As if dropping Yuvraj Singh once is not enough, Darren Sammy did it twice within seven balls. If a salmon-like leap at point was not enough to give Andre Russell a wicket with Yuvraj on 9, Sammy had another chance off his own bowling, in his very first over, as a leading edge shot past him. Yuvraj was on 13, and despite cramps and dehydration, he wouldn’t leave for another 100 runs.The non-review
In the fourth over of the West Indian innings, there was a rare World Cup occurrence: a direct hit from an India fielder. That should have caught umpire Simon Taufel’s attention. Yet no amount of muted appealing by the fielder Virat Kohli, or his colleagues Zaheer Khan and Munaf Patel led Taufel to ask for upstairs assistance. Turns out Kirk Edwards, who had scored seven at the time, had actually been caught short. He was out three overs later, but in a tournament where reviews have been aplenty, surely Taufel couldn’t have thought going to the third umpire for a close run-out decision would be a waste of time.The debut
The first time India opened the bowling with a spinner, in this World Cup, R Ashwin’s parsimonious first-over was greeted with applause, cheers and approving whistles. In his fourth over, there came the wicket. Was that the sound of the door slowly creaking shut against Piyush Chawla?The choke
It began with a maiden; the 28th over of the West Indian innings put the brakes on a chase that was rolling along smoothly, as opener Devon Smith and Ramnaresh Sarwan built a partnership. Harbhajan Singh bowled a maiden to Sarwan, and the unravelling began. Over the course of the next ten overs, West Indies scored 22 runs and lost five wickets.Tipping point of the day
At 154 for 2, West Indies were going at a bossa nova tempo, with opener Devon Smith holding together three partnerships that took the men in maroon to a position from where they needed 115 off just under 20 overs. Then Zaheer Khan returned for his second spell, in reverse gear, and stopped Smith’s composed innings short. Pollard fell in the next over and the West Indian sand-castle began crumbling.

Ever since a groin injury he picked up in May 2010, Wayne Parnell has battled the tide, but his stint with Pune Warriors has given him game time and allowed him to express himself

Firdose Moonda18-May-2011At the start of the 19th over of the game between Pune Warriors and Delhi Daredevils on April 17, with 21 runs to defend, Yuvraj Singh gave Wayne Parnell the ball. A few moments and a consultation or two later, Yuvraj took the ball away and decided to bowl himself. Parnell walked back into the outfield with a crushed look on his face that summed up his last year: always a fight, seldom a victory.Ever since he picked up a groin injury in May 2010, Parnell has battled to be the same bowler who looked set to become the third prong of South Africa’s pace battery. He got precious little game time to prove that he was still capable. The IPL has finally provided him with that opportunity.”I haven’t lost my ability,” Parnell told ESPNcricinfo. “I may have lost confidence in my ability but I am on track.” His eight wickets for 186 in seven matches leave him low in the list of leading wicket-takers, but being on a list is not the most important thing for Parnell at this stage. Having enough game time to rediscover his form is what matters most.Parnell has only played eight ODIs since October last year, despite having been part of the South African set-up in that time. He travelled with the team for the series against Pakistan in November last year and played once. He was in the starting XI in three of the five matches against India in the South African summer, but lacked rhythm and penetration. He was picked for only one game in the World Cup.”There were times during practice sessions when I felt really good, but bowling is very different to batting,” he said, indicating that the nets can’t really be a barometer for improvement. “Game time is much more valuable than bowling in the nets, so the importance of playing is vital.” Parnell worked extensively with South Africa’s assistant coach, Vincent Barnes, but had to wait until the IPL for that crucial game time.Playing in the tournament itself is significant for the 21-year-old, who had to pull out of the 2010 edition before he got a game. He was signed up by Delhi Daredevils for $650,000 that year, and fetched $160,000 in the 2011 auction. Parnell didn’t get the opportunity to play with his hero Ashish Nehra at Delhi but he has been able to share the stage with Yuvraj, Sourav Ganguly and Jesse Ryder at Pune. The team, which incidentally has the same name as Parnell’s home franchise, the Warriors, has provided him with the environment to develop.

“You have to be realistic; it’s only a game and even the Tendulkars score ducks, the Steyns go for runs and the de Villiers’ drop catches”Wayne Parnell

