The West Indies Players' Boycott

By all accounts, the West Indies Cricket Board has completely mishandled the situation, and over-estimated the need for cricketers to represent the West Indies in international cricket. The basic fact of the matter is that professionals need to be paid in accordance with a contract that is acceptable to both parties. In the absence of such an agreement, it is not practical for the employer (in this case, the WIBC) to expect its employees (the players) to actually serve the contract's terms. Especially when alternatives such as English county cricket and the IPL exist as far more lucrative and less demanding options. The WIBC has managed to delay the inevitable by fielding a second-string lineup against Bangladesh, and threatens to use the same players for the ICC Champions Trophy. Jimmy Adams thinks this is placebo, and eventually, even these youngsters will realize that not all is well with their employment situation, bringing all involved back to square one. He's right. The WIBC has to step up and get their act together, and the sooner, the better.

Saurav Ganguly In Cricket Administration

On the face of it, Dada looking to enter the CAB is a good move for the game. As a proven leader of men with an understanding of the game and the people who play it, he brings a unique perspective to administration, which has been mired in ennui thanks to self-serving politicians and businessmen treating it as a personal fiefdom. And yet, cricket administration is a political game, an arena where one must constantly jockey for power and watch one's back lest a rival steal your leverage. Ganguly is no stranger to this game; as captain, he has had to play it to ensure that his team was cast in the mould he desired. In the office, though, his play will have to be different. The straight bat will rarely lead to runs, and the balls will always be short and aimed at the ribs. Once he learns to play that game, he will have to discard the straight bat in order to survive. And that will mean that he will be little different than those who came before. Power corrupts, as they say, and Ganguly is a man who has already walked that slippery slope for a long, long time.

The Ashes Are Here; Can We Burn Them Again?

It is a series that has little going for it except nostalgia. The ECB dispensed with tradition and chased the money, so that excuse is gone. England hasn't been a relevant Test side for over a decade, with 2005 being a blip in that sorry record. Australia has conquered everything there is, except for the same 2005 blot. And yet, in Cardiff, these two teams drew a Test match. Australia, the masters of the kill, failed to administer the coup de grace after dominating an English side that didn't seem too interested in playing five full days. This begs the question: why does anybody care about this series? When it isn't hopelessly one-sided, it is irredeemably mediocre. The English sports media, God bless them, are a bunch of slavering dogs after a washed-up bone. They're welcome to it - just leave the rest of us alone.

Is It Really Good To Have Pakistan Playing Cricket Again?

After watching them play Sri Lanka, I'm not so sure. The T20 World Cup win should have been a sign of resurgence, but all the Pakistanis have done is fritter away any modicum of respect it might have won them. The team has gone about this Test series against a very accomplished Sri Lankan team with all the discipline of a schizophrenic who has lost his medication. By showing up under-prepared both mentally and technically, they have made a mockery of the game, and Younis Khan's excuses about a young team are eyewash. This is a middle order in which all the batsmen from three to seven have close to ten years of Test experience. It's about time they started to play like it. If we wanted a club side, we'd rather have the Lahore Badshahs playing Test cricket.

Read More 1 Comment | Posted by Sumant Srivathsan | Links to this post |