Cricket Comment: England need player like KP March 4, 2015 He’s a matchwinner and was unfairly let go but a comeback looks unlikely to me KEVIN Pietersen’s sacking last February was unfair and it was a shame for English cricket the way it happened but the timing of incoming ECB chairman Colin Graves seemingly handing him a lifeline has created an unwelcome distraction. England have [...]
Pietersen told he could return to fold – if he plays county cricket March 1, 2015 INCOMING England cricket chief Colin Graves has offered Kevin Pietersen an England lifeline after refusing to rule out an international return for the maverick batsman. South African-born Pietersen was sacked by England last February and was later released by Surrey, while the 34-year-old has not played a competitive game longer in format that Twenty20 since [...]
Cricket Comment: England ought to pick Tredwell and Bopara instead of Finn and Ballance February 18, 2015 THERE weren’t a huge amount of positives to take from World Cup defeat to Australia last Saturday. Hopefully the main one will be the realisation that the tactics at the death were wrong and there was too much short bowling. England undoubtedly have some good bowlers but, as I wrote last week, that bowling attack [...]
Cricket Comment: Underdog status in England’s favour February 11, 2015 Our new columnist on the chances of England upsetting the odds and lifting their first World Cup. England are unlikely to win the World Cup but you just never know. They are certainly going in the right direction and the chances of success are a lot higher than they were a couple of months [...]
Warner dedicates ton to Hughes as Australia resume Test cricket December 9, 2014 OPENER David Warner dedicated his innings to late team-mate Phillip Hughes after hitting a century against India as Australia made an emotional return to Test cricket yesterday. Warner scored 145 as Australia amassed 354-6 in a first Test delayed and then switched from Brisbane to Adelaide following the death of batsman Hughes during a domestic [...]
No England presence as cricket gathers to mourn tragic Hughes December 1, 2014 THE England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) will not be officially represented when the sporting world falls silent at the funeral service of Australia Test batsman Phillip Hughes in his hometown of Macksville tomorrow. England are currently in the midst of a seven-match one-day international series in Sri Lanka and any members of the travelling [...]
Sky Sports wins rights to biggest events in cricket October 13, 2014 Sky Sports has beaten off competition from other broadcasting rivals after winning the rights to show some of international cricket’s biggest events over the next eight years. The International Cricket Council (ICC) said yesterday it has sold the rights to 18 cricket tournaments to Star Group, which is also part of Rupert Murdoch’s media empire [...]
Ex-cricket chief rubbishes Pietersen’s claims October 12, 2014 FORMER cricket chief David Collier has rubbished assertions from maverick Kevin Pietersen that ex-coach Andy Flower was the root cause of a bullying culture within the England camp. The South African-born batsman has accused Flower of building a regime in which he governed by fear, while also allowing bullying to prosper during his five-year reign [...]
Cricket Comment: Belief is now so important for a fragile England September 10, 2014 THAT narrow T20 win against India at Edgbaston on Sunday will have given England players, management and supporters just a little bit more confidence, which was something that was sadly lacking previously. India are particularly strong in limited overs cricket and I do think England salvaged some respect and credibility from what looked like being [...]
Cricket Comment: Ditch Cook, but it won’t cure one-day misery September 3, 2014 WEDNESDAY was a sad day. In probably the most one-sided one-day international between top teams that I’ve ever seen, England were not just beaten but annihilated by India by nine wickets. It was embarrassing. A fresh low point in an already dreadful series has led to more pressure on Alastair Cook who, once again, faces [...]