The Reverse Sweep

Cricket memories of 2011: MS Dhoni wins the World Cup with a six

In truth the World Cup was a mostly disappointing and overlong affair, but the final itself proved a memorable one.

In front of a fanatical home Mumbai crowd and fresh from beating bitter rivals Pakistan and holders Australia in the semi and quarter finals respectively, the whole of India was confident of victory.

However, a brilliant hundred from Mahela Jayawardene took Sri Lanka to 274 and when Lasith Malinga struck early to remove Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tedulkar, it all looked to be going wrong.

But after Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli had steadied the ship, captain MS Dhoni arrived to apply the coup de grace.

From a personal viewpoint his World Cup had been a disappointment, but despite being in woeful form with the bat he promoted himself above man of the tournament Yuvraj Singh to take the challenge of of a tight run-chase head on.

And as he has so often before and since, Dhoni timed the chase to absolute perfection and finished the match in the best way possible with a glorious straight six off Nuwan Kulasekara. Cue thunderous celebrations and immortality.

Where next?

Mahendra Singh Dhoni - A born leader

Mahendra Singh Dhoni is the King of Cool

The renaissance of Yuvraj Singh

Read all our 2011 World Cup posts here

Our best XI of the 2011 World Cup

Check out all our Reverse Sweep cricket heroes and zeroes 

If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

England v India: India series marks out of 10

Gautam Gambhir – 2 (102 runs at 17.00): Missed Trent Bridge because of injury and suffered concussion when making a complete mess of holding on to a skier from KP at The Oval. In between his batting against the short ball bordered on the shambolic making a mockery of a Test average of over 50.

Virender Sehwag – 2 (41 runs at 10.25): Was rushed back from his shoulder operation prematurely and bagged a king pair at Edgbaston. His brief second innings cameo at The Oval couldn’t hide the fact that he looked unfit and completely disinterested. 

Abinhav Mukund – 3 (64 runs at 16.00): Stood in for Sehwag in the first two Tests and looked a decent prospect when compiling 49 at Lord’s. Needs to work on his technique against the short ball and would be well advised to book into a masterclass from Dravid.

Rahul Dravid – 9 (461 runs at 76.83): Magnificent. Foisted into an openers role he despises from where he scored two brilliant hundreds – including becoming only the third Indian to carry his bat in the first innings at The Oval. Added a third hundred from his customary role as first drop at Lord’s and scored 23% of India’s runs in the series – it would have been even more but for a couple of dodgy umpiring decisions. Looked a better keeper than his captain when Dhoni had a bowl at Lord’s.

Sachin Tendulkar – 6 (273 runs at 34.12): Has the Little Master ever looked so uncomfortable on a cricket field? England’s pacemen bowled brilliantly to him and it wasn’t until the final day of the series that we saw close to the real Tendulkar. That 100th hundred eluded him, but don’t be surprised to see the milestone reached in the forthcoming ODI series.

VVS Laxman – 4 (182 runs at 22.75): A huge disappointment. Got a few starts and reached 50 twice but was unable to go on each time. Threw his wicket away a couple of times after he’d played himself in (most shockingly in the first innings at Edgbaston) and was castled twice by a couple of Anderson jaffas.

Suresh Raina – 2 (105 runs at 13.12, 4 wickets at 62.75): Apart from a battling 78 at Lord’s, Raina scored just 27 runs in his other seven innings and concluded the series with a tortuous pair at The Oval that spanned 42 excruciating balls. Everyone knew before the series that he would struggle against the short ball, but the reality was even worse. At least looked like he was trying in the field.

Yuvraj Singh – 4 (70 runs at 35.00, 1 wicket at 52.00): Played just the one match at Trent Bridge and rode some early good fortune to hit an impressive 62 in the first innings before becoming another victim of the short ball in the second. Injury ruled him out of the rest of the series thereafter.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni – 3 (220 runs at 31.42, 13 catches): His previously impressive record of not losing a series as captain was shattered. Disappointed with the bat – two defiant fifties at Edgbaston apart, looked like an amateur with the gloves and made several strange bowling changes and field placings.

Harbhajan Singh – 1 (2 wickets at 143.50, 58 runs at 14.50): Disastrous. Took only two wickets in the series and went at over four runs per over and was then promptly injured at Trent Bridge.

Amit Mishra – 4 (3 wickets at 106.66, 153 runs at 38.25): Looked more of a batsman than a bowler especially at The Oval where he featured in India’s highest partnership of the series with Tendulkar. His bowling lacked variety and thought, and like Harbhajan went at around four runs per over.

Praveen Kumar – 7 (15 wickets at 29.53, 110 runs at 18.33): Consistently impressed with the ball, threw himself around in the field and enjoyed himself with the bat – he hit the most sixes on either side. The only Indian bowler who can hold his head up high – what he lacks in pace he more than makes up for with know-how.

Ishant Sharma – 4 (11 wickets at 58.18, 24 runs at 4.00): Frustratingly inconsistent with the ball – his spell on the fourth morning at Lord’s was sensational and nearly turned the match India’s way. But a series bowling average approaching 60 and a strike rate of a wicket every 95 balls tells a pretty woeful story.

Sreesanth – 3 (8 wickets at 61.62, 18 runs at 4.50): Mr four ball disappointed after bursting into the series on the first day at Trent Bridge where he helped reduce England to 124 for eight. Down on pace and lacking the fire of the 2007 model.

Zaheer Khan – 4 (2 wickets at 9.00): For half of the first day at the series it looked like Zaheer was set to repeat his decisive role from 2007 snaring both openers and causing Trott and Pietersen no end of problems. Then after 13.3 overs it was all over and so as it turned out were India’s hopes.

RP Singh – 1 (0 wickets for 118 runs, 25 runs at 12.50): Atrocious. Came in for the injured Kumar at The Oval and extended his run without a Test wicket to 71 overs and 367 runs, put in a comical display in the field and left a bemused Munaf Patel (who unlike Singh had been named in the original squad) looking on from the sidelines wondering what he had done wrong.

Where next?

