'Show 'em how it's done up there'

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

A collection of tributes to 25-year old Namibia wicketkeeper Raymond van Schoor, who passed away in Windhoek five days after suffering a stroke while batting

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Nov-2015

Records galore for de Kock and South Africa

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Stats highlights from the third ODI between South Africa and England, in which the hosts kept themselves alive in the series by chasing down 319

Bharath Seervi10-Feb-20162 Number of targets higher than 319 that South Africa have successfully chased down in ODIs: 435 and 328, both against Australia. This is South Africa’s third-highest successful run-chase, and their fifth chase of a 300-plus target in ODIs.10 Centuries for Quinton de Kock in ODIs, in just 55 innings and at the age of 23 years and 54 days. He is the quickest as well as the youngest batsman to score 10 ODI centuries. The record for fewest innings to 10 ODI centuries was previously held by his opening partner, Hashim Amla, who got there in 57 innings, while the youngest before de Kock was Virat Kohli (23 years and 129 days). This is the third ODI series in which de Kock has scored two or more centuries. His aggregate of 295 in the first three innings of the series is already the second highest by a South African batsman against England in a bilateral series of five or fewer ODIs.239 Runs added by de Kock and Amla, South Africa’s highest stand for any wicket when batting second. They beat the 206-run stand between de Villiers and Faf du Plessis against Australia in Harare in 2014, which was the last time they successfully chased down a target of 300 or more before this match. Overall, it is the fourth highest partnership in a chase in all ODIs; three of those have been against England. This is also South Africa’s second-highest opening stand in ODIs, and the seventh century opening stand between de Kock and Amla in ODIs since 2013 – among opening pairs, only Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma, with eight century partnerships, have more.46.2 Overs in which South Africa chased down the target of 319 – their quickest chase of 275 or more in ODIs. It is also the second-fastest successful chase of 275 or more against England. Only Sri Lanka’s chase of 322 in 37.3 overs at Headingley in 2006 is quicker. South Africa’s run rate of 6.88 in this chase is the second-highest in a successful chase of 275 or more in ODIs in South Africa.0 Previous instances of both openers scoring 125 or more for a side in an ODI while chasing. Quinton de Kock’s 135 and Hashim Amla’s 127 produced the first such instance. The nearest that any opening pair got to this was when Virender Sehwag made 126 and Sourav Ganguly 117 not out against England in Colombo in the 2002 Champions Trophy. However, there have been four instances of both openers scoring 125 or more while batting first.7 Scores of 125 or more for Amla in ODIs – the joint highest for South Africa with AB de Villiers. De Kock, who made his fourth score of 125 or more in this match, is fourth in this list.6 Number of batsmen who have more ODI centuries than Amla’s 22. Three other batsmen have 22 ODI centuries: Ganguly, Chris Gayle and Tillakaratne Dilshan. Among the ten batsmen who have scored 22 or more ODI hundreds, Amla is the quickest to get there, in terms of innings: he has played only 126, beating Kohli’s record of 143.125 Runs by Joe Root in this innings – the highest for England against South Africa in ODIs. The previous best was 116 by Kevin Pietersen, also in Centurion, in 2004-05. This was Root’s seventh ODI century. Only three England batsmen have scored more ODI centuries – Marcus Trescothick (12), Pietersen (9) and Graham Gooch (8); David Gower and Eoin Morgan also have seven ODI hundreds.2 Number of ODIs in which three batsmen scored 125 or more: de Kock, Amla and Root did in this match. The only other such game was Johannesburg in 2014-15, when Amla scored 153 not out, Rilee Rossouw 128 and De Villiers 149 against West Indies.2 Fifty-plus scores for Ben Stokes in this series, batting at No. 6. He scored 57 off 38 in the first ODI, and 53 off 37 in this one. It is only the third instance of an England No.6 making two such scores in a bilateral ODI series.

Oman's improbable journey to India

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

From 29th in the world to beating Ireland on their World T20 debut in Dharamsala, Oman’s success over the last year is no mirage