“It has been awesome being part of a new franchise and everyone at Pune has been so supportive,” Parnell said. “Our philosophy isn’t to win at all costs. Its (freedom). We keep in mind the enjoyment factor because happy teams perform better under pressure.”Things did not go Pune’s way that day against Delhi, or in the weeks that followed when they endured a seven-match losing streak. For Parnell, though, things have got better and he has been tasked with bowling at the death a few times since then, which he says comes naturally to him. “I think it [bowling at the death] started in my junior days because nobody else wanted to do it,” he said. “It’s the greatest challenge to test yourself against because the margin of error is so small and you are often bowling to guys who hit the ball 100 metres-plus. I definitely see myself doing that for the Proteas going forward.”The death-bowling role is also one that requires a certain maturity, as Lasith Malinga and Zaheer Khan will testify. Parnell is some years behind on the experience front, but is well on his way to maturing. His injury played some part in that coming of age. “What I have realised after my injury is that every game is completely different and your 5 for 30 in the last game means nothing in the next. Also, you have to be realistic; it’s only a game and even the Tendulkars score ducks, the Steyns go for runs and the de Villiers drop catches.”Parnell knows there will be a fair few trying days to come, and maybe a few more occasions when he will have the ball taken out of his hand by his captain. But he feels he will be able to handle times like that with the wisdom of experience. Thanks to the IPL and a stint at Sussex, that experience will have grown by the time the next South African season arrives. So far in his career, Parnell hasn’t been through a full domestic season of cricket. His chance could come this winter.

Before he picked cricket as a career, Jeff Thomson’s heart belonged to another sport – one he still keeps in touch with

Interview by Jason Dasey29-May-2011Thomson: an attacking midfielder before he turned into an assaulting bowler•Getty ImagesGrowing up as a teenager in Sydney, how much were you into soccer?
I was into football basically since I could walk. We were on the outskirts of Sydney in those days, in Bankstown. It was a very strong football area. There were a lot of good sportsmen out there. A fair few of the players who went into the Australian side would come from those areas.What kind of player were you?
I was a No. 6. I could kick with either foot. One thing I could do was throw in for miles, and I could run all day. I was a guy who tackled hard, and I could also play as a striker. I would hang back a little bit behind the centre forward as an attacking midfielder. I just liked chasing the ball around.There’s a story about you getting your hands on the jerseys of Manchester United when they toured Australia in 1968. How did that come about?
A bit of luck that was. I just came across them. The club I played for, the Melita Eagles, was in the Sydney league. It bought the jerseys from them. Somehow or other, they ended up at my place. The whole lot of them! It was just luck.How did you end up choosing between cricket and football?
It was quite funny because honestly, I love football more than cricket. We used to train and play football every day of the week. We’d either be in the backyard or down at the park with all my mates. These were all good players. We’d play together all the time. I don’t know why I chose cricket. I guess I was on the up-and-up and cricket started to kick in. It was quite funny: I was getting more money to play football than I was for cricket. Cricket I had to pay for! Even then, playing for Australia, I only got A$200. I was getting A$400 at Melita Eagles for wins in football.You ended up getting a life ban from football in New South Wales.
It was a bit unlucky. This referee jumped at my hand. []. He just hit my hand with his face.Out of your Australian team-mates, who else was into soccer? How about your former fast-bowling partner, Dennis Lillee?
No, he was an unco [uncoordinated]. He never played anything like that. None of the guys, probably, in the team back then [liked soccer]. They were generally Australian Rules players, the guys from interstate. The guys I grew up with, like Rale Rasic [former Socceroos coach] and Ray Richards [ex-Socceroo], they are all mates of mine. They’re a bit older than me. Where were you when Australia qualified for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, ending an absence of 32 years from the tournament?
I can’t remember where I was. I was away from Australia at the time. But, yes, it was fantastic, really good. The thing that really annoyed me was how we got dudded against Italy. I reckon if we got through that game, we might have won the whole bloody Cup. And I think that they didn’t want us to do that. The big boys didn’t want Australia to win it. You count some famous ex-footballers from the UK as your best friends. How did that happen?
I go to the UK a lot. I used to stay at this health farm called Champneys. These guys used to stay there as well. They’re all mad golfers, so we hooked up together. People like [the late] Georgie Best and guys who played for England. George Best was at a health farm?
He was! He was drying out. No one else was drinking, bar us. George Best, Vinnie Jones, Mick Harford, Andy King, there’s a whole list of them that goes on and on. We all play golf together every year. Which football teams around the world do you support?
Obviously at home in the A League, I support the Brisbane Roar and all the Queensland teams. In England I’m sort of general. I used to like Arsenal when blokes like Charlie George played. But I’m not so much a huge Arsenal fan now. They do have a lot of skilled players, but they need some tough men in there to make it a bit easier for their fancy players. Teams like Liverpool I’ve always enjoyed. I’m not a big Man United fan but you’ve got to take your hat off to them because every year, in and out, they’re always up there, no matter what. Even if they lose good players, they’re always there or thereabouts. Comparing Jeff Thomson, the teenage soccer lover, to Jeff Thomson, the 60-year-old cricket legend – how have you changed?
I don’t think I’ve changed. I just call a spade a spade. I’m always a bit outspoken. But I believe you should always stand up for what you think. Not enough people do that these days. I’m still the same. I’ll have a beer with anybody, as you would know. I just enjoy life because it’s not that long you’re here. When you start getting older, you realise that you haven’t got long left; I better get out there and enjoy myself.

