The Reverse Sweep

Sachin Tendulkar's 99.94

It was going to take something pretty special to wake this lapsed blogger from his slumber. KP's childish spat with his team mates and the ECB? Not a chance. England winning a Test series in India? No way. An Ashes series in England? Close but no cigar. The retirement of the Little Master? You bet it does. Rip van Winkle has arisen (as I Am the Resurrection by The Stone Roses blasts out of my hibernation cave).

In pure Rafa Benitez style - except with no rants required - here are some facts we'd like to celebrate about the remarkable career of Sachin Tendulkar:

• Longevity: An international career of 25 years is a staggering achievement and one that aptly apes the player with a similar sobriquet as Tendulkar: Sir Jack Hobbs - The Master.  
• Records: Where do you start? 200 Test matches, 463 ODIs, just shy of 16,000 Test runs with 51 hundreds and close to 18,500 ODI runs with 49 tons. Wherever you look, the numbers are extraordinary.
• Sachin's 99.94: Incredible as it may seem, the Little Master's record number of Test hundreds is vulnerable with Jacques Kallis just seven three-figure scores behind and a certain Alastair Cook positioning himself well. But, Tendulkar's record of 49 ODI hundreds brokers no such threats. The closest challengers still playing (Chris Gayle with 21 and Virat Kohli with 17) are simply miles behind. This is Sachin's 99.94.
• Dignity:  Rarely can someone be so good at what they do that not even a smidgen of arrogance or cockiness is detectable. That fact that Tendulkar has been and will continue to be deified by 1bn countrymen makes his modesty all the more remarkable.

But is he cricket's best ever batsman? At the risk of being declared a heretic, this writer thinks not. Don Bradman wrote an indelible claim to that title when he retired with that average of 99.94 to his name. You need to add a batsman of the class of Clive Lloyd's Test average to that of Sachin's final score of 53.78 to reach the Don.

Whilst you can't compare eras that still brokers no argument in our book. Better to celebrate Tendulkar's career as the remarkable one it was rather than making claims that are impossible to substantiate.

Sachin has been amazing and I for one have enjoyed watching him grow from boy to man over his remarkable tenure of a quarter of a century as King of India. Cheers Sachin. 

Where next?

Sachin Tendulkar & Jack Hobbs: Masters with much in common

The 30 Greatest Batsmen Ever: Part 1 (30-21), Part 2 (20-11), Part 3 (10-1)

Check out all our Reverse Sweep cricket heroes and zeroes

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1st Test: England vs West Indies - West Indies marks out of 10

Adrian Barath - 6: Got starts in both innings and played a series of attractive strokes, but needs to convert. Would clearly benefit from having a more experienced opening partner alongside him. Yes, we are talking about you Chris Gayle.

Kieran Powell - 3: Beaten by an Anderson inswinger on the first morning and suckered into hitting a short one down deep square leg's throat second time around. He may have scored a hundred against the Lions, but he looks more of a number five or six to us.

Kirk Edwards - 2: Came into the game with an average of 50, but only made a solitary run here playing a poor stroke to be caught in front on the first morning and then being run out for a duck second time around. Not the only Edwards to have a poor Test.

Darren Bravo - 5: A comedy of errors saw him run out by Chanderpaul in the first dig, send Edwards back to be run out in the second innings and then shoulder arms to be bowled by Swann's arm ball. A shame, because he looked good in both innings.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul - 9: Is he selfish or selfless? Whatever the answer, he is damn near impossible to get out. Held the batting together in both innings and whilst he didn't get the hundred he deserved, he did inspire his colleagues to an impressive fightback, which for a brief moment looked to have given the West Indians a chance of a stunning victory.

Marlon Samuels - 7: We had a bit of a go at him after his 1st innings dismissal, but perhaps imbued by getting Pietersen's wicket his 2nd innings 86 was a mighty impressive knock until he was undone by Broad and the new ball. Can he kick on from this impressive performance though?

Dinesh Ramdin - 6: Looks a much better batsman than Carlton Baugh and he hung around long enough in the 2nd innings to help set England a testing target. No major mistakes with the gloves.

Darren Sammy - 6: Combined some wonderful strokes in his 2nd innings 37 with shots that would make a schoolboy number eleven blush. His bowling is more steady and far less spectacular. Deserves credit for instilling more steel and camaradie in his charges.

Kemar Roach - 7: Fast and hostile spells late on day four and first thing on day five threatened briefly to give his side the opportunity for an historic win. Needs to be more consistent, bowl fewer no-balls (a whopping 18 in the match) and work on his economy - he went at over 4.3 runs per over in both innings.

Fidel Edwards - 4: Didn't look fully fit and was nowhere near his best with just the solitary wicket of Broad to show for his efforts. Roach needed better support.