Alagappan Muthu09-Mar-2016They were all lined up like thoroughbreds bucking against the starting gate. They knew the shot was coming and they wanted to be ready.Bang. Zeeshan Siddiqui pummels the ball over mid-off and the race was on. Oman may have just qualified for the World T20, but there was a small matter still to be decided.”I think I was the first one to run into the ground when we won. Everyone was waiting [on the boundary] but I was the first one to go and lift the batsman up,” beams Sufyan Mehmood. “It was the best moment of my life.”Oman have barely broken into international cricket. The World T20 qualifier in July 2015 was their first-ever televised match. They play one-dayers in Division Five of the World Cricket League, while their opponent Namibia had already been to a World Cup in 2003. David would have felt like Goliath standing next to them.But underneath it all lay the biggest significance for Oman. In Mehmood. He is the only player in the squad at the World T20 who is native to the Gulf state. He is 24 years old and the promise he shows as a fast bowler should give him several opportunities at a repeat of that winning feeling. That bodes well for Oman. Homegrown talent is invaluable, especially for an Associate nation where football’s pull makes cricket a distant afterthought.Mehmood, however, had a leg up. His father had moved to Oman 40 years ago and married a woman from Pakistan. “Cricket is in our blood,” he says.Perhaps more kids from Oman might also pick up the bat and ball if his and his team’s success in recent times – they beat Hong Kong on their Asia Cup debut in February – continues. Mehmood drew his inspiration from wanting to pick up a different object too, a rather coveted one. “When I started playing cricket, my goal was always to play in a World Cup.”Mehmood began his career playing school cricket. Then he made the cut for Oman Under-17s in November 2008, their U-19s in April 2009, then a national camp and , he was in the senior team too by the following November. He introduced himself in the Asia Cup in 2016 with a giant no-ball, but with the next one, he broke Rohan Mustafa’s bat. Perhaps Mehmood misunderstood the meaning of “free hit.”

*****

It was as recently as 2007 that Oman had to make do with pitches made of cement because they didn’t have a turf one. Former captain and current team manager Jameel Zaidi takes pride in the fact that the team has played four World Cup qualifying tournaments – for the 50-over version in 2005 and 2009 and the 20-over version in 2012 and 2015 – with such limited infrastructure. They are in the main event now, having punched well above their global ranking that sat at 29 in July.And they have a turf strip now, surrounded by a lush green outfield and recently added floodlights, at the Ministry of Sports complex in Al Amerat, about 20km away from the centre of Muscat. Only the premier division gets to play their matches there but there are plans to build a second turf ground at the complex to help the other domestic teams get a taste of conditions that prevail in international cricket. According to their official cricket website, there are five all-Omani teams in domestic cricket. Overall there are 58, and they are grouped into divisions from A through J.Munis Ansari has been one of the leaders with the ball for Oman since his debut in 2013•ICC/SportsfileMunis Ansari is among those who have played at the highest level in Oman for years now. With a slingy action like Lasith Malinga – “I’ve had it since my childhood,” he insists when the comparison is made – he had been in line for a national cap in 2012, but had to wait a year longer to complete the mandatory four-year residence period put forward by the ICC.Born in Sehore, Madhya Pradesh, Ansari reckons he could have played for India if he’d had some help in his formative years. “I used to bowl 140-plus,” he says, but his hopes waned when he couldn’t find a place in his state team for the Ranji Trophy. So he moved to Oman for work as the sales supervisor at Enhance Group of Companies.

Unity is Oman’s biggest strength and they set a lot of store by it. “We appreciate everybody,” Jatinder Singh says. “Each and every person is important in the team, even those not playing are equally important.”

Ansari, the leader of Oman’s attack, is used to unsettling batsmen at the top and at the death. He can be a bit up and down and his speeds are considerably lower now that he is nearly 30 , but Oman trust his experience. “He’s very deceptive,” coach Duleep Mendis said after his 3 for 23 in that World T20 qualifier against Namibia.Ansari has made his way in an unfamiliar land. He was recently promoted at work. Oman are on a similar track. Cricket is uncharted territory, but they aren’t shying away. Their T20 games now have international status.

