Print

[Manormanic]

First seems to be most likely as for a four day game players are paid under 20 GBP.

I know that Pakistani pros in League cricket in the UK are quite happy with what might seem menial wages because it is still, after some living costs, far more than they make in the First Class game at home.  Didn't realise the number was that low though!

[mad_abt_cricket]

Problems with Indian team is much deeper than it looks on the surface. There is a lot of politics going on since the world cup.
There are clearly two groups in the team, one group is Dhoni, Raina, Ashwin, Jadeja etc and other group is Delhi based, Sehwag, Gambhir, Kohli etc.

Sehwag and Gambhir feel that they are not suitably rewarded by the success India had in Tests ( when India took number 1 status)  and one dayers ( when India won the world cup). The feeling is that most of the success went in helping Dhoni as a brand. It eventually boils down to money these guys receive in endorsements and Dhoni has the highest price tag.

It is clearly evident from the attitude shown by Sehwag and Gambhir in the past few test series. They just want to score just enough runs to keep their place in the team and with each loss, pressure will be on selectors to remove Dhoni as the captain and one of these guys will be given the captaincy.

Getting the captaincy of Indian team means increase in the Brand value much higher.

 

[uknsaunders]

interesting points, what have you based this split in the camp on? Has it been written about before?

Read something this morning on cricinfo about the selectors trying to sack Dhoni last year and the BCCI bigwigs overuling them.

[Manormanic]

There were a few snipes about it in the cricketing press at the start of the year, so I guess there has been a problem for a while.   Sad that it all seems to be about money...

[mad_abt_cricket]

There were some reports came out during the Australia tour but now it is becoming more and more evident..

http://www.hindustantimes.com/Cricket/CricketNews/Dhoni-complains-against-Gambhir-tells-BCCI-he-s-selfish-report/Article1-971806.aspx

Sad to see these players are putting their own vested interests above the country.

[Kulli]

Heard Finn is out, wonder who they'll go for instead.

[Buzz]

onions
but I think Finn will play

[uknsaunders]

interesting about Gambhir but not sure he could've done much in the 2nd test. He's clearly a limited player in terms of shot making and dealing with Swann on that deck was more a matter of survival for him.

[Manormanic]

odd that being able to bat time is seen as such a bad thing nowadays!

[uknsaunders]

of course he chanted the line "wait till we get you back to India" or words to that effect, to both England and Australia. For that reason alone he ought to be dropped. Never heard of a test player admit he can't play well overseas, or his team can't. I'm sure England and Australia, the latter due in the next year or so, will be only too happy to remind him. I suppose from his viewpoint he get's more IPL money for 2 months work than for 10 months tough test cricket.

[Manormanic]

To be fair, that was a quite understandable response to the smashing they were getting in both countries.  Probably not a wise one mind you...

[Cover_Drive]

He was; whilst I think the Sky speed guns that put him at 91 a coupleof Summers ago were a bit of a joke, he was up around 86 in Australia last winter.  Whether he will ever be again is open to debate as the signs are that he has pushed that elbow further than it was ever supposed to go.

Ahan, I see. I never thought of him to exceed 85mph so cheers for that information.

I can understand why he did not get preference for a while, as we was growing into his frame and learning his own game - batting possibly gave both B's a slight advantage when they did not bowl well, but I think it was the right decision to leave Finn out purely on form with the ball.  I doubt, going forward, that he will be anything other than the second pace bowler selected (behind Jimmikins).

Usually you don't see many English bowlers doing well in Asia/Middle East, so Finn is among the very few who have considerably well in those regions.

Really?  I would have thought that express pace was the way to get into the big T20 competitions and national sides...

When you bowl at good line and length you get more wickets, so when you get ample of wickets in domestic Twenty20 tournament, chances of your selection are boosted drastically.

Both were fairly freakish because their long limbed, sprinting styles were quite different from the 90mph plus bowlers of yore.  Whether we'll see another...well, since they came on the scene we've also seen Malinga and Tait get up into the mid-90s...

True.

I think we all should commend Shoaib Akhtar and Brett Lee for there fitness and commitment despite they were prone to injuries. These two played heap of test matches compared to likes of Latish Malinga and Shaun Tait. To play what Akhtar/Lee have done is quite remarkable in current era as there is little to no 90+ bowler in test arena. So kudus to them.

[Cover_Drive]

I know that Pakistani pros in League cricket in the UK are quite happy with what might seem menial wages because it is still, after some living costs, far more than they make in the First Class game at home.  Didn't realise the number was that low though!

Its quite miserable when it comes to paying domestic tournament players. For a Twenty20 tournament they are paid like 5 quids a day/game and that is not even enough for daily expense.

The domestic first class cricketers happily accept UK club leagues contract as they make very good money (according to there standards).

When I played club cricket in Pakistan, club's coach etc asked me "Uzair, do you know any club in UK who'd be interested in recruiting players?''

[Buzz]

we need a miracle.

please Mr Prior. cometh the hour, cometh the man (Joe Root keep going too! please)

[Byo]

Awful dismissal for Bell - he really should know better!!!  Time for him to go I think....