Shannon Gabriel - 6: A promising debut - getting Bell, Prior and Pietersen in your first Test is not a bad way to start.

Where next?

1st Test: England vs West Indies - England marks out of 10

Shivnarine Chanderpaul: Selfish or selfless?

West Indies' Shakespearean Farce

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West Indies' Shakespearean Farce

The sight of the West Indies tourists being shot out for just 147 by England's second string attack at Northampton yesterday sadly came as no real surprise.

This tour has smacked of a Shakespearean farce from the start. Thanks to a combination of the sheer ineptitude of the WICB and greed on behalf of a number of players prioritising the IPL, the 15 man Test squad was already short of the likes of Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo, Ramnaresh Sarwan (left to languish in County Cricket with Leicestershire) and spin sensation Sunil Narine, who the board inexplicably forgot to give a contract to.

Then the squad that was picked couldn't even arrive together. Marlon Samuels seemed to have trouble in locating an airport in India, whilst Narsingh Deonarine and Assad Fudadin - who was probably as surprised as we were at his call-up - were delayed by visa problems. Why, they sought help from Yorkshire in how to negotiate UK Customs, we'll never know.

The first game with Sussex was washed out with only 34 overs bowled meaning that the game in progress with the Lions is their only preparation before the 1st Test starts at Lord's next Thursday. That's the same amount of game-time in English conditions as Kevin Pietersen, whose body may be in England but whose heart would appear to still be in India.

For all the talk of a revival under Otis Gibson and Darren Sammy, West Indies have only won two of their last 30 Tests - and one of those was against Bangladesh. Their recent record in England is poor, with the last win coming at Edgbaston in 2000, after which Nasser Hussain's England bounced back to win the series 3-1. Since then they have lost 12 out of 14 Tests in England, and those defeats were achieved with markedly better sides than the one that will take the field at Lord's next Thursday.

Whilst the bowling attack is reasonable enough, the batting is entirely dependent on Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Darren Bravo. Chanderpaul fought a lone role in the recent series with Australia, and has a good record against England, but surely he needs to take on more responsibility and bat higher up the order? Otherwise, he can expect to come to the wicket on a regular basis at not much for three.

As we said at the start of this piece, this tour has the look of a farce about it and if the weather holds out, one can only see a resounding 3-0 win for England. For someone that watched in awe the fearsome West Indies sides of 1984 and 1988, that is more than farcical; it is tragic. Shakespeare wrote a few of those as well.

Where next?

West Indies' losing battle with the IPL

Who should bat at six for England?

They also played cricket - an XI of illustriously named Cricketers (featuring William Shakspeare)

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West Indies' losing battle with the IPL

The Test series currently going on in the Carribbean between West Indies and Australia has been as intriguing as it has been attritional.

Australia are still a work in progress, but they have managed to forge a 1-0 lead with one Test to play in part to their renowned never say die attitude, but also due to Michael Clarke's attacking captaincy and Darren Sammy's side for their habit of having a poor session when ahead or level in the game.

But as Clarke acknowledged last week, his hosts have been severely weakened by several West Indian players putting a domestic league in India over the chance to beat Australia in a home Test series.

This is the topic of our column for All Out Cricket this week, and before we get accused of heresy it is not intended to be a dig at the IPL. Read West Indies v IPL: Cricket's Crucial Contest and let us know what you think.

Where next?

It's not jealously KP, it's pure and simple indifference

Cricket Heroes: Darren Sammy

The redemption of Michael Clarke

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Is Chris Gayle about to return to the West Indies fold?

If the reports today on Cricinfo are to be believed then it seems the impasse between Chris Gayle and the WICB is about to be resolved and the T20 gun for hire could appear in the maroon cap again soon.

Let’s hope both parties leave their egos at home and can come to an accommodation because each needs the other. The West Indian side clearly needs Gayle at the top of the order in all forms of the game to add some power and experience to what is a burgeoning but woefully inexperienced side.

And Gayle needs the West Indies. There is only so much money and pointless domestic T20 competitions that even a lover of bling such as Gayle can take. He scored a triple century in the last Test series in which he played and averages around 40 in both Test and ODIs. Add in the fact that he is the best T20 batsman around and there is a World T20 in only six months time, then it is easy to see how a mutual settlement benefits both parties.

A return to the fold is perhaps the most fitting way for Gayle to pay tribute to the recently departed Runako Morton.

Where next?

Chris Gayle may be cool, but we're not sure even he can carry this look off...

Daren Ganga & the future of the West Indies cricket team

Top 20 Cricket Blogs: 14 - WICB Exposé / @wicbexpose

Check out all our Reverse Sweep cricket heroes and zeroes

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So Sri Lanka are not like Jesse Ryder after all

Imagine an inebriated Jesse Ryder at the top of a steep hill. Now factor in that the hill is actually a mountain covered in treacherous icy snow and Ryder has somehow managed to strap himself onto a snowboard covered in grease.