England v India: England series marks out of 10

4th Test: The Oval - England marks out of 10

3rd Test: Edgbaston - India marks out of 10

3rd Test: Edgbaston - England marks out of 10

2nd Test: Trent Bridge - India marks out of 10

2nd Test: Trent Bridge - England marks out of 10

1st Test: Lord's - England marks out of 10

1st Test: Lord's - India marks out of 10

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Read all our County Cricket coverage

Check out all our Reverse Sweep cricket heroes and zeroes

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2nd Test: Trent Bridge - India marks out of 10

Abinhav Mukund - 2: Lucky to escape a king pair and all at sea against the short ball as evidenced by his dismissal in the 2nd innings. The return of Virender Sehwag can't come quick enough for India.

Rahul Dravid - 9: His second successive hundred had put India in the driving seat before Broad's passable Ian Botham impersonation. Early dismissal in the 2nd innings made England unstoppable.

VVS Laxman - 7: Another unconverted fifty from the stylish Laxman before he was cleaned up by a pearler from Anderson second time around.

Sachin Tendulkar - 6: Dreadful shot to be dismissed in the 1st innings but looked in sublime form as India collapsed in the second innings. Still looking for that elusive 100th hundred.

Suresh Raina - 2: After his battling performance at Lord's, Raina really struggled against the short ball. Maybe that explained his soft dismissal in the 1st innings?

Yuvraj Singh - 6: Made the most of an early drop to form what looked like being a decisive partnership with Dravid before being the first victim of Broad's hat-trick. Another to fall to the short-ball in the 2nd innings.

MS Dhoni - 2: Full marks for his wonderful sporting gesture to recall Bell to the crease, but it couldn't hide some sloppy keeping, woeful captaincy and dreadful form with the bat.

Harbhajan Singh - 3: Another Test to forget for Harbhajan, who appears to be a fading force - even if injury didn't help. Lusty hitting in the 2nd innings delayed England's triumph by a few overs.

Praveen Kumar - 7: The pick of India's bowlers again and fully deserved his seven wickets. Has remarkable control of the ball, which more than compensates for his lack of pace.

Ishant Sharma - 6: Impressive in helpful conditions on day one, but less so in the 2nd innings when he went at nearly 4.5 runs per over.

Sreesanth - 6: Like Sharma, bowled well on day one and was rewarded with three wickets. Went at over five runs per over in the second though.

Where next?

2nd Test: Trent Bridge - England marks out of 10

1st Test: Lord's - England marks out of 10

1st Test: Lord's - India marks out of 10

The rehabilitation of Stuart Broad

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Read all our County Cricket coverage

Check out all our Reverse Sweep cricket heroes and zeroes

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England v India: 1st Test, Lord's - Preview

With all due respect to South Africa, this series is the real clash of the titans to see who is the best current Test side. England have won five series on the bounce and India are yet to lose a Test rubber under the leadership of MS Dhoni – so something has to give.

England and India are notoriously slow starters, so staging the 1st Test of the series on a Lord’s featherbed may suit both teams as they begin to feel each other out. However, with India having had so little time to prepare on these shores, England may come to regret not staging this Test at Trent Bridge or Old Trafford.

Intriguing is the word that comes most to mind when assessing this match. Firstly, it is the 2000th Test match (prompting the ridiculous ICC XI picked by the public – Kapil Dev instead of Sobers? Sehwag or Gavaskar instead of Hobbs?). Then there is the small matter of Sachin Tendulkar aiming for his 100th international hundred. And if that wasn’t enough, there is the presence of Duncan Fletcher as Indian coach.

The time for all the talking is nearly over, let the extravaganza begin.

Likely line-ups

It’s Broad or Bresnan for England – we’d opt for the latter to reunite the four man attack who were so impressive during the innings victories at Melbourne and Sydney.

India’s final XI is less clear given Sehwag’s injury and the absence of Tendulkar and Zaheer Khan from the squad that recently beat the West Indies. With Suresh Raina excelling in the Caribbean and hitting a hundred in the warm-up match at Taunton, we expect him to bat at six, which means it is a straight choice between Yuvraj and Abhinav Mukund for the final batting spot.

Ishant Sharma was a revelation in the Caribbean and will open the bowling with Zaheer. Munaf Patel or Praveen Kumar will join the two spearheads and Harbhajan in India’s four man attack.

Look out for…

Kevin Pietersen likes the big occasion and it doesn’t get much bigger than this – the 2000th Test against the best side in the world at Lord’s. Don’t be surprised if KP marks the occasion with a sparkling hundred.

The battle between Zaheer and Andrew Strauss promises to be one to watch, but it’s difficult to look past Sachin Tendulkar’s quest to hit his 100th hundred and finally get on that Lord’s honours board.

Previously at Lord’s

2007 – Match drawn

A battling 76 not out from Dhoni and bad weather on the final day allowed India to escape by the skin of their teeth with just one wicket left for England to get in the first game of a series India went on to win 1-0.

2002 – England won by 170 runs

A captain’s knock of 155 by Nasser Hussain laid the platform before the bowlers earned England a big first innings lead. Centuries by Michael Vaughan and John Crawley helped set India an impossible target of 568, which they fell well short of, but not before the hitherto unsung Ajit Agarkar lit up Lord’s with this only Test hundred.

1990 – England won by 247 runs

Graham Gooch made history with 333 and 123 as India were trounced at Lord’s after England piled up 653 for four declared in their first innings. India didn’t go down without a fight though with Mohammad Azharuddin hitting a sparklingly beautiful hundred and Kapil Dev hitting four successive sixes to save the follow on.

Prediction

The weather and the pitch will probably lead to a stalemate in this Test, but we go for England to win what promises to be a classic and close series 2-1.

Where next?