*****

Oman have just won a tight contest. Oman are in the midst of controversy having mankaded one of Hong Kong’s best batsmen to get their way. Oman have not had dinner yet. It’s past midnight. Oman are celebrating. I am fidgeting. There’s a story to cover, but my transport is waiting and if I miss it, my chances of making it back to Dhaka are nonexistent.Jatinder Singh asks me where I’m staying, then quickly asks a local liason if the team bus heads that way. The answer, predictably, is no. Jatinder doesn’t accept it. He asks for the next best thing – a suitably nearby point where I can be dropped off. A shake of the head again. Jatinder looks positively displeased. So instead, he invites me to eat with the team. I tell him I need to talk to a few people about the mankad first. He takes me right to the man responsible for it. I get a one-on-one with Aamir Kaleem, and all the while I wonder if this would have happened with one of the Full Members.Jatinder was born in Ludhiana, but he has bonded with Oman. It’s been his home since 2003 and it was where he first wanted to be a cricketer.”Me and my cousins used to play on Sundays, and after school hours. I had a passion for cricket, but I didn’t know how to get into it. I didn’t know there were levels like U-15, U-16, U-19 and so on. When I was studying in Indian School, Muscat, in eighth grade, there I got to know what to do. I came through the Oman system.”Jatinder Singh, second from the right, was born in India but learned his cricket growing up in Oman•Getty ImagesJatinder represented Oman U-19 in 2007, but it wasn’t as life-changing as he’d hoped. “My performance was… I wouldn’t say great.” Much like the liason’s reply, this wasn’t acceptable to Jatinder. “I went back to league cricket and slowly I developed my skills. I practised five days a week and, in 2011, I was called up for the national camps and soon made my debut in ICC Division Three in Hong Kong. I played two games, got to bat only once and I scored a duck.” Safe to say that wasn’t his big break either.The break would come four years later in 2015, right when Oman needed it the most. Jatinder was the team’s top scorer in the World T20 Qualifier in Ireland and Scotland – 213 runs at an average of 35 – including a match-winning half-century against Netherlands.”Everybody rushed into the ground after we won that game,” he recalls. “I cannot describe the feeling. They lifted me up. I scored 65 not out and we won the game comfortably. It was really so soothing to beat such a reputed team in the cricket arena. The celebration was just so great. We were all on top of each other. Dancing. Our board members were there. They also celebrated with us. It was really nice.”That unity is Oman’s biggest strength and they set a lot of store by it. “We appreciate everybody,” Jatinder says. “Each and every person is important in the team, even those not playing are equally important.” Evidence of that came in their final match of the Asia Cup, when a substitute raced out after rookie left-arm seamer Bilal Khan had made a fine stop on the third-man boundary to pat Kaleem on the back because Kaleem had run all the way from point to pat Bilal on the back.Looking within is how Oman have made it to the big stage. So they should keep at it. Plumb as deep as necessary to strike the gold they so dearly need – local talent.”Education [about cricket] needs to happen at school level,” Jatinder says. “We need more academies so it becomes reachable for the locals. We do have a few now, but they are not full time. They function three days a week, one and a half hours a day.”The World T20 will help. They are assured of $250,000 participation money. That can help generate better infrastructure. The ICC is also looking into allocating more funds for the Associates. But the exposure this team has earned will be priceless. A World Cup is the kind of thing that turns even the staunchly uninterested into hysterical fans.”The companies are coming forward and investing. They are relying on cricket,” Jatinder says. “People are also following us now, they want the Oman team to do well. That’s a change we’ve seen in the recent past.”So who’s to say that years from now another youngster born and brought up in Oman won’t sit in front of another reporter, feel silly when asked why he chose his career path and answer, “Cricket is in our blood.”

Why not measure the T20 batting strike rate in 120 balls?

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

A batsman’s destructive power is better highlighted if we take into account the actual length of an innings

Siddharth Banka07-Apr-2016In cricket, numbers matter as much as style, flair and grace. If Sir Don Bradman is the Shakespeare of cricket, then “99.94” is its “to be or not to be”. There are many statistics in cricket, some more “significant” than others. Why do we care more about the asking rate at the start of a chase but base our calculations on runs v balls towards the death? The answer perhaps lies in our preference for data that is simple and requires least additional computation to provide a meaningful inference. A good statistical measure in cricket should give the relevant information in an intuitive form to easily assess the state of a game or contribution of an individual.Batting strike rate – number of runs scored per 100 balls – is probably the most frequently referred to statistic in T20s. Its bowling equivalent is the economy rate, average number of runs conceded per over. How do these two measures measure against each other? Shane Watson, who hung his boots recently as the No. 1 ranked T20I allrounder, has a career bowling economy rate of 7.65. That tells me straight away that in every T20I over, Watson conceded an average of 7.65 runs without having to do any additional mental maths – simple and clear. However, it is harder to extract the intrinsic meaning of his batting strike rate of 145.32.Batting strike rate is a useful barometer of the destructive power of batsmen in limited-over formats. Chris Gayle’s career T20 strike rate of 150.11 clearly shows why is he feared by his opponents more than his opening partner, Johnson Charles, who strikes 119.76 runs per 100 balls, is. However, batting strike rate lacks the inherent meaning that a bowling economy rate carries. This is because batting strike rate is out of sync with rest of cricket. Strik -rate is a decimal measurement but cricket ticks in units of six (balls per over). Calculating a batsman’s impact with strike rate in per cent is similar to measuring speed of your car in miles/100 minutes.Can we do any better? I think we can, especially in T20s, by measuring the strike rate in units of 120, rather than 100 balls. A “120 strike rate” will reveal that Jason Roy’s inning of 43 in 16 balls against South Africa in the World T20 was equivalent to scoring 322.5 in an entire T20 inning of 120 balls. Compare the meaning of this stat with Roy’s traditional strike rate of 268.7 for that innings. Which number reflects the impact of his innings more easily?Or think about Virat Kohli’s masterful 82 not out off 51 balls against Australia in the same tournament. He clocked a 120 strike rate of 192.9 in a chase of 161. Relate that with the combined 120 strike rate of 138.7 for his team-mates in the same match and immediately you can see that, statistically, India would have fallen short by nearly 22 runs without Kohli.You may ask, similar to bowlers, why not have an over-based strike rate for batsmen too? However, unlike bowlers, a batsman’s unit of performance is not an over. Most consequential batting innings last longer than an over (even in T20s) and, therefore, measuring the rate of scoring runs per over is unintuitive and less meaningful.In my opinion, 120 strike rate should replace the traditional strike rate in T20s as it resonates much better with the game, feels more intuitive and has extra information built into it.

