ICC changes its stance, bowl out Test C’ships and bats for Champions Trophy

After all the noise and splitting of hairs, the much anticipated voting on the radical draft, the ICC Board did not bring to the table the draft suggested by the big 3 - India, Australia and England for a vote at the Dubai meeting held on Monday and Tuesday. Apparently the draft was not taken up because of objections raised by other member boards. A follow up meeting is to be held to discuss the proposals again next month.

The ICC’s press release on the meeting stated that there had been ‘unanimous approval for a set of principles relating to the future structure, governance and financial models of the ICC’. At this meeting Bangladesh Cricket Board media committee chairman Jalal Yunus had submitted a formal letter to the ICC, confirming their stance against the position paper. BCB was the first country to object.

ICC needs 7 votes to pass the radical draft

The ICC needs 7 votes to see their radical draft passed. But with four countries - Bangladesh Cricket Board, Cricket South Africa, Pakistan Cricket Board and Sri Lanka Cricket asking for a deferral of the draft proposals and seeking time to study them, the ICC probably held back the vote for next month’s meeting.

But what was intriguing was the cancellation of the much hyped Test Championships that the International Cricket Council had finally decided to hold.

The Test Championships was never a feasible idea. But with some Test playing countries demanding for a Test Championship, the governing body finally caved in.

But hey presto! Now the ICC has decided to bowl out the Test Championships and instead stick with 50-over Champions Trophy. After it was held last year in England and won by India, it was announced that tournament was the last of its kind.

But the ICC has had a change of heart and decided to continue with the Champions Trophy because that style of cricket brings in the mega dollars to one and all.

Young Angelo Perera must not be forgotten

One batsman who is knocking on the door to more representative honours in the three forms of the game is that dashing right handed batsman Angelo Perera.

From the time he sported the colours of St. Peter’s College, Bambalapitiya, he showed more than ordinary promise scoring heavily in inter-school cricket and serving notice that he is national material.

He continued his good run with the bat playing for his club the Nondescripts and making big runs which prompted the selectors to pick him against the New Zealanders in a limited-over game played in Pallekelle.

Sacrificed his wicket

He came in to bat at a crunch time and in trying to force the pace and make quick runs which is what this style of game is all about, he sacrificed his wicket in the cause of the Sri Lanka team in its quest for victory.

After that one failure, he surprisingly went off the selectors radar, but realizing that others knocking on the door should be allowed a go, he continued in his own inimitable style and his recent nudge on the selectors was the double hundred (244) he scored for his club against Air Force in the Premier division.

With this scintillating double hundred he has shown that he has the class, the technique and the temperament for the longer version of the game which is what cricket is all about and here’s hoping that the selectors will have him in their frame.

Warne in charge of Aussie spinners

The Australian spinners picked for the Twenty20 World Cup in Bangladesh are in luck’s way with Cricket Australia signing on former leg spinning sensation Shane Warne as spin coach to guide them.

Warne, will work alongside coach Darren Lehmann as Consultant and be in charge of the spinning department. Australia has over the years produced excellent spin bowlers.

Names that come to mind are Doug Ring, Bruce Dooland, Tiger O’Reiley, Tom Viewers, Stuart MacGill, Kerry O’Keefee, Terry Jenner, Ashley Mallet, Johnny Gleeson and Tim May. The most outstanding was Shane Warne.

Shane Warne had no equal

Warne was a leg spinner who has had no equal. With an action that was exemplary and never questioned, Warne mesmerized most opposition batsmen in taking a record 708 wickets in his illustrious career.

Of all the arts of spin bowling, the most difficult is leg spin, googly bowling. To succeed one must sweat and toil hard and daily to succeed.

Warne’s guru was former leg spinner Terry Jenner who worked hard with Warne in helping him to perfect the leg spin, googly and numerous other verities.

Warne who is always out to help, especially Australia spinners. Count on him to turn out one of the spinners to follow in his footsteps and help Australia to the pinnacle of world cricket again.

England’s cricketing woes continue

England’s cricketing stocks never ever probably dropped so low in their chequered history. They gave the game to the world and dominated it for a long time.

But of late their success and fortunes tumbled, but not so alarmingly as it is at this moment. On the current Australian tour they have been put to shame by Australia who whitewashed them 5-nil in the Ashes Test series and 4-1 in the one-day series.

While England have dominated Test cricket, they sadly haven’t tasted victory by winning the 50-over World Cup tournament conducted by the governing body, the International Cricket Council. They have entered many semi-finals in the World Cup but surprisingly don’t seem to have that something that can take them over the line and on to the victory podium that every captain and country yearns for.

England mauled in the Test series

After being mauled in the Ashes Test series, and when their dejected Cricket Board and supporters were expecting a revival and Australia fearing a backlash, the one-day England squad strengthened by the infusion of fresh blood, capitulated like their Test squad did 4-1.

The selectors, the coaches and the England Cricket Board will have a tremendous repair job to do to bring their cricket to life again and to its former glory. Now that the British Cricketing Empire has collapsed, restructuring won’t be that easy.

When England were being rolled over by Australia with their batting crumbling like a pack of cards in the Aussie bowling whirlwind spearheaded by leftie Mitchell Johnson, the England selectors would have not been faulted had they recalled Eoin Morgan.

Irish born Morgan is a hard hitting leftie who could pulverize any attack with his strong all round hitting. When in the mood he respects no opposition or bowler as he begins to cut loose.

Morgan surprisingly kept in one-day squad

Morgan has surprisingly kept in the ‘cowboy’ cricket squad and his talents are wasted just playing the slog game. Had England rushed him and batted him in the middle in the Tests, he sure would have added the muscle and the intensity that was sadly lacking.

They should have followed the example of the Australians who plonked in one-day captain and blaster George Bailey in the middle and with his devastating hitting transformed the Aussie batting.

England will now have the opportunity of rebuilding their damaged cricketing image when they play India next in a Test, one-day and Twenty20 series on their own backyard. Australia will have the strong South Africans to contend with and keep their rebuilding process on course after their resounding success against England. Both series will be chockfull of interest.

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