Cricket Zeroes: Graham Gooch

Strauss’s Somerset stint is a sad indictment of county cricket

Duncan Fletcher's secret mission as India's coach

Mahendra Singh Dhoni - A born leader

Historic India-Pakistan summit flounders due to cricket diplomacy

Don't miss a thing - Subscribe to and read about all of the Top 20 Cricket Blogs here

Read all our County Cricket coverage

Check out all our Reverse Sweep cricket heroes and zeroes

If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

 

 

 

Our best XI of the 2011 World Cup

 
As the celebrations in India doubtless continue, it is time to select our Reverse Sweep World Cup 2011 XI based on performances over the six years weeks of the tournament:

Virender Sehwag (380 runs at 47.50, 1 100, 1 50, SR 122.58)

He may not have scored as many as others, but the impact of his runs was the most dramatic. In our view, Sehwag’s whirlwind cameo in the semi-final in the end proved the difference between the sides.

Tillakaratne Dilshan (500 runs at 62.50, 2 100s, 2 50s, SR 90.74; 8 wickets at 15.75 ER 4.06)

The tournament’s leading run scorer takes his place as the apprentice in our opening partnership to Sehwag’s sorcerer. Dilshan’s bowling was more than useful too – just ask Andrew Strauss – and he ended up with only one fewer wicket and a better economy rate than Harbhajan Singh.

Sachin Tendulkar (482 runs at 53.55, 2 100s, 2 50s, SR 91.98)

Is it sacrilegious to push the Little Master down the order to accommodate our choice of opening partnership? Maybe, but Tendulkar is clearly good enough to bat anywhere and is the ultimate team man. His longevity is astounding.

Kumar Sangakkara (465 runs at 93.00, 1 100, 3 50s, SR 83.78)

King Kumar was serenity personified throughout the tournament and he captains our side (although it was a wrench to leave out Dhoni). Is there a more underrated batsman in world cricket?

Mahela Jayawardene (304 runs at 50.66, 2 100s, 1 50, SR 100.00)

His impeccable hundred in the final leapfrogged Jayawardene above AB De Villiers in our XI. A great strike rate and but for the prolific Sri Lankan top three restricting his time at the crease, would have scored more runs in the tournament.

Yuvraj Singh (362 runs at 90.50, 1 100, 4 50s, SR 90.50; 15 wickets at 25.13, ER 5.02)

Lazarus. A cricketer reborn. And a decent pick as the player of the tournament. Yuvraj left his annus horribilis of 2010 behind to take the World Cup by the scruff of the neck. Without his masterful composure in the quarter-final against Australia, India would have suffered an ignominious exit. Also proved to be more than the pie chucker he was famously tagged by Kevin Pietersen.

Shahid Afridi (21 wickets at 12.85, ER 3.62; 84 runs at 12.00)

His batting was dire, but his excitable captaincy and devastating leg breaks galvanised Pakistan and propelled them to the semi-finals. He may not have added to his wicket tally in Mohali, but his incredible haul and impressive economy rate mean his selection for this side was automatic.

Dale Steyn (12 wickets at 16.00, ER 4.15)

This lionheart deserved better than to be part of a fragile side that reverted to type in the quarter-final against New Zealand. Others may have opted for Brett Lee, Umar Gul, Tim Southee or Kemar Roach who all had impressive tournaments, but none of these could have turned the game around against India as Steyn did in their group game.

Zaheer Khan (21 wickets at 18.76, ER 4.83)

Tied with Afridi as the tournament’s leading wicket taker and initially carried the Indian attack on his shoulders until his influence had a more positive effect on those around him in the knockout stages. Equally as dangerous at the start, middle and end of an innings and a master of reverse swinging the white ball.

Lasith Malinga (13 wickets at 20.76, ER 5.54)

Malinga was expensive at times, but was always a threat with that unplayable yorker and subtle changes of speed. So close to being the hero in the final when snaring Sehwag and Tendulkar, and always likely to get you a wicket.

Muttiah Muralitharan (15 wickets at 19.40, ER 4.09)

The final proved a match too far for Murali’s battered and bruised body, but even on one leg Murali still had a stunningly influential World Cup and the departing hero just pips Imran Tahir and Ray Price for the final spot in our XI.

Where next?

Who writes Muttiah Muralitharan's scripts?

The renaissance of Yuvraj Singh

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

Bruce Springsteen was born to run, MS Dhoni was born to lead

Read all our 2011 World Cup posts here

If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

Mahendra Singh Dhoni - A born leader

 
History is littered with examples of abysmal leaders: Edward II and Henry VI were catastrophically bad English Kings, Gordon Brown a dismal Prime Minister, and in cricket Ian Botham was a particularly poor England captain. 

MS Dhoni is an entirely different case. Put simply, the Indian captain is a born leader.

Many thought him a brash and unlikely captain when he replaced Anil Kumble as skipper across all formats, but they have been proved comprehensively wrong.

Leadership has matured Dhoni. His own performances have been generally of a high standard, and the positive impact he has had on his troops is obvious. For one, India have developed a resilience that was hitherto non-existent.

He had already captained India to the inaugural World T20 crown in South Africa in 2007 and since then led them to the number one ranking in Test cricket; he even captained Chennai Super Kings to the IPL crown in 2010.

But have no doubt, trying to lead India to the World Cup in their own country was his biggest task yet.

Every move, word or action he has made over the last six weeks has been scrutinised by a critical Indian press and one billion fervent supporters.

Promoting himself above Yuvraj Singh in the batting order in yesterday's final was an extremely bold move. The game was in the balance and Yuvraj had been the Player of the Tournament - already winning four man of the match awards. Dhoni's own form with the bat had been scratchy.

But good leaders take responsibility. And that is exactly what Dhoni did. He played himself in and then launched into his trademark flamboyant strokeplay. In the end, it was fairly routine for India and the six that finished the game was clearly a tremendous release for Dhoni.

Bruce Springsteen was born to run, Dhoni is emphatically born to lead.

Where next?

Cricket Heroes: Mahendra Singh Dhoni

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

The renaissance of Yuvraj Singh

Read all our 2011 World Cup posts here

If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

Sri Lanka vs India in the World Cup Final - Preview and Prediction

 
Back before the World Cup started, which seems like 1995, The Reverse Sweep predicted that India and Sri Lanka would meet in the final - see the links at the bottom of this post if you don't believe us!