The result would be both messy and inevitable as an out of control Ryder came hurtling down the hill faster than Chris Gayle jumping aboard the latest T20 gravy train.

A few months ago we wrote that Sri Lanka's cricket team were travelling downhill just as quickly as Ryder in his insobriety. Thankfully - Sri Lanka are our second favourite team (aren't they everyone's second team?) - our suggestion of their demise has proved to be greatly exaggerated.

Irrespective of whether they win the deciding final in Adelaide on Thursday, Sri Lanka have looked the best side in the CB Series. Sure they started slowly, and yes they allowed an adrenalin charged Virat Kohli to lead India to a target of 320 in less than 36 overs, but they still look a better all round one day side than number one ranked Australia and World Cup holders India.

The top four have all scored runs. Tillakaratne Dilshan unencumbered by the captaincy looks like the man who has averaged around 46 since moving up to open in 2009. Kumar Sangakkara is as serene as ever and Mahela Jayawardene has been clearly energised by his restoration as captain. Finally, Dinesh Chandimal looks a batsman that Sri Lanka can build a new generation on.

Add in the brilliance of the now injured Angelo Mathews and a deceptively varied bowling attack led by Lasith Malinga who has been sublime one day and ridiculous the next in this series and Sri Lanka look a damn fine one day side.

Memories of a disappointing tour of England last summer, which formed a prelude to a chastening home defeat by Australia and finishing second best to Pakistan in all formats in the UAE have dissipated slightly.

They may have only won one Test since the retirement of Murali, but it seems that they are gathering momentum at just the right time before England visit Sri Lankan shores in the coming weeks. They also look a decent bet to win the Asia Cup.

All in all and unlike Ryder, Sri Lanka no longer look like they are going to end up in a disorientated heap at the bottom of the hill in the near future.

Where next?

Virat Kohli's very very special innings

Beware Brad Haddin; John Inverarity & the NSP are coming to get you

Thilan Samaraweera takes aim at the Sri Lankan selectors

Sri Lankan cricket heroes: Aravinda de Silva, Sanath Jayasuriya, Muttiah Muralitharan

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Sir Charles Colville and other cricket unthinkables

He may not have played in the first match of the series yesterday, but Alastair Cook's very presence in the England T20 squad would have been unthinkable just a few short months ago.

This prompted us to look into our crystal ball for our latest piece for All Out Cricket's jolly good website to see what other big cricket stories that may seem wholly implausible now but which may become unlikely reality during the remainder of 2012.

To read what the likes of Chris Gayle, Lalit Modi, Jonathan Trott and our old friend Charles Colville could be getting up to read The Year That Won't Happen (or will it?).

Where next?

Cricket Zeroes: Charles Colville

Are the BCCI about to solve its biggest 'problem'?

BREAKING: Bob Willis attacked; Jonathan Trott arrested

Chris Gayle may be cool, but we're not sure even he can carry this look off...

Check out all our Reverse Sweep cricket heroes and zeroes

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David Warner blasts a 69-ball hundred as euthanasia becomes a serious option for India

Four of the seven quickest hundreds in Test history have come at the WACA (or should it now be renamed the Whacker?) – three of these have been scored by opening batsmen and indeed are the three quickest hundreds ever scored by openers in Test history.

We were too young to have seen the first of the three scored by Roy Fredericks against a fearsome Australian attack including Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson, but would recommend reading this wonderful recollection by The Guardian’s Andy Bull of a remarkably courageous innings from the batsman they called Kid Cement.

Fredericks reached his hundred in 71 balls, a feat bettered by one ball by Chris Gayle (see number six) in 2009 (in the days before he became a full-time T20 mercenary) in an innings that Nathan Hauritz in particular still probably hasn’t recovered from the spanking administered to him.

So onto today. India must have been feeling pretty dispirited having been blasted out for just 161 in a series that they are already 2-0 down in. But nothing could have prepared them for the slaughter that David Warner had in store for them.

Whilst all the Indian bowlers are probably organising one-way tickets (are there any other?) to Switzerland for an appointment with Dignitas after a shocking performance, nothing should be taken away from Warner’s gun-slinging performance.

He didn’t give a chance, carted all of the four-man Indian pace attack around the park, smashed Vinay Kumar’s fourth ball in Test cricket back over his head for six and reached his hundred in the most appropriate fashion by hitting another monstrous six off the same unfortunate debutant, whose retirement from Test cricket probably cannot come soon enough.

As a result Warner beat Gayle’s mark by one ball to join Shivnarine Chanderpaul (who must have left his pet crab at home on that particular day) as the joint fourth fastest century maker in Test history.