England's class of 2016 revives the winning formula

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

There are remarkable similarities between the England side which won the World T20 in 2010 and the one in the final this time

Andrew Miller in Kolkata02-Apr-2016Paul Collingwood called it an omen, but the fact that England’s opening match of the 2016 World T20 was a defeat at the hands of West Indies wasn’t the only uncanny similarity between the team that won the trophy in 2010 and the one that has been gathering a formidable head of steam in the past couple of weeks.Collingwood, England captain then and England back-room presence now, knows better than almost anyone else in the current squad what makes for a successful campaign in this most intense of international tournaments.And the evidence of a relaxed but determined band of players is that the lessons of 2010 are sitting pretty with the current crop. Which makes perfect sense, really, when you consider just how uncannily alike the two campaigns are turning out to be.From the no-holds-barred power-hitting at the top of the order, to the depth and variety of the bowling options, England in 2016 have once again hit upon a line-up that not only covers all bases, the skills of the players over-lap and inter-link with one another, allowing a margin for error than translates into a licence to have a go.In 2010, this have-a-go attitude famously stemmed from an absence of long-term planning – England ditched their plans on a whim in the UAE in February, and by May they were reaping the rewards of a complete absence of expectation.A similar approach is paying off six years later – it wasn’t possible to get any lower than the 2015 World Cup last year, so once again England have been fuelled by a philosophy that more or less translates as “what could possibly go wrong?”What could possibly go wrong if England trusted their opening batsmen to see the ball and hit the ball, as Craig Kieswetter and Michael Lumb did to superb effect in 2010 and Jason Roy and Alex Hales have done in the weeks just gone?What could possibly go wrong if they opted for extreme variety in their front-line seam-bowling options? In 2010, that involved ditching the talented but, in T20 cricket at least, eminently hittable James Anderson as the leader of their attack, and trusting instead the left-arm curl of Ryan Sidebottom, a man whose ability to bend the ball back into the right-hander’s pads made him a devastating threat in the otherwise frenetic Powerplays.For Sidebottom, read David Willey, another man who didn’t seem to be foremost in England’s thoughts until a slightly low-key hat-trick in their warm-up match in Mumbai persuaded the management to trust his tenacious big-game attitude.And for Stuart Broad read the up-and-at-’em Liam Plunkett, whose aggressive straight lines and liberal use of the short ball are reminiscent of the middle-overs tactics that Broad put to such good use six years ago, peppering the middle of the pitch and demanding errors from well-set batsmen with accumulation on their minds.

Which just leaves the captain in both teams. Collingwood and Morgan would prefer not to have this particular trait in common, but unfortunately neither man has really been able to buy a run in their respective campaigns

And if Chris Jordan’s exceptional performance in the semi-final was anything to go by, then the value of a man who can bowl a yorker on demand remains as high now as it was back then. Tim Bresnan was England’s go-to man for the art of toe-crushing in that short but golden period of form which would culminate in his starring role in the 2010-11 Ashes and the 4-0 whitewashing of India.Ahead of the semi-final against New Zealand, Adil Rashid was described by Eoin Morgan as England’s “X-Factor”, an acknowledgement that a wicket-taking spin bowler with a propensity for claiming first-over breakthroughs a must-have for any world-beating side. Graeme Swann would doubtless agree.And though his batting is more sumptuous than that of Michael Yardy, Moeen Ali is likewise making a very fine career out of being that man that England need to do a job. And though Yardy memorably came in for a bit of tap in the final against Australia at Bridgetown, conceding 21 runs in his third over, then as now England do not simply rely on five bowlers bowling four overs each to get through their quota.There was a Plan B back then, and his name was Luke Wright, whose only over of the tournament came at the crunch moment of the final, when he conceded five singles and took the vital wicket of Cameron White.Six years on, the emergence of a genuine allrounder in Ben Stokes means that that role is now significantly more than just a fill-in option. But the mettle required to front up when the going gets tough, as Stokes did at the death against Sri Lanka, is every bit as critical.England’s gun batsmen in 2010 were an intriguing pairing. An unequivocal worldbeater with big-game savvy and a change-up of strokeplay that could take the breath away, and a young buck whose consistency was a critical factor, as so to was his ability to rotate the strike and manipulate the field.On the face of it, Kevin Pietersen and Jos Buttler have little in common, although to judge by his displays in the last two contests, Buttler’s self-effacing persona isn’t going to prevent him from becoming an IPL superstar when his stint with Mumbai Indians gets underway next week.And then there’s Joe Root, chipping, chivvying and occasionally astonishing, with a thrum of under-stated class that Morgan Mk 1 brought to his game back in 2010, at a time when his unique repertoire of nudges, nurdles and paddywhacks was as exotic and esoteric as the coming generations’ 360-degree strokeplay is now seen as commonplace.Which just leaves the captain in both teams. Collingwood and Morgan would prefer not to have this particular trait in common, but unfortunately neither man has really been able to buy a run in their respective campaigns.Morgan acknowledged as much in the pre-match press conference, saying it would be nice occasionally to survive a ball after two golden ducks in three innings. As for Collingwood, he limped to 61 runs in seven innings, with a highest score of 16 against Pakistan.And yet, such has been the unity and ubiquity of England’s performances from 1 to 11, there has been space in both teams to carry a captain who could bring nous, experience and calm in the crunch situations.And if, on Sunday evening, Morgan should emulate Collingwood in striking the winning runs in the World T20 final, you can guarantee that, now as then, the skipper will form the focal point of the cavorting to follow.