It’s not often we get things right here at The Reverse Sweep, so the fact that we did on this occasion leaves us feeling slightly too smug and self-satisfied.

Even Bollywood couldn’t have scripted it any better: Sachin Tendulkar will go for his 100th international hundred in the World Cup final in his home city of Mumbai whilst Muttiah Muralitharan plays his final international match.

So who will be smiling come Saturday evening? Sachin or Murali?

We tipped Sri Lanka to win the trophy beforehand and the form of their top four means we could end up being right. Dilshan is the leading run scorer in the tournament and Sangakkara and Tharanga are fourth and fifth respectively. If the top four don't fire though, there isn't much to follow.

Sangakkara also has the most balanced attack in the competition available with Malinga’s pace and yorkers dovetailing with the wily spin of Murali, Mendis and co.

However, Angelo Mathews has been ruled out of the final – and even though cricketwithballs will doubtless claim that because he doesn’t exist, it won’t matter; Mathews is actually a key member of the side.

Although India have an injury concern with Nehra, they look in good shape coming into the final. But can they cope with the added pressure of winning on home soil – something no other host in World Cup history has achieved?

Sachin and Sehwag are crucial for them. If Sachin does register his 100th hundred the other players will visibly relax, and if Sehwag gets going then Sri Lanka will be in real trouble especially with the likes of an in-form Yuvraj to follow.

India’s bowling has been a bit hit and miss, but was much improved in the semi-final and Zaheer Khan is an inspirational leader of the attack.

It will probably come down to the fine margins and the toss could prove crucial – without stating the bleeding obvious, chasing under lights to win a World Cup would be a tall order for either side if the other has put decent runs on the board.

But we’ll stick with our original prediction and tip Murali to win the day over Sachin – whatever happens, let’s hope it’s a classic.

Where next?

India: Glory or effigies?

Sri Lanka: Will lightning strike twice?

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

The renaissance of Yuvraj Singh

Read all our 2011 World Cup posts here

If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

The renaissance of Yuvraj Singh

 
2010 was an unadulterated disaster for Yuvraj Singh. Injury, loss of form and gluttony led to him losing his place in the Indian Test side, a disastrous season with Kings XI Punjab and questions as to his place in the Indian World Cup squad.

Indeed 2010 wasn't just a bad year for Yuvraj; it was an annus horribilis.

Yuvraj's troubles didn't go unnoticed at The Reverse Sweep and we wrote a post accusing him of being over-rated, arrogant and with an ego the size of Jupiter.

Whilst we stand by with most of what we wrote - especially where Test cricket is concerned - let's give credit where credit is due, Yuvraj has been absolutely outstanding in this World Cup.

It's difficult to imagine a more pressurised situation than the one that confronted Yuvraj in yesterday's quarter-final with Australia. When Dhoni fell, India still required 74 runs off 75 balls with just five wickets left. With the last recognised batsman Raina joining him at the crease, the onus was on Yuvraj to lead India home. Defeat would have led to the usual recriminations and burning effigies.

But Yuvraj took it all in his stride. He cajoled Raina to produce the goods, led from the front himself and he used his arrogant demeanour to stunning effect.

As it stands, Yuvraj is arguably the player of the tournament of the World Cup thus far. He is the fourth highest run scorer with 341 runs at 113.66 with one hundred and four fifties from his six innings. And with the ball, Yuvraj has been India's outstanding bowler after Zaheer Khan with 11 wickets at 25 at an economy rate of just under five runs per over.

No one would have predicted that Yuvraj would be in the running for the player of the tournament, not even his biggest supporter - namely himself.

Where next?

Check out our Reverse Sweep XIs

Read all our 2011 World Cup posts here

The worst Test XI of 2010

Ricky Ponting's "up yours" message to Cricket Australia

If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

World Cup Team Previews: India - Glory or Burning Effigies?

 
Up until the start of the World Cup on Saturday, we’ll be posting our preview of each of the participants.

We start today with the favourites and joint-hosts India, for whom Sachin Tendulkar could crown a quite remarkable career by scoring his 100th international hundred (he starts the tournament with 97) in the final in his hometown of Mumbai to hand India its second World Cup – 28 years after they stunned West Indies at Lord’s. Well, that’s what the Holly/Bollywood scriptwriters want anyway.

Strengths

Where do you start? A batting line-up that starts with Tendulkar and Sehwag and has the likes of Gambhir, Kohli, Yuvraj and Dhoni to follow is arguably the strongest in the competition on paper. The cherry on the top is the monstrous hitting of Yusuf Pathan who could prove to be one of the stars of the tournament. Chuck in home advantage, Dhoni’s shrewd captaincy, the cunning brilliance of Zaheer Khan and a plethora of bowlers who can take the pace off the ball, then it is hard to argue against India lifting the World Cup come 2nd April.

Weaknesses

To say the expectations of Indian supporters are high would be a colossal understatement and a fickle media will soon start getting on the team’s back if there are any stumbles. If things go wrong, expect plenty of burning effigies.

Main man

You can’t look past Sachin Tendulkar, although we’re expecting big things from Kohli, Pathan and Zaheer too.

Look out for...

The earthquake caused by a billion souls should Sachin indeed reach 100 international centuries.

The Reverse Sweep's Prediction

Having said that you’d have to be a fool to bet against India that is exactly what we’re going to do. We predict a serene progress to the final before they are be shocked by... (you’ll have to wait for later in the week when we reveal our tip for the cup).

Where next?

Our XI to shine at the World Cup

Yusuf Pathan goes from zero to nine on the Richter Scale

Graduates from the Sehwag School for Batting announced

Heroes: Mahendra Singh Dhoni

Sachin Tendulkar's Annus Mirabilis

Check out all our other Reverse Sweep heroes and zeroes featuring amongst others Yuvraj Singh, Graham Gooch, Kamran Akmal and Imran Khan

If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

The worst Test XI of 2010

 
After picking our best Test XI of 2010, we thought it might be fun to look at who was top of the flops, so here in all their glory (or should that be failure?), is our worst Test XI of the year:

1. Imran Farhat (383 runs at 23.93) - Two fifties in 16 innings is pitiful for a test match opening batsman and from what we saw of him in the summer in England, a test match opener is not something Farhat should be for much longer. 