In his first five Tests Warner has now become only the sixth batsmen ever to carry his bat in the fourth innings of a Test as well as scoring the quickest hundred ever by an opener in Test history, which makes our initial assessment that Warner wouldn’t cut the mustard in the long form of the game look pretty foolish.

But not as foolish as an Indian side who have now let Australia rack up 771/1 since reducing them to 37/3 in Sydney with partnerships of 288, 334* and now 149*. Duncan Fletcher who has lost his last 11 overseas Tests as coach of England and now India is staring down the barrel once again.

Where next?

India: Tigers at home; pussies away

It's surreal: Kieron Pollard fires a first ODI hundred; David Warner cracks a maiden Test ton

The David Warner Experiment

Read our Cricket Review of 2011

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Dear Santa... - What have these cricketers requested for Christmas?

It's that time of year again and like the rest of us, the cricket fraternity have been compiling their list of requests for Santa.

Here's what some of them may have asked for this Christmas: 

Daniel Vettori - Protection. With 2011 having seen a number of dictators leaving this mortal coil, along with President Assad of Syria, Dictator Dan is one of only a handful left

Phillip Hughes - It's not exactly been a good year for poor old Phil, so his list to Santa is bulging with wishes such as a request to rescind his decision to opt out of BBL now that he has lost his Test place, a book of the best Worcester hosteleries ahead of his stint with the county and for Chris Martin and Martin Guptill to be sent on a one-way mission to Mars

Ricky Ponting - A time machine so he can relive past glories

Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir - A DVD of The Great Escape and a tunnel making kit

Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard - Lucrative contracts in the new Twenty 20 leagues in Outer Mongolia, Belarus and the Falkland Islands

Stuart Law - A one way ticket from Dhaka to Brisbane

Ijaz Butt - World War III 

Kevin Pietersen and Andy Flower - A bottle of paraffin, some matches and a lorry full of Graeme Swann's autobiography

Jonathan Trott - A Bob Willis voodoo doll

Jesse Ryder, Jacques Kallis and Graeme Smith - A KFC bargain bucket per day for life

Shane Warne - Some humility

Kamran Akmal - A new pair of gloves made of industrial strength velcro coupled with a small accident for brother Adnan

Darren Sammy - Catching lessons from Kamran Akmal

Sachin Tendulkar - Something about a 100th hundred. Not quite sure what that is all about

Shane Watson and Zaheer Khan - New bodies in time for the Boxing Day Test.

Where next?

Chasing Sachin by Adam Carroll-Smith | Book Review

Jack Hobbs by Leo McKinstry | Book review

Check out some of our Cricket XIs: They also played cricket, Rugger Buggers, Cricketing Criminals , A team of cricketers that died young, The Worst Australia Ashes XI of the last 30 years, The Worst England Ashes XI of the last 30 years

Check out all our Reverse Sweep cricket heroes and zeroes 

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Daren Ganga & the future of the West Indies cricket team

 
There's an interesting (if rather long) interview over on Cricinfo with Daren Ganga, skipper of Trinidad & Tobago in which he talks about the possible future demise of the West Indies cricket side.

Whilst Ganga clearly has an axe to grind with the selectors and the WICB in general, it is rather worrying how candid he is about the the likelihood of Trinidad & Tobago and other island nations breaking away and going it alone.

Ganga has built an impressive reputation as an astute leader - something so lacking within the current West Indies side and the upper echelons of the WICB - so his views carry more weight than most.

He talks a lot of sense about striking a balance between the player power being lobbied for by WIPA and the dictatorial stance of the WICB. Indeed, one wonders if he had been negotiating with the board on behalf of Chris Gayle whether the current impasse would have been reached.

Ganga also seems credible when he talks about the potential of the separate island nations going it alone in international cricket, pointing to the success of the Jamaican sprint team and his own islands reaching the football World Cup in 2006 (funnily enough he didn't mention the Jamaican bobsleight team made famous in Cool Runnings).

As a child of the seventies and eighties, it is inconceivable that the West Indies cricket team could disappear. Not just because they were a formidable side (Viv Richards and Malcolm Marshall are the best batsman and fast bowler respectively that we've seen play the game), but also because of the pride, desire, unity and strong leadership they had.

Unfortunately, it seems that the current crop of players don't take the same pride in wearing the maroon cap - can anyone imagine Richards foregoing the chance to play for the West Indies in favour of playing in some spurious T20 league for the likes of the Baghdad Bandits?

No, thought not. Whilst there is talent in the ranks, there is as much disunity, lack of pride and poor leadership inside and outside the team.

So it may be that Ganga's prophecy may come to pass. That will be a sad, sad day for cricket lovers everywhere.

Where next?

Our all-time West Indies XI to celebrate the release of 'Fire in Babylon'

Chris Gayle may be cool, but we're not sure even he can carry this look off...