Age shall not wither

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

Misbah-ul-Haq’s glorious Lord’s century stood out as a magnificent aberration of an achievement for modern 40-plus cricketers

Bill Ricquier20-Jul-2016In the week that Theresa May became the oldest person to enter 10 Downing Street as Prime Minister since James Callaghan in 1976, the remarkable Misbah-ul-Haq became the oldest person to play in a Test match in England since Brian Close, oddly enough, in 1976.Close, who was 46 when he was asked to pad up against Michael Holding, Andy Roberts and Wayne Daniel, had, 27 years earlier, become England’s youngest ever Test player. Misbah’s achievement, at 42 , was even more extraordinary. The first Test against England at Lord’s was the first he had ever played in that country. Indeed of his young and exciting team, only four – including the great Younis Khan and Mohammad Amir – had toured England before.It was after their last tour of England in 2010, and the spot- fixing scandal that besmirched their last Test appearance at Lord’s, that Misbah was brought in, as it were to clean out the Augean stables. He has been outstanding in every respect . It is naturally tempting to compare him with Imran Khan, the only other Pakistan captain capable of bringing disparate and willful talents together to form a conglomerate of something like greatness. But the real comparison is with one of history’ s outstanding captains, Frank Worrell, who led the West Indies to glory in the early 1960s. Both men had something special, something that fulfilled a need felt by a particular team, full of hugely talented individuals at a particular time. Both were essentially father figures – Imran never really managed that – and had an unchallengeable authority that did not need to be demonstrably seen to be followed.Misbah’s century on his first appearance in a Test in England was a lustrous adornment to a special Lord’s day. Pakistan were not exactly in difficulty when he arrived but they should have been doing better. As so often, he showed the way. He is always an immensely sensible batsman but he is so much more than that. The way England’s change bowlers – on the day at least, Steven Finn and Moeen Ali – were dealt with was as clinical as it was elegant.The Lord’s Test will be remembered for many things apart from Misbah’s century. It was one of those games whose bare result – a Pakistan win by 75 runs – tells very little about the intensity of the contest, particularly on the gripping final day. The performances of Yasir Shah and Chris Woakes were especially telling but if there is an abiding memory, it will be Misbah’s celebratory press- ups on reaching his century. It has always been more or less assumed that he is the fittest man in the side – although in the field he is s beginning to show signs of what property lawyers call fair wear and tear. Be that as it may, his achievement was remarkable for a 42-year old.Andrew Miller, speaking on ESPNcricinfo, said it was a throwback to the days of Jack Hobbs. Hobbs famously completed a hundred first- class centuries after his 40th birthday. He was exceptional but not unusual. When he toured Australia for the fifth and last time in 1928-29 under Percy Chapman (aged 28) England won 4-1. Hobbs turned 46 on the tour, Phil Mead 41, Patsy Hendren and Ernest Tyldesley both 40.Even in relatively recent times forty-plus players have featured in England Test sides. Alec Stewart carried on till he was 40, just. Eddie Hemmings was 41 when Kapil Dev hit him for four successive sixes to save the follow-on at Lord’s in 1990. This was the game in which Graham Gooch made a triple century and another hundred; he too went on till he was well over 40.But for a player not from England to go on for so long is highly unusual. The historical reason for this is the professional structure of the English game. English players, operating in the county system, had careers that could last for decades. It was different in, say, Australia, where in Richie Benaud’s time even the best could not go on indefinitely. Great players like Alan Davidson and Neil Harvey left the game relatively early: Harvey, the last survivor of Don Bradman’s 1948 Invincibles, made four Ashes tours of England but when he retired he was only 33. Bradman himself made four tours of England. He turned forty at the end of that 1948 tour.It was the same elsewhere. Even Worrell was only 38 when he made his third and final tour of England in 1963. Clive Lloyd, a comparable figure in some ways, turned 40 at the end of the triumphant tour of England in 1984. Of course overseas players who played in county cricket, like Lloyd, Viv Richards, Gordon Greenidge, Zaheer Abbas and Courtney Walsh, tended to have longer careers. But none of them, not Sachin Tendulkar or Shivnarine Chanderpaul, the old war horses of the modern era, played a Test in England after turning 40.Bert Sutcliffe, the classy New Zealand left hander, toured England in 1965 at the age of 41. It was not a success . He never really recovered from being hit on the head by a ball from Fred Trueman, himself hardly a stripling at 34.Commendable though Misbah’s achievements are, it is difficult to see him as a trend-setter in respect of the age of Test cricketers. It’s a different world. Misbah was a special man for a particular occasion, which he rose to in a way that no one could really have anticipated. We must take him for what he is – a magnificent aberration, and a rare and joyous combination of the ordinary and the extraordinary.Want to be featured on Inbox? Send your articles to us here, with “Inbox” in the subject line.