2. Imrul Kayes (292 runs at 20.85) - Not very good - make that clueless - against the short ball, which let's be honest is a prerequisite for a test match opener. When you consider that 2010 was actually Kayes' best year in test cricket, it tells you everything you need to know about his 'ability'.

3. BJ Watling (125 runs at 17.85) - As a test match top order batsman, BJ sucks (sorry, we couldn't resist that one). The worst of a series of mediocre cricketers to have worn the Black Cap in 2010.

4. Ricky Ponting (813 runs at 36.95) - Poor stats by his standards, but hardly disastrous until you take away his 209 at Hobart which leaves 604 runs at 28.76. Surrendered the Ashes and his dignity in an ugly spat with the umpires at what could prove to be his final test in Melbourne. Naturally, Punter captains this side of flops and miscreants.

5. Yuvraj Singh (94 runs at 23.50) - 2010 was an annus horribilis for the portly Yuvraj: out of runs and out of favour in the IPL, part of India's disastrous World T20 campaign and ejected from India's test side due to poor form and fitness before enduring chants of 'water boy' when performing 12th man duties. He did eat a lot of pies though.

6. Umar Akmal (365 runs at 24.33) - Why have one Akmal in your team, when you can have two? Started off the year, with many predicting big things for the youngest Akmal brother and ended it being best known for his green lipstick. May bounce back once he realises that Test cricket is not T20 and requires innings to be built.

7. Kamran Akmal (123 runs at 10.25; 27 catches) - Absolutely dreadful with bat and gloves. Started the year by serially dropping Mike Hussey at Sydney and then put in an even worse performance at Trent Bridge. By the time his replacement Zulqarnain Haider went AWOL, Pakistan still preferred either of his brothers behind the stumps to the butter fingered Kamran.

8. Xavier Doherty (3 wickets at 102) - Inexplicably plucked from obscurity by Australia's confused selectors and promptly sent back to whence he came after two dreadful performances - and with a first-class average of over 50, it was hardly a surprise. So bad that he makes the team ahead of Paul Harris.

9. Ben Hilfenhaus (18 wickets at 41.38) - Hilfenhaus actually looked Australia's best bowler in the two match series in India, but he has flopped badly in the Ashes with only four wickets at 73 apiece and has lacked any sort of variation. Actually makes the side because we had predicted he would be the leading wicket taker in the Ashes series. Whoops!

10. Rubel Hossain (9 wickets at 90.55) - Even by the standards of Bangladesh's powder-puff attack, Rubel was particularly inept and he conceded nearly five runs an over to boot in his six tests in 2010.

11. Brandon Bess (1 wicket at 92.00) - Made Australia's selection of Xavier Doherty look inspired. Bess was called-up as a late injury replacement against South Africa at Bridgetown and promptly bowled 13 overs for 92 runs with just  the solitary wicket of Paul Harris - which somehow seems rather apt.

Where next? 

Brandon Bess - The strangest test debutant of them all

Over-rated cricketers - Yuvraj Singh

Ricky Ponting's cataclysmic epitaph

Zeroes: Paul Harris

Zeroes: Kamran Akmal

Exclusive: The New Ten Point Pakistan Player Code of Conduct

Historic India-Pakistan peace summit flounders on cricket diplomacy

Pakistan cricket's next 11 crazy events

Read all the latest from our Ashes 2010/11 coverage

Check out all our Reverse Sweep heroes and zeroes

If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

The week in cricket on World Cricket Watch

As some of you may already be aware, we write a weekly column for World Cricket Watch under the banner of the Reverse Sweep, which is intended to be an alternative and irreverent round-up of the week that was in cricket.

This week's column is now up on World Cricket Watch (click here to read it) and features:

• A preview of the 3rd Test at the Oval with a prediction that is looking none too wise now
• A laugh at Ricky Ponting's expense after his near-Glenn McGrath moment of earlier in the week
• Yuvraj Singh's annus horribilis (and for those non-Latin buffs that doesn't translate to Yuvraj's horrible anus!)
• A round-up of the FP T20 Finals Day at the Rose Bowl
• An assessment of Cricket Australia's madcap new limited overs format

Whilst we were away...

...quite a lot has happened in cricket.

It's only been a week, but we've seen:

• Ricky Ponting appearing on the Australian version of Stars In Their Eyes, and announcing the immortal words "Tonight Matthew, I am going to be Glenn McGrath", before duly predicting that a 5-0 Ashes win was "absolutely possible" this winter. Weren't you bowled out for 88 in your last test, Ricky?

• Yuvraj Singh contracting dengue fever. 2010 has truly been an Annus Horribilis so far for Yuvraj, but I suppose at least he may lose some of that excess weight now.
• Hampshire crowned FP T20 champions after an admittedly exciting set of semi-finals and final at the Rose Bowl, which saw Essex jet over Dwayne Bravo only to see him make only five off eight balls before being run out and then being hammered for 46 off his four overs.
• Alastair Cook retain his place in the England side for the third test at The Oval. We feel the selectors have missed an opportunity here to move Trott up to open (especially as he and Strauss have batted well together) and blood James Hildreth (six centuries this summer) or take another look at Ravi Bopara. Cook too may have been better served by going back to Essex to regain form and confidence.
• A massive reprieve for Kamran Akmal after his replacement Zulqarnain Haider was ruled out of the rest of the test series with a fractured finger. There has been some talk that the injury was caused when Stuart Broad threw the ball at Zulqarnain during the Edgbaston test. Could make things spicy at The Oval on Wednesday.  

If cricketers were World Cup footballers...

During the World Cup, we couldn't help noticing the similarities between some of the teams and players with their counterparts in cricket. The most obvious example of course, being the dysfunctional French team with the equally chaotic pakistan team of the last 12 months.