Fire in Babylon - relive the glory years of West Indies cricket & weep at its current parlous state

Time for a coup d'etat at the WICB over Chris Gayle cock-up

Chris Gayle slams the WICB after being compared to a drugs lord

Top 20 Cricket Blogs: 14 - WICB Exposé / @wicbexpose

Check out all our Reverse Sweep cricket heroes and zeroes

If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

The Politics of Cricket

Our latest column on All Out Cricket was inspired in part by Kumar Sangakkara's almost Churchillian MCC Spirit of Cricket Lecture where he railed against the "partisan cronies" that have afflicted the Sri Lankan Cricket Board since the glorious World Cup triumph of 1996.

Sadly, the Sri Lankans are not the only ones to suffer from incapable, unqualified and sometimes corrupt administrators - just ask Chris Gayle.

Indeed, ineptness is rife across the globe with the politics of cricket making an episode of The Thick of It seem like the Magic Roundabout in comparison.

Read 'The Thick of It' here and let us know what you think.

Where next?

Kumar Sangakkara's captivating story of cricket in Sri Lanka

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Read all our County Cricket coverage

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Chris Gayle slams the WICB after being compared to a drugs lord

 
This really is a terribly sad time for West Indies cricket.

Whilst the current side managed to scrape a draw from the rain affected Barbados Test against India most of the attention was focused on off-field events concerning its ostracised former captain.

Chris Gayle’s public statement makes pretty shocking reading and if even half of the things he is saying are true then it would seem that the WICB are doing a pretty good of making the PCB appear competent. Ijaz Butt clearly has strong competition from WICB CEO Ernest Hilaire in the crazed cricket dictator stakes.

Gayle’s words prompted us to visit once again the excellent WICB Exposé blog (the very fact that such a site exists is proof enough of the inability of the WICB to perform its function) to once again view the video where WICB member Sir Hilary Beckles likens Gayle to notorious alleged Jamaican criminal and alleged drug dealer Christopher "Dudus" Coke.

Put it this way, this is not the Don that a top batsman would want to be compared to.

 

Gayle has clearly been badly treated although he cannot claim to be entirely innocent. His late arrival from the IPL for the Test series in England in 2009 was not the responsible behaviour becoming of a captain and his subsequent comments about the captaincy and Test cricket were ill-advised.

Indeed, it is revealing that Gayle’s statement mentions that both Clive Lloyd and Joel Garner voted against his retention as captain for the tour of Australia late in 2009. Lloyd in particular should know a good captain when he sees one – a truly great one looks back at him every morning in the shaving mirror.

But irrespective of his captaincy credentials, Gayle’s performance on that tour where his contrasting hundreds at Adelaide and Perth were the highlights of the series ably demonstrated how much he cared about playing for the West Indies. They also showed that he is by far the best West Indian batsman playing the game today - only Shivnarine Chanderpaul comes close.

That his talent and presence now appears lost to a team that so desperately needs it is dreadfully sad and a damning indictment of those running the game in the Caribbean.

Where next?

Chris Gayle may be cool, but we're not sure even he can carry this look off...

Fire in Babylon - relive the glory years of West Indies cricket & weep at its current parlous state

Time for a coup d'etat at the WICB over Chris Gayle cock-up

Twenty 20: Two pumps and a squirt and it's all over

Hitting 300 in a test match isn't as impressive as it used to be

Graduates from the Sehwag School for Batting announced

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Chris Gayle may be cool, but we're not sure even he can carry this look off...

 
We've suggested before that Chris Gayle could well be the coolest bloke on the planet, but we're not sure even he can carry this particular ensemble off.

The afro looks great, the yellow-rimmed sunglasses less so. But it is the lime green shirt with matching shorts (and cup) that beggars belief.

Still given his recent trouble with the WICB, perhaps Gayle was trying to look inconspicuous when he took his place in the crowd at Sabina Park to take-in the West Indies-India 1st Test.

Clearly no-one was going to spot him in this outfit.

Where next?

Rahul Dravid - India's man for a crisis

Fire in Babylon - relive the glory years of West Indies cricket & weep at its current parlous state

Time for a coup d'etat at the WICB over Chris Gayle cock-up

Twenty 20: Two pumps and a squirt and it's all over

Hitting 300 in a test match isn't as impressive as it used to be

Check out all our Reverse Sweep cricket heroes and zeroes

If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

Fire in Babylon - relive the glory years of West Indies cricket & weep at its current parlous state

We’re pretty excited at the prospect of watching the ‘Fire in Babylon’ film (see trailer below) about the legendary West Indian side of the 1970's and 80's here at The Reverse Sweep.

It will certainly be a trip down memory lane to see the likes of Holding, Garner, Marshall and Richards in full flow and putting the jeepers up opposition batsmen and bowlers once again.