The adventures of AB

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

AB de Villiers’ autobiography delves into his pursuit of excellence, and the highs and lows of being an on-demand international cricketer

Firdose Moonda01-Sep-2016It reads like a volume of the , except that all the adventures happen on the sports field. is a romantic account of a boy with big dreams who becomes a man for whom so many of those come true.The story starts with what may be considered AB de Villiers’ finest moment as a cricketer, when he broke the record for the fastest hundred in an ODI, against West Indies in January 2015. We already know all the numbers: the fifty came off 16 balls, the century off 31, and the 16 sixes equalled the record for the most hit in an ODI, so perhaps the most startling fact is that de Villiers wanted David Miller to go in ahead of him after the openers posted 247 inside 39 overs.Selflessness has defined de Villiers’ career. He is often spoken about as the ultimate team man, and the reader gets a sense of how that came about when the story goes back to de Villiers’ childhood. As the youngest of three brothers, he was forced to carry drinks and field while his brothers did the real stuff. It taught him to be tough, although at the time it occasionally made him want to cry.De Villiers does not shy away from emotions in the book, most notably when he reveals his religious convictions. He recalls two incidents that brought him close to God – one as a schoolboy and one after South Africa’s 2008-09 victory over Australia. Both brought him to tears and the second one also changed him as a sportsman, he writes.By 2008, which merits its own chapter in the book, de Villiers had decided that it “wasn’t going to be enough for me to be just another run-of-the-mill international batsman with an average in the mid 30s”, and “promised myself I would become the best batsman in the world”.

De Villiers does not shy away from emotions in the book, most notably when he reveals his religious convictions

To do that he needed to give up his partying lifestyle, which he admitted was at one stage getting out of hand, perfect his technique, and professionalise. In a nuts-and-bolts section titled “Crossroads” he details how he assembled a support team around himself, which included an agent, a financial adviser and a personal assistant. It reads like a how-to guide to becoming a modern sportsperson, and will be fascinating for those who hope to follow in de Villiers’ footsteps.The results of those efforts saw de Villiers play major roles in South Africa winning in England and Australia for the first time since readmission, in their unbeaten run on the road that started in 2006 and only ended in 2015, and in their rise to No. 1. He recalls matches, some in elaborate detail, and makes regular reference to how South Africa’s success was founded on the strength of the captain, Graeme Smith. “We were privileged to play for such a captain,” de Villiers writes.In that time, he also watched the game change from a purely national sport to a multi-formatted beast, and to a club game, and he gives the sense that he is uncomfortable with the shifting ethos. In one passage he reveals how the childlike joy he once had was dimmed by the cluttered schedule and constant treadmill of life on the road.”The type of international tour that had once seemed such an adventure for a tight-knit group of 16 players, who were bonded by embracing so many different experiences in so many different places, had been transformed into some kind of military operation where, almost every day, someone would pack their bags and take a taxi to the airport and someone else would arrive, bleary-eyed, carrying their suitcase into the hotel foyer. It was increasingly difficult to predict who would be sitting beside you at breakfast the next morning,” he writes.Pan MacmillanThat’s not to say de Villiers does not support the growth of T20 leagues. Quite the opposite. He writes glowingly about the IPL and predicts it will only become bigger. “The Indian Premier League will surely continue to grow and develop, leading the evolution of the game in many respects and I hope to participate for a few more years.”But he remains nostalgic about the traditions of cricket as a national sport, and his optimism about the future of Test cricket is reassuring. “In my view, Test cricket will continue to be played for many decades to come, played in daylight hours, played with a red ball and played in white clothing. It will continue because it remains the preferred format of a strong group of spectators, whose numbers are not declining and whose passion is not diminishing. I count myself as a member of this audience and I will be watching Test cricket for many years after I stop playing.”So too is his admission that his desire for an ICC trophy has not dimmed. De Villiers has a recurring dream in which he takes a catch at cover to win South Africa the World Cup final and he suggests he will keep playing if he thinks he can achieve that.That pretty much sums up the man as we know him: an eternal optimist, a member of a band of brothers, a patriot. He spends a chapter explaining his hopes for South Africa as a country and praising its resilient spirit, revealing how he came to write South Africa’s team song, which they belt out after every victory. He writes with an innocence about how much he thinks can go right.Controversy barely crops up, with oblique references to the 2007 World Cup, when South Africa’s players were accused of drinking too much and cramping. De Villiers flatly denies that was the case. The 2015 World Cup semi-final selection is touched on but he is careful not to apportion blame.The timing of this book – while de Villiers is still a cricketer on the circuit – perhaps limits how much he could say about issues that concern him. In any case, those things may always remain unsaid because ultimately de Villiers is like a Famous Fiver who never ages – on a life of endless holiday and adventure.AB: The Autobiography