We've noticed several other doppelgangers as well.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Kevin Pietersen - Both are supremely talented, but also ever so slightly in love with themselves and a bit fey. Like to be centre of attention and divide opinion like no other in their respective sports so that you either love them or hate them. Incidentally, we love KP at the Reverse Sweep but hate Ronaldo - see what we mean?

Lionel Messi and Sachin Tendulkar - By contrast these superstars go about their respective business of scoring (or creating) goals and runs with professionalism and decorum. Both also are considered by many as the second greatest in their sports behind Maradona and Bradman.

Franz Beckanbauer and Shane Warne - Both enjoyed rubbing English noses into the ground during glittering careers, and both now reserve their ire for their former foes through the press. Warney has already questioned England's chances of retaining the Ashes this winter and Der Kaiser made several barbs against Fabio Capello's men in South Africa. Let's hope at least Warne is wrong.

Steven Gerrard and Michael Clarke - Although both Gerrard and Clarke are good players they are perhaps rated better than they actually are. Clarke was a poor choice as Australian Twenty 20 skipper and the downbeat Gerrard has proved just as bad for England in the World Cup. The similarities don't end there as anyone who has witnessed the two of them in their say a lot, say nothing press conferences.

Mauricio Espinosa and Daryl Harper - Espinosa was the linesman who failed to spot that Frank Lampard's shot had gone over the line. Just as in need of a trip to Specsavers is the diabolical Harper who's performance in the recent South Africa-England series made Espinosa look like he has 20/20 vision in comparison. Espinosa may be blind, but Harper is both blind and deaf given that he missed the audible edge from Graeme Smith when sitting in the video umpire's chair.

 

John Terry and Shoaib Malik- If Mohammad Yousuf is to be believed then Malik was the chief mutineer amongst the Pakistan players that so unsettled his and Younis Khan's captaincies. Terry tried and failed to launch a mutiny amongst the England camp in South Africa - if he changed his name to Jean Thierry, he may have been more successful.

Jonathan Trott / Craig Kieswetter and Miroslav Klose / Lukasz Podolski - England have populated their cricket side with South Africans like Trott and Kieswetter and reaped the rewards. Similarly, Gerrmany have rebuilt its football side with non-Germans such as the sharpshooting duo of Klose and Podolski. Fabio Capello now knows how Ricky Ponting feels.

Nicolas Anelka and Andrew Symonds - Les enfants terribles. Anelka was sent home early from the World Cup for supposedly calling France manager Raymond Domenech to "Go fuck yourself, you son of a whore", whilst amongst Symonds' many misdemeanours, he was sent home from the World T20 in England last summer for being drunk.

Robert Green and Herschelle Gibbs - Gibbs famously dropped the World Cup according to Steve Waugh's famous sledge. Green didn't actually drop the World Cup as England clearly were never going to win it, but his butter fingers will prove to be as equally indicative of his team as Gibb's drop was of his team of chokers.

Patrice Evra and Chris Gayle - Both were captain's of teams that refused to train or play. Evra will not go down in history as a great French leader like De Gaulle or Napoleon; indeed he even makes Sarkozy look good in comparison. 

Wayne Rooney and Yuvraj Singh - Both turned up patently unfit to their country's big tournament of the year and proceeded to underperform, although Rooney at least had the excuse of being injured rather than have eaten too many poppadoms.   

India and Sri Lanka star in Groundhog Day remake

Thanks to the news that the W.G Grace of modern day cricket (in terms of size rather than talent), Yuvraj Singh, has been recalled for India's forthcoming tour of Sri Lanka, the Reverse Sweep has become aware that these two familiar foes are about to come up against each other again.

Since the 1st test kicked off in Ahmedabad on 16 November last year, the two sides have probably seen more of each other than they have their wives, girlfriends and children. By the time the games in Sri Lanka have been completed, India and Sri Lanka will have played six tests, 14 or 15 (if the two sides contest the final of the tri-series with New Zealand) one day internationals and 3 Twenty 20's.

That is 48 days of cricket in nine months or just under 20% of the players' time from November to August. When you add in the IPL for the majority of the players that is a lot of time in each others company. It is the cricketing equivalent of Groundhog Day.

Whether it is a case of familiarity breeding contempt or a precursor to pending nuptials between a player from each of the two teams awaits to be seen (King Kumar and Dhoni are certainly looking admiringly at each other in the above picture). But it is another case of crazy scheduling in cricket.

Hungrier than Yuvraj Singh

You are 18 years old and as you walk to the crease in only your sixth first-class match you find your side 55 runs short of victory with six wickets left.

The experienced batsman at the other end is well set and despite scoring an unbeaten century in the first innings, you realise that chasing a winning target in the fourth innings is another challenge entirely.

The opposition have a bowler who has taken nearly 400 test wickets and another one who has played for Pakistan. They also have Amjad Khan who played one test for England, but you are not too worried about him.

So what do you do? Are you nervous when you take guard?

For most batsmen, especially those of tender years and such little experience the answers would be to give the strike to your batting partner as much as possible, and yes you are bloody nervous.

But Ben Stokes is not a normal inexperienced eighteen year old cricketer. He is not nervous and he is not cowed. In fact he is as cool as a cucumber.

He moves serenely to a run a ball 16. And then he sees that Joe Denly is about to bowl an over of part-time leg spin and he realises he is as hungry for runs as Yuvraj Singh would appear to be for his food.

Bang! Crash! Wallop! And five fours and a six later he has taken 26 off the over and won the game.

Ben Stokes, Future England Player, take a bow. That's the second time in two days we've said you will play for England. 

The Worst XI of the World T20

Like everyone else, we'll be selecting our best XI of the tournament too, but watching Michael Clarke's scratchy innings in the final yesterday made us think what the worst XI of the competition should be. We deliberately haven't included any players from the four minnows of Afghanistan, Ireland, Zimbabwe or even Bangladesh as that would be a bit obvious and a tad unfair.

Instead we have come up with an XI of players who came to the Caribbean with high reputations and profiles, and who then flopped like Gordon Brown in the UK General Election. Here we go:

Murali Vijay (India) - Scored 48 against Afghanistan, but then only nine runs in total against South Africa, Australia and West Indies thereafter. Not keen on short bowling and a poor replacement for Sehwag. Just edges the equally disappointing Gambhir.