In our view that West Indies team is the greatest cricket side of them all – better than Bradman’s Invincibles, better than the England side that toured Australia in 1928/29, and better than Steve Waugh’s formidable Australian unit of 1999-2003.

And we don’t think we are looking through rose tinted spectacles either. Between 1980 and 1995 (yes, we know the film covers 1974-84 only), the West Indies played 29 Test series, winning 20, drawing 9 and losing none. To dominate for that long without losing a single rubber is not only phenomenal, it is unparalleled.

 

That makes all the sadder still the state that West Indies cricket finds itself in today. Their best batsman and premier all-rounder prefer to play the IPL to a home Test series with Pakistan. The team is in a lowly position in the rankings (and has been for some time) having not won a Test for 18 matches. And perhaps worst of all the WICB is in such a disgraceful and parlous state that it makes Ijaz Butt’s PCB look like a well-run organisation.

Whilst talented youngsters like Devendra Bishoo, Andre Russell, Adrian Barath and Darren Bravo suggest that there may be some light at what has been an extremely long tunnel; hopes cannot be high for the future of West Indian cricket.

So the prospect of watching ‘Fire in Babylon’ is an even more enticing and nostalgic prospect than it otherwise would be.

Where next?

Cricket heroes: Malcolm Marshall

Cricket heroes: Viv Richards

Cricket heroes: Michael Holding

Time for a coup d'etat at the WICB over Chris Gayle cock-up

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Time for a coup d'etat at the WICB over Chris Gayle cock-up

 
Judging by the pitiful batting performances from the West Indies in the first two ODIs with Pakistan, it would seem that they are missing Chris Gayle more than he is missing them.

Such is the scarcity of talent in West Indies cricket that the WICB can ill-afford an undignified slanging match with its best batsman and former captain.

Gayle really rubbed salt into the wound by scoring a blistering 55 ball hundred in his first match for Bangalore having just arrived by plane from the Caribbean – it would seem that Gayle is far too cool for jet lag.

The IPL versus international cricket conundrum could easily be solved by inserting a window for the IPL into the international schedule, and whilst we certainly have no love of the IPL here at The Reverse Sweep, this does appear to be the most sensible thing to do.

But until it does cricket boards like the WICB would be well advised to apply a more intelligent approach to its best players.

For example, the WICB could have publicly suggested to Gayle that they would allow him to miss the ODI series with Pakistan to play in the IPL, providing that he committed to participate in the Test series that follows.

Faced with the probable uproar that a refusal of this compromise would likely have provoked, Gayle would doubtless have complied.

As it is, the WICB is now faced with the very real prospect of a long-drawn out stand-off with its best batsman and possibly his premature retirement from international cricket. If even half of what Gayle says about the lack of communication from the WICB is true, then the WICB has made yet another colossal cock-up.

Whilst Gayle is not entirely innocent in this sorry tale, it is the WICB who should take most of the blame for the way they have completely mishandled the situation. Sadly, the lunatics took over that particular asylum a long, long time ago.

It takes a lot to make the PCB appear competent, but the continued ineptitude of the WICB is doing just that.

A coup d’etat at the WICB is long overdue. Now is the time to hand over the reins of power to the likes of Sir Viv Richards, Michael Holding and Clive Lloyd.

Like Obi-Wan Kenobi was for Princess Leia, that really is West Indian cricket’s only hope.

Where next?

The IPL? No thanks...

Cricket Heroes: Chris Gayle

An all-time West Indies Test XI

Check out all our Cricket heroes and zeroes

An XI of unlikely World Cup heroes and a not so heroic 12th man

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The IPL? No thanks...

 
We haven’t really paid any attention to the IPL this season at The Reverse Sweep.

After a six week tournament of coloured clothing, blanket advertising and Mr Cliche himself Ravi Shastri, the last thing we wanted was more of the same.

And to tell the truth, we don’t care much for the Twenty 20 format of the game – two pumps and a squirt and it’s all over.

So watching a bunch of mercenaries play a bewildering number of matches for teams franchises we frankly couldn’t give a damn for is not high on our to do list.

We did take a passing interest in the IPL last year and even adopted a team - Delhi Daredevils – the intoxicating mix of Sehwag and Collingwood proving irresistible.

But that was mainly down to the fact that the World T20 immediately followed last season’s IPL. So it was worth tuning in to see how the England players were shaping up.

To tell the truth, most of the action passed us by and by week two of the tournament we had lost interest.

Don’t get us wrong, if we were Indian and in our teens or early twenties, we’d probably love the IPL especially if our home city was one of the franchises taking part.

And one cannot argue against the popularity of the IPL.

We’ve just got back from Kenya, where all the matches were shown live in the hotel bar. You'd think after their shambolic performance in the World Cup, the last thing that Kenyans would want to watch is cricket.

Against our better judgement we decided to tune in to the conclusion of the Kochi-Kolkata match.