by AB de Villiers

Pan Macmillan
328 pages, R350

Rossouw comes in from the cold with eye on summer Tests

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

A thoughtless remark nearly derailed the South African batsman’s career before it began. And then he got five ducks

Firdose Moonda24-Oct-2016Tweeting nearly cost Rilee Rossouw a chance to play for South Africa. It was 2011 and like so many other South Africans, Rossouw, then 21, took the team’s quarter-final defeat to New Zealand at the World Cup hard. He published his disappointment in 140 characters.The post has since been deleted but one of the words used in it has not been forgotten: “chokers”. It’s a term often used for the South African team by frustrated fans and the media. But when Rossouw used it, the consequences appeared to be dire.He later deleted the tweet but by then several South African players had seen it or been told about it, and even a winter break couldn’t clear it from their memories.The next summer was Gary Kirsten’s first season as coach of the South African team and he ushered it in with a team-building camp at the luxury Arabella Golf Estate in the Western Cape. All the national players and those on the fringes, including Rossouw, were invited.It was there that Rossouw discovered the impact his remark had left. A source close to him revealed that while some players saw the lighter side of the tweet, most were so offended they refused to even shake his hand. The source felt Rossouw’s career was put on the back burner for more than two years as a result.It’s impossible to say whether that was actually the case, but his numbers at the time make you wonder why he wasn’t picked sooner. In the 2009-10 season, he was the leading run scorer in the first-class competition, with 1189 runs at 66.05 – a feat in itself because only five other players have scored more than 1000 runs in a franchise season in South Africa. In 2010-11, Rossouw was second in the list of top run-getters in the List A competition, behind Faf du Plessis, who was picked for the 2011 World Cup.Rossouw’s (right) relations with several South African players were frosty at best after his tweet following South Africa’s exit from the 2011 World Cup•AFP/Getty ImagesDean Elgar was picked to tour England in 2012 and Quinton de Kock and Farhaan Behardien to play New Zealand in early 2013 while Rossouw was left to toil in domestic cricket. He remained high on the run-scoring lists and was picked for South Africa A. Then it took a headline-grabbing performance to get the attention of the national selectors.On a South Africa A tour to Australia in August 2014, in an unofficial Test, Rossouw scored 231 and starred in a 343-run partnership with Temba Bavuma after their team had slipped to 59 for 4. South Africa A went on to win the match by eight wickets and the series 1-0.Although his runs had come in the longer format, there was only place for Rossouw in the limited overs. He was picked in South Africa’s squad to play an ODI tri-series in Zimbabwe. But his introduction to international cricket could not have been worse.In his first ten ODIs, between August 2014 and January 2015, Rossouw was dismissed for a duck five times, including twice against Zimbabwe. He became a laughing stock and many questioned his selection to the 2015 World Cup squad until the second ODI against West Indies, in Johannesburg.The match is remembered for AB de Villiers’ world-record 31-ball hundred, but for Rossouw it was the day he showed he belonged. Quinton de Kock was injured, so Rossouw was pushed up the order and he made his maiden international century in a 247-run opening stand with Hashim Amla.In the fifth ODI against West Indies, Rossouw, now back at No. 4, made 132. In a full-strength line-up, his chances of getting a regular run will always be slim but Rossouw seemed to be positioning himself as a batsman comfortable in the top as well as the middle order.Rossouw dislocated his shoulder earlier this year while fielding in an ODI in West Indies•AFP”From when he was a youngster, he dreamt of playing for South Africa and he always had a lot of confidence in his own ability,” said Pat Botha, Rossouw’s friend an allrounder with the Knights franchise. “He just did what he had to do.”But then injuries interrupted his fine form. Rossouw was ruled out of the limited-overs’ leg of South Africa tour to India at the end of 2015 with a stress fracture to his foot. He recovered in time to play England at home in early 2016 and then travelled to the Caribbean for a tri-series in June. In his second match there, he dislocated his shoulder and had to return home, missing out on a T20 stint with Leicestershire as a result.He had only scored two half-centuries in 11 innings after the 2015 World Cup and was not due to play against Australia at home until de Villiers was ruled out.Rossouw was called up as a replacement even though he had initially been left out of the one-day squad so he could have more time to recover from his shoulder surgery. After he was rushed into the XI when Amla took ill before the first ODI against Australia, in Centurion, Rossouw scored 63.Amla recovered in time for the second ODI, and du Plessis, the stand-in captain for de Villiers, was keen to have him back, but the selectors stuck with Rossouw. This time he scored 75.In both matches, Rossouw was set and should have gone on to get a hundred but his shot selection let him down. However, he said he was confident about the way he chose to play and called the reverse sweep “my shot” even though it led to his downfall right off the first ball he faced from legspinner Adam Zampa in Centurion.After a horror start to his international career, Rossouw scored his first ODI hundred in January this year against West Indies in Johannesburg•AFPWhen Amla returned to the XI, Rossouw was moved down the order and in the fifth ODI he converted his good start into a third one-day century. What was perhaps more impressive was that he scored those runs with a broken little finger, fractured while fielding in the previous match.When South Africa were leading the series 2-0 after the second game, Rossouw teased Australia, saying if they don’t bounce back maybe they “don’t deserve to be the best team in the world”.Rossouw may get plenty of lip from Australian players for his remarks if he makes his Test debut down under this month. But that looks unlikely since coach Russell Domingo has said that the Test batting line-up is settled.However Rossouw is very familiar with unlikely possibilities. Five years ago, the possibility of a player who had dared call his team-mates chokers going on to represent South Africa had seemed very unlikely. Look at where he is now.