Sanath Jayasuriya (Sri Lanka) - The old codger scored 15 runs in six innings  and the longer he refuses to retire the more he besmirches our memories of a once great player. It's way past time for the knackers yard, Sanath.

Michael Clarke (Australia, Captain) - A passenger at T20, he scored 92 runs in seven innings at a paltry strike rate of 81. In this XI (unlike the Australian line-up) there would be no hiding place for the first T20 non-playing captain.

Tillakaratne Dilshan (Sri Lanka) - His wretched form from the IPL continued with only 71 runs from six innings. The champ of last year's World T20 turned into one of the chumps of this one.

Yuvraj Singh (India) - A shadow of his former self in all but his stomach, which seems to have blown to at least five bellies. Another player who hugely disappointed for India. A change in attitude and diet are required otherwise he will lose his place. 

Kieron Pollard (West Indies)- The best all-rounder in the IPl was an absolute disaster here. 47 runs at 9.40 with the bat and only one wicket with a horrendous economy rate of 11.00 with the ball. His jet lag from the flight back from India seems to have lasted for three weeks.

Mark Boucher (South Africa) - Like the rest of his side, the much vaunted keeper had a poor tournament here with only 29 runs in five innings.

Ravindra Jadeja (India) - If he was Pakistani there would be a parliamentary enquiry into his performances. His ineptitude with ball and bat was only surpassed by fielding that Stevie Wonder sans his guide dog would have been ashamed of. Didn't even have the excuse of being fatigued from the IPL.

Zaheer Khan (India) - The normally reliable Khan had a nightmare with only two wickets in his three matches. Even worse was his economy rate of 9.54. Was he still suffering from the disappointment of Mumbai's IPL final loss?

Mohammad Sami (Pakistan) - Six wickets in three games sounds okay until you see the economy rate of 9.81. Ouch!

Ravi Rampaul (West Indies) - Like the majority of the hosts, Rampaul had a torrid time with an economy rate of 11.50 from his two matches.

Over-rated cricketers - #1 Yuvraj Singh

In the first of an occasional series, we at the Reverse Sweep will name and shame those cricketers that we believe to be massively over-rated.

We start with Yuvraj Singh, the Indian and Kings XI Punjab 'all-rounder' who somehow gets regularly bracketed with the great Indian batsmen of the modern era; namely Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly, VVS Laxman and Virender Sehwag. In our opinion, Yuvraj is not fit to tie their bootlaces.

Admittedly, Yuvraj has some talent and there has been the odd sporadic good innings in test, ODI and T20I cricket - just ask Stuart Broad about the latter after Yuvraj smited six sixes off him during the World T20 in 2007. The innings he played in support of Sachin Tendulkar when India chased down 387 to beat England at Chennai in 2008 was another example, but on the whole he has not justified his talent and inflated ego.

His test career has been disappointing with an average under 36 and only three hundreds in his 33 tests. When you consider the fact that most of these tests have been played on the batting paradises of the subcontinent that average is only worth about 30 to an English or Australian player. By sheer coincidence that is what Graeme Swann and Nathan Hauritz average.

Yuvraj's record in ODI is better with 12 hundreds in his 250 ODI (at just over 37) and he has a good strike rate of 88. But it is hardly the record of a world-beater and another point for the prosecution in the accusation that he is nothing more than an average player. His T20I record is the best of the lot, with a strike rate of 161 and an average of 39. But just ask Kings XI Punjab fans if they think that Yuvraj is worthy of his reputation following his on and off-field performances this season. More of that later.

Kevin Pietersen once labelled Yuvraj a 'pie-chucker' with the ball and then promptly got out to him. But the stats seem to back KP up. Eight test wickets at 54, 82 ODI wickets at over 40 and only five T20I wickets hardly puts him in the Shane Warne category, or even Marcus North's for that matter.

But no-one rates Yuvraj more highly than Yuvraj himself. And it is that arrogance that made him our first 'Over-rated Cricketer' and also contributed to his dire season with Kings XI Punjab. He appears to have an ego the size of Jupiter and has clearly been influenced by the bollywood style celebrity cult currently surrounding Indian cricket thanks to the. But he is not as good as he seems to think he is (although that would be impossible) and if the numerous rumours are true, has unsettled KXIP to such an extent that he was reportedly the main reason for their dismal season. Apparently he sulked about not having the captaincy, appeared disinterested and unfit, and ruined the karma created by King Kumar.

If even some of this was true, Yuvraj needs to buck his ideas up and look to Tendulkar, Dravid and MS Dhoni as examples of how to cope with fame and handle yourself in front of an adoring public. Only then will Yuvraj justify his talent and lose the over-rated tag. 

Prince Dilshan and the Pauper

This post is an appeal from someone called King Kumar. We at the Reverse Sweep are more than happy to oblige what is obviously a very important cause.

"I am appealing for help because our opening batsman Tilli Dilshan has gone missing and been replaced with an impostor who doesn't know one end of the bat from the other.

If any of you have seen the film 'The Prince and the Pauper' or read the book by Mark Twain, you'll have some idea of what our team is going through. In the film, as Henry VIII of England lies dying, his heir the nine year old Edward Tudor comes across a peasant boy who is his doppelganger. Being young boys, they decide it would be a great jape to swap places and the audience is left on tenterhooks waiting to see if the peasant boy will be crowned King as Edward VI.

The same has happened to our cricket team. Over the last year, we promoted Tilli to open the batting in all forms of the game. Prior to that he had been a useful but inconsistent middle-order batsman and electric fielder. But he was a revelation as opener. He invented new cricketing strokes, scored centuries at will in all forms of the game; and in test cricket his strike rate was unequalled by all except a certain Virender Sehwag. He even was announced as a graduate form the Sehwag School for batting.