Other than the garish outfits – Kochi’s orange and purple number really is something to behold – we’ve already forgotten what happened – Kochi may have won and they may have not.

So, whilst the IPL may be the biggest thing in world domestic cricket and more important to Chris Gayle than playing for the West Indies, we much prefer our pipe, slippers and a large dose of county cricket. 

Where next?

County Championship XI of the week (#2 2011)

What next for Lalit Modi?

Check out all our Cricket heroes and zeroes

If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

World Cup Team Previews: West Indies - Calypso or Collapso?

 
On paper at least, the winners of the first two World Cup tournaments should have no problem negotiating the group stages of this year’s competition. But West Indies supporters have become accustomed to disappointment and will be approaching this World Cup with trepidation especially as the match with Bangladesh looks like an effective knockout encounter. On their day, the boys from the Caribbean can beat anyone especially if Chris Gayle fires, but ignominious exit at the group stages would hardly be a major surprise.

Strengths

There is depth and firepower in the batting with the likes of Gayle, Sarwan, Chanderpaul, Barath and the Bravo brothers. If Pollard can finally transfer his IPL form to the international stage then West Indies could go into orbit. Benn is a canny spinner and conditions should suit him, whilst Roach is an immensely promising fast bowler.

Weaknesses

In a word, inconsistency. This team can be champs one day and chumps the next. The bowling looks lacking in depth and batting collapses seem to occur all too frequently.

Main man

If he is in the mood, Chris Gayle - the coolest dude in cricket – can flay any attack.

Look out for…

The antics of Sulieman Benn, whether it is getting into heated rows with opposing batsmen or umpires, or even refusing to bowl around the wicket, watching him on the field is unmissable. Captain Darren Sammy’s musings on Twitter are also worth a gambit.

Prediction

The game with Bangladesh looks like the mother of all banana skins and whilst they could give England a run for their money, we predict a first round exit for Sammy’s band of merry men.

Where next?

World Cup Team previews: Part 1 - India: Glory or effigies?

World Cup Team Previews: Part 2 - South Africa: Don't mention the 'C' word...

World Cup Team Previews: Part 3 - Bangladesh: Shock & Awe

Our XI to shine at the World Cup

Heroes: Chris Gayle, Darren Sammy, Malcolm Marshall and Michael Holding

Check out all our other Reverse Sweep heroes and zeroes 

If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

XIs: An XI to watch closely in the World Cup

 
We’re not particularly excited at the prospect of the World Cup. It is far too long and the initial group stage of 42 matches could easily be shortened to play-offs between Bangladesh-West Indies and New Zealand-Zimbabwe in order to produce the eight quarter-finalists.

Notwithstanding our gripes about the length and format of the tournament however, we are looking forward to seeing if England can complete a memorable 12 months by adding the World Cup to the Ashes and World T20 triumphs.

Furthermore, we are looking forward to seeing how a number of players perform on the big stage. Here’s XI of them:

Hashim Amla

Sachin’s legions of devotees will doubtless disagree, but is there a better ODI batsman in the world than the bearded wonder at the moment? An average of 75 in 2010 with five ODI hundreds, a phenomenal career ODI average of a touch under 60 and his love of the sub-continent all make Amla our bet to be the tournament’s leading run scorer.

Tamim Iqbal

The left-handed Sehwag is the key to Bangladesh springing a surprise and getting to the last eight. It will likely come down to a straight fight with the West Indies and a blitzkrieg shootout between Tamim and Chris Gayle. Now that will be worth watching.

Ricky Ponting

A last hurrah or a fourth successive World Cup and the third as captain? The Ashes series was like a Shakespearean tragedy for Ponting, so it will be fascinating to see how the World Cup plays out for one of the all-time greats.

Kumar Sangakkara

Along with India, Sri Lanka have to be the favourites to win the tournament and if that happens King Kumar is likely to be omnipresent with his elegant batting, sharp work behind the stumps, shrewd captaincy and eloquent words. As cool as a cucumber.

Virat Kohli

Despite not yet playing Tests, Kohli is far and away the most impressive of the young Indian batsmen jostling for position to eventually replace the likes of Dravid, Tendulkar and Laxman. He has taken to ODI cricket like a duck to water and scored more ODI runs (995) than anyone in 2010 with the exception of Amla.

Shahid Afridi

After his belated confirmation as captain, Afridi will be even keener to improve his dreadful World Cup record of 11 with the bat and 40 with the ball. The captaincy hasn’t dimmed the explosive batting of the man with three of the top six fastest centuries in ODI history. Whether he and Pakistan fly or flop, one thing is for sure - it won’t be boring.

Yusuf Pathan

The final piece in the jigsaw for India? After continually disappointing in an Indian shirt, Pathan has suddenly transformed himself into potentially the most devastating hitter in limited overs cricket. Recent hundreds against New Zealand and South Africa demonstrated what he could do – expect more of the same during the World Cup.