England's visit much more than just another series

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

Cordoned off roads, armed soldiers and commandos, multiple layers of security for fans. It won’t be a normal experience in Dhaka, but there is delight that the series goes ahead

Mohammad Isam06-Oct-2016On Friday, there will be a collective sigh of relief in Bangladesh. Their cricket team will take on England in the first ODI with talk surrounding on the importance of starting well in a three-match series, and how the home side are slight favourites.Mashrafe Mortaza has downplayed that tag, and said that England’s middle to lower-order poses a major challenge to his bowling attack who return to one-day cricket after a gap of ten months against Afghanistan last week. Tickets for the game have been sold quickly and while there will be unprecedented security in the Mirpur area, which means that every ticket-holder would have to walk at least half a kilometre, and much of what they carry won’t be allowed inside, a sell-out crowd is a given.But the very thought of seeing England in Bangladesh in 2016 seemed improbable just three months ago. Outrage and numbness took over the country for weeks after the July 1 Holey Artisan attack that left 22 hostages and two policemen dead. Going to restaurants (those not as high-end as Holey Artisan) had developed as one of the rare past-times for those living in Dhaka but after the attack, people felt the unease of a terrifying ordeal waiting to happen.Thankfully, the situation slowly calmed down as the security agencies cracked open one terrorists’ den after another across the country. The unease will probably take a lot longer to go away – if it ever does entirely – but there would have been a huge hole in Bangladesh life had England not agreed to continue with their tour. Cricket means everything in Bangladesh – and sometimes more than that.When the Reg Dickason-led inspection team arrived in mid-August, everyone became nervous. The BCB arranged their discussions with the government agencies and the home ministry, but there was a sense of déjà vu. Only weeks before their October 2015 tour of Bangladesh, Australia had asked for a security visit in which the BCB also arranged these meetings in a very short space of time. Ultimately, they postponed the two Tests due to specific security threats.That bitter experience played a big part in how the BCB meticulously changed the security operations in their properties, particularly the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur. Once those were put in place, and the government gave their detailed security blueprint to the England delegates, the nation waited with bated breath.Their prayers were answered on August 25 when Andrew Strauss generously put a lot of faith in Bangladesh. There was muted celebration because it was still more than a month out from the actual arrival date. Even the day before the first ODI, there are few who are still in disbelief.The level of security on offer, which has been highlighted by the cordon around the England team from the moment they landed, was on full show during Thursday when the security forces had a trial run with commandos and special forces sweeping the stadium, practising a drill to evacuate players. It was a reminder of how much is at stake. No stone has been left unturned.In July and August, everyone in Bangladesh understood that if England didn’t think it was safe for them to play cricket in Dhaka and Chittagong, they had their reasons. But when they decided to tour, it felt that they were helping another nation out by offering competition.Sports-lovers would know best the magnitude of such a gesture.Historically, too, England have always been a friend to Bangladesh cricket. It was the English journalist Robin Marlar whose article gave international attention to the newly independent nation. Ten months later, the MCC became the first international team to tour Bangladesh, which set the wheel in motion for them to take part in the 1979 ICC Trophy. The MCC toured several times afterwards, and each time they were received with much warmth.Bangladesh also doesn’t forget quickly that they have been accorded two tours to England, in 2005 and 2010. Australia have hosted Bangladesh just the once while India will finally host their first Bangladesh Test next year.Now that England are touring when Bangladesh were in the brink of turning into a pariah cricket nation, there is much significance to this series. In the choppy waters of cricket’s politics, such a gesture is a welcome change.

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