We first thought something was wrong in the IPL. You see Tilli plays for the Delhi Daredevils and he (or as it turns out, the imposter) only scored 44 runs from six innings with two ducks and an average of seven. But I just thought that it was a case of bad form after a stellar year, and to be honest I had my own problems with my Kings side.

But now I know that the real Tilli has gone missing. We've flown to the West Indies for a little tournament and yesterday we played New Sheepland. The impostor played and managed to score 3 off 19 balls. The real Tilli would have scored 40 runs in that time. That was the irrefutable proof we needed.

So, please cricket fans around the world, please can you help us find our Tilli. And I have a reward for you if you do - I'll give you person who finds Tilli two of my Kings players Sree Rant and Fat Boy Yuv - I think you know who I mean."

The A-Z of IPL3 - Part 3 of 3

So, to the last part of our IPL3 A-Z, which just to recap summarises our thoughts on our first experience of the IPL. We haven’t watched every game. In fact we haven’t even watched half of them, but we have seen enough to present our take on IPL3 in the form of an A-Z, with A-I two days ago, J-Q yesterday and finally R-Z today.

Retirement home

We cannot be the only ones to notice that the IPL at times resembles a rather lucrative retirement home for old and not so needy cricketers. Four of the eight sides are captained by players who have retired from international cricket. Indeed, Gilchrist and Warne have retired from all cricket except the IPL and it shows especially with the former in their somewhat diminished powers. Warne is a classic case. He spends most of his time playing poker, winding up the English and hawking underwear and for six weeks a year he plays cricket. Occasionally, as in the match against Deccan Chargers, he rolls back the years and produces a vintage display but he seems to be mainly in situ for his captaincy and talent spotting than his once formidable leg spin. For other retirement home incumbents see the mongoose wiedling Hayden, Vaas and Brad Hodge amongst others. Some like Damien Martyn are considered too decrepit and are slung out after a game or two.

 

Sachin

He may have missed out in the semi-final last night, but the undoubted batting giant of IPL3 has been the great man himself. His consistency at the top of the order for Mumbai Indians has been remarkable and his previously castigated captaincy has been impressive as his side has waltzed its way serenely to the final. If Sachin was in the Indian squad for the World T20 they would be favourites; without him they are likely to fall short. Genius.

 

Timeouts

Probably the most annoying invention of the IPL is the completely unnecessary 'strategic timeouts'. Not only is it another attempt to Americanise the sport that God would play, but it is clearly just an excuse to have yet more advertising. Cricket does not need timeouts. Please get rid of them, Modi.

 

Unpredictable

Say what you like about the IPL. It may be too glitzy and hyped up with advertising that would shame America and commentary that makes Channel 9 look like Test Match Special, but one thing it isn’t is predictable. The salary cap and player auction process ensures that the sides are more or less evenly matched; unlike the English Premier League for example.  T20 is a great leveller, but Kings XI Punjab apart (and even they dramatically improved towards the end of the season and beat the pacesetting Mumbai), every team still had a chance of reaching the semi-finals in their last match. This leads to exciting and unpredictable cricket and the competition is all the better for it.

 

Villain

In every drama there is a villain of the peace and the IPL is no different. We have already covered the administrators, avarice, advertising and the commentators, but villains exist amongst the player fraternity too. We have already mentioned the slightly deranged Sreesanth, but our vote for the biggest villain amongst the cricketers is his Punjab team mate Yuvraj Singh, who appears to have an ego the size of Jupiter. Yuvraj is not as good as he seems to think he is (although that would be impossible) and if the numerous stories are true, has unsettled KXIP to such an extent that he is allegedly the main reason for their dismal season. Apparently he has been sulking about not having the captaincy, appears disinterested and unfit, and has ruined the karma created by King Kumar. If even some of this is true, Yuvraj needs to buck his ideas up.

Wickets

Yes these do occur occasionally in IPL amidst all the boundaries and DLF maximums. And it seems that the main weapon to get wickets is spin. Look at the leading wicket takers and you will see Pragyan Ojha (20), Harbhajan Singh (17) and Amit Mishra (17) at the top of the table. Several sides have opted to start with spinners with mixed results, but any format of the game where spin appears to hold the key is fine by us. In terms of seam, it appears extreme pace and the ability to bowl yorkers holds the key with Lasith Malinga (15), Zaheer Khan (14) and Dale Steyn (14) riding high.

 

X-Factor

No, not the the idiotic but admittedly lucrative creation of Simon Cowell, but the team with the best sprinkling of the X Factor within its ranks. Whilst most teams seem to load themselves with star batsmen (see Delhi Daredevils and Kolkata Knight Riders), the secret to success (as in any form of cricket) is to ensure that both the batting and bowling departments are equally strong. The team that has done this is by sheer coincidence the standout side of the tournament. I am referring to Mumbai Indians, of course. The X-Factor is spread evenly throughout the line-up with Tendulkar, Tiwary, Duminy and Pollard with the willow, and Harbhajan, Zaheer Khan and Malinga with the ball. Other franchises should take note.

 

Yusuf, Robbie, Vijay & Pollard

There seem to be two types of batsmen in the IPL. The lovers like Sachin and Kallis caress the ball and aim to provide pleasure for as long as possible. Then there are the shaggers who can't be bothered with the foreplay of playing themselves in and start banging away from ball one. Mostly this leads to a disappointing two pumps and a squirt, but when it comes off it provides ecstasy. It can even last all night as evidenced by M (don't call me Murali) Vijay's innings of 127 off 56 balls in the runfest between Chennai and Rajasthan. Some can do it on a more regular basis like Robin Uthappa, some prefer a quick shag like Kieron Pollard, whilst others can even earn superlatives such as being called the best shag they'd ever had. Witness Shane Warne's exaggerated appreciation of Yusuf Pathan's 37 ball 100 against Mumbai in the early stages of the competition.

 

Zero

The number of wickets taken by Brett Lee in four matches for Punjab this season before his premature exit with another injury. He may be an Australian, but this Pom wishes him well and hopes he is back for the World T20. Lee is definitely one of cricket's good guys, if not one of its best singers as evidenced by this ditty featuring none other than King Kumar Sangakkara.