Graeme Swann

His absence from the England side in all but the first of the recent seven match series with Australia showed how vital he is to England’s hopes. The pitches down under may have been deliberately prepared to nullify Swann’s threat but that certainly won’t be the case on the sub-continent. Swann loves the big stage, and in pyjama cricket at least there is none bigger than this. England’s chances rest on how he performs.

Lasith Malinga

If Sri Lanka is to repeat its success of 1996, they will need Malinga to fire and stay fit. Expect plenty of timber to fly when he is around and the ball to swing, whether it is old or new. And just how do you play that yorker?

Dale Steyn

The best bowler in the world bar none. Steyn doesn’t worry about containment and will attack relentlessly, and as he showed in Nagpur last year he can be deadly on the sub-continent.

Ray Price

The romantic in us would opt for Murali in his last international tournament, but we really like Price. He may be a spinner, but he has the attitude, stares and choice words of a fearsome fast bowler. Think Merv Hughes without the tash. And he is a decent bowler too who could help his side to a surprise place in the last eight at the expense of the hapless Black Caps.

Where next?

Yusuf Pathan goes from zero to nine on the Richter Scale

10 reasons to love Graeme Swann

Graduates from the Sehwag School for Batting announced

Exclusive: The New Ten Point Pakistan Player Code of Conduct

An XI of cricketers that died young

Check out all our Reverse Sweep heroes and zeroes featuring amongst others Sachin Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh, David Gower, David Lloyd and Charles Colville 

If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

Twenty 20: Two pumps and a squirt and it's all over

 
God has been rather good to us recently. As a long-suffering England fan who had endured 24 years of hurt, the last six weeks or so have been manna from heaven.

And the cherry on top of the cake has been the South Africa-India Test series, which although we didn’t see enough of - due to the aforementioned Ashes, was compulsive viewing when we did. Watching those Three Masters – Steyn, Tendulkar and Kallis – at work in Cape Town was particularly satisfying.

So, as we said God has been rather good to us.

However, it only took the day after the night before for things to change dramatically. We were already reconciling ourselves to a diet of ODI cricket in the run-up to the over-hyped and over-long World Cup in six weeks – and incidentally why are Australia and England playing a SEVEN ODI series again?

But much worse was to come when we realised that the day after England had secured a 3-1 Ashes series victory in Sydney (and yes, we are going to continue to gloat and glorify about that for some time to come), was the obscenity that is the IPL Auction.

We gave the IPL a go last year and even picked an IPL team to support, but the whole spectacle of mediocre cricket, blanket advertising, dreadful television coverage and endless matches left us cold. And this year there’s not even Lalit Modi to make things interesting.

By now you may have deduced that we are not big fans of Twenty 20 at the Reverse Sweep. If Test cricket is like a long passionate relationship with gymnastic sex and one-day cricket is like a series of one night stands – some memorable but most eminently forgettable, then Twenty 20 takes you back to the dreadful sex you had as a spotty teenager. Two unsatisfying pumps and a squirt and it’s all over.

We endured the World T20 last year – but that probably had something to do with England winning the thing, and we’ve been known to watch the occasional match from the English domestic T20 competition, but in truth we don’t regard T20 as proper cricket at the Reverse Sweep.

So whilst this site won’t  be a completely IPL free zone this year, it’s safe to say that for the most part we’ll be concentrating on the longer and more satisfying form of the game.

Now where did we leave our zimmer-frame?

Where next?

The A-Z of IPL 3: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

Read our Ashes 2010/11 coverage

Check out all our Reverse Sweep heroes and zeroes 

Follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

Hitting 300 in a test match isn't as impressive as it used to be

 
Whilst the Reverse Sweeps sends hearty congratulations to Chris Gayle for hitting his second test score of 300+ against Sri Lanka last week and for consequently joining an exclusive club with only three other members - Bradman, Lara and Sehwag, who have scored two test triple hundreds, we believe the achievement is somewhat diminished in the modern era.

The fact that three members of this club have achieved their feats in the last 20 years points to conditions being more conducive to batsmen today then at any time in cricket history. Indeed 13 of the 24 test triple hundreds made since the first ever test match in 1877 - see list here - have been made since 1990 and nine since 2000.

That is pretty staggering. 11 in 113 years and 13 in the 20 years since. Even when you factor in the increased frequency of test matches since 1990 that is a pretty damning statistic. It could have been worse too. AB De Villiers probably would have become the 25th on Sunday if Graeme Smith hadn't declared with De Villiers unbeaten on 278.

Is it not now time for the ICC and cricket authorities worldwide to start levelling up the balance again between bat and ball?

Where next?

All-time West Indies XI

10 reasons why Don Bradman is the greatest of them all