For now, Ricky Ponting and Brad Haddin have earned themselves a reprieve. But their margins remain slim and they cannot afford to slip back into their slumps

Brydon Coverdale in Johannesburg22-Nov-2011Three Australians entered the Johannesburg Test with their credits running out. Over 16 years in the side, Ricky Ponting had built up a significant portfolio of blue-chip innings. His value was high but for nearly two years, his yields had plummeted. Brad Haddin’s stocks had also taken a dive. After their match-winning half-centuries in Johannesburg, both men flew back to Australia having at least bought themselves time.Ponting and Haddin are now both expected for the first Test of the home summer, against New Zealand at the Gabba starting on December 1. The situation is not so clear for Mitchell Johnson, who also played a key role with the bat in Australia’s chase of 310, the highest fourth-innings total to win a Wanderers Test, but whose primary worth in Australia’s team should be with the ball.Australia’s new selection panel – John Inverarity, Rod Marsh, Andy Bichel, the coach Mickey Arthur and the captain Michael Clarke – will meet in Brisbane during this week’s Australia A game for their first meeting as a group. Their initial task will be to choose a squad for the New Zealand series, and matters are clouded by injuries to three key players: Shane Watson, Shaun Marsh and Ryan Harris.Ponting scored 62 and Haddin made 55 in the win at the Wanderers. Their contributions were critical. But the Man of the Match was the 18-year-old debutant Pat Cummins, who stunned viewers all around the world with his seven wickets and by scoring the match-winning runs. His maturity was incredible.Combined with Marsh’s hundred on debut in Sri Lanka, it has highlighted that some of the untried talent that is out there in Australian cricket could be the spark the team needs. Cummins certainly was in Johannesburg. Ben Cutting, James Pattinson, Matthew Wade, David Warner – there are other untested young players around the country just waiting for that same opportunity.But after the win, Clarke was effusive about the performance of the under-pressure players, especially Ponting. While the runs were not coming for Ponting earlier in the series – his 62 was his first Test half-century since the opening match of the Ashes last year – he had been working hard in the nets to help other players, giving throwdowns to the young batsmen and offering words of advice, and Clarke said that influence was vital.”I hope they proved themselves once again to you guys and to the people that do doubt them, they don’t need to prove anything to anybody in that change-room and they certainly don’t need to prove anything to me,” Clarke said. “Ricky, 39 Test hundreds and the best batting statistics apart from Bradman as an Australian player, if that doesn’t prove something, I don’t know what does.”[He has a good] work ethic, what he gives to the team off the field. I’ve made it clear that Ricky Ponting has been a large part of the last bit of success we’ve had in Sri Lanka and here and I’d love to see that continue. I’d love to see him making runs no doubt, like all of us [would], but he’s been a great contributor to the team on and off the field.”Haddin was under severe pressure as well, particularly after his two poor shots to get out during the debacle in Cape Town. His glovework was also slammed by Ian Healy last week and, significantly, the Victoria wicketkeeper Matthew Wade – who at 23 is 11 years Haddin’s junior – has been piling up runs in the domestic competitions this summer as well as last.The scrutiny on Haddin won’t disappear completely, particularly if Wade continues to score heavily and if Tim Paine makes a strong return from injury. But his 55 at the Wanderers, which featured some wonderful drives down the ground and through the off side, was exactly what Australia needed in a tricky situation.”Brad Haddin has been under pressure no doubt,” Clarke said. “I think he’s been a bit disappointed himself with his batting results but he feels like he’s keeping okay. Again today [day five at the Wanderers, he showed] true character, a lot of courage to be able to play his way. He could have gone into his shell and batted for his career, but he backed himself and played his way. Not too many guys can do that, the one guy who can is Adam Gilchrist and he’s the greatest keeper I’ve played with, Hadds isn’t far behind.”Johnson also backed himself with the bat, but series figures of 3 for 255 were not good enough. He changed his run-up halfway through the Johannesburg Test, a sign that he was not happy with the way he was bowling, and although he did improve against the South African tailenders, he was completely overshadowed by Cummins.The Australians are also waiting on Johnson’s fitness after he injured his foot during his innings of 40 not out; he hobbled through for his runs after hurting himself taking off for a single. Whether fit or not, Johnson is now the member of the side in the most danger of being dropped for the Gabba, after taking 35 wickets at 45.71 in the past 18 months.”He’s one of the hardest tryers you’ll ever see,” Clarke said of Johnson. “Yes, he needs wickets, no doubt, and he’s not hiding behind that fact, but if he continues to bowl like he bowled in this Test match and he continues to keep the same attitude in regards to trying to get better, he’ll keep having success. Everybody goes through it, I’d like to make 100 every time I bat but it’s just not the game.”Johnson might have the backing of his captain, but it remains to be seen what value the rest of the selectors place on him. For now, Ponting and Haddin have bought themselves a reprieve. But it was only one innings. Their margins remain slim, and the selectors would be wise to keep their options open.