What next for the West Indies?

In the first quarter-final of the cricket World Cup, Pakistan well and truly battered the West Indies into submission with an emphatic 10-wicket victory over Darren Sammy’s side. Many experts have asked whether cricket in the Caribbean is ever going to reach the heights that it did in the 1980’s.

The current side has some talented individuals who could win matches on their own, but they are yet to blend into a team that could challenge for honours in major tournaments. Despite three victories in the competition, defeats against the major nations seem to prove this theory.

It is without doubt that selection is one of the main issues that needs to be addressed. Many people predict that the injured Adrian Barath, Carlton Baugh and Dwayne Bravo will return to the side, and this would obviously strengthen all aspects of the team.

Before the tournament, Barath was being touted as one of the batsmen to watch, but injury before the competition began meant that he never got the chance to shine on the world’s biggest stage. He was joined on the plane home by wicket-keeper Baugh, who was replaced by the unimpressive Devon Thomas, and he should be assured of a place in the side once fit.

All-rounder Bravo can win matches on his own, and the knee injury that he picked up in the WIndies’ opening match against South Africa was a massive blow to the whole team. Once he is back in the side they will look much stronger, and he could have been the difference in some of the matches that were lost in sub-continent.

Bravo's injury robbed the West Indies of arguably their best
player

The second decision that has to be made by the selection committee is that of the captaincy. Current skipper  Sammy had, at best, an average World Cup, and it has been asked what he offers to the side. His medium-pace bowling can be economical but not especially threatening, whilst his batting is very much hit-or-miss. His leadership has also been questioned, and it seems as if he is just taking up a place in the team that could be utilised by a younger, more talented player.

If Sammy is to be relieved of his duties, who are the contenders to replace him. There seems to be two possibilities. These are Chris Gayle and the afore mentioned Bravo. Gayle has previous experience of captaincy, but it seems unlikely that he will be reinstated. This therefore leaves Bravo as the only option, and if he can be aided by some of the experienced names in the current team, then he could become a successful captain.

Sammy's poor World Cup could cost him his place as captain

With all things taken into account, it seems as if the West Indies should look to pick a side which looks something like this:

1.       Chris Gayle

2.       Adrian Barath

3.       Darren Bravo

4.       Ramnaresh Sarwan

5.       Shivnarine Chanderpaul

6.       Dwayne Bravo (Captain)

7.       Keiron Pollard

8.       Carlton Baugh (WK)

9.       Andre Russell

10.   Devendra Bishoo OR Sulieman Benn

11.   Kemar Roach

This side seems to have the balance that the current side lacks, with all-rounders Bravo, Pollard and Russell providing adequate bowling skills and the ability to finish innings’ with the bat. It also leaves the likes of Devon Smith, Sammy and Ravi Rampaul in reserve; all of whom could be called upon to reliably cover if there were to be any injuries.

All in all, the future for West Indian cricket is not as bleak as some may think. They have a wealth of young talent that, if developed correctly, could become some of the best players in the world. The powers that be have to make some key decisions in next few weeks, and if made correctly, could see the West Indies make big steps towards returning to their glory days.

This article can also be found at worldcricketwatch.com

England's opening dilemma

After Kevin Pietersen's good start to life as an opening batsman, many thought that England had finally found a someone to partner Andrew Strauss at the top of the order.

However, a hernia injury means Pietersen has had to travel back to London for surgery, with Eoin Morgan being called up in his place. The selection of the Irish-born Morgan shows that England are going to have to find a new opener within their current World Cup Squad, with none of the other fourteen players being genuine opening batsmen.

Pietersen's 59 against Ireland showed he may be able to open
for England in future years

Who will England now turn to? Andy Flower has revealed he knows who will open in against Bangladesh in Chittagong on Friday, but also said they may review the position on a game-by-game basis. 

So who are the main contenders....

Ian Bell. Bell has previously opened in One-Day Internationals, and many people asked before the tournament began whether he would partner Strauss. He averages 33.33 from his 26 innings' as an opener in ODI's, but the last time he featured at the top of the order was in 2008. His style of play suits batting in the powerplays as he looks to pierce the gaps and play his shots, and he could prove the perfect foil to Strauss, who has been England's most aggressive batsman thus far.

Ravi Bopara. Bopara's impressive innings against South Africa should have made the selectors sit up and realise that the Essex man is, on current form, a much better man to have in the middle-order than Paul Collingwood. However, after Pietersen's injury, they may again have to move Bopara from a position he looks comfortable in. He has previously opened in ODI's, and averages less than 30 from his fourteen innings', with only one half-century. Despite having the experience, the selectors would face some criticism if Bopara were to find himself opening again, as his batting style and ability to hit over the top would be much better suited to the middle and late overs.

Bopara's innings against South Africa may have assured him
a place in the side for the rest of the tournament.

Matt Prior. Prior is another of England's middle-order who has experience of opening the batting, most recently in the seven-match series against Australia. However, from his 32 innings' he only averages 24.2. Since Morgan's injury, he has been batting in the number 6 position and has been enlisted as 'the finisher'. However, with Morgan back in the side he may not be needed to fill this role, and this could see England revert to having their wicket-keeper doubling up as their opening batsmen.

Luke Wright. It would be a massive shock if Wright was handed the role of opener for the remainder of the World Cup, especially since in his six previous innings at the top of the order in ODI's he has only mustered 107 runs. However, the selectors seem to feel he has something to offer the squad, and stranger things have happened...

In my opinion, Ian Bell is the best candidate to partner Strauss at the top of the innings. However, it would come as shock if England's selectors went with Matt Prior, as it would open up the finisher role for Morgan to come into, whilst not disrupting the middle-order.

This article can also be found at worldcricketwatch.com and sportsvoice.co.uk

10 things we've learnt from the World Cup so far

The World Cup is now two weeks old, and has recovered from a slightly below-par start to become one of the most talked about editions of the tournament ever. Thus far the competition has had everything from amazing tied matches to shock results for the associate nations, and that’s just England’s story.

But what have we learnt from the great festival of cricket that is the World Cup...

1. England are the most unpredictable team in the world. Granted, most people already knew this, but the performances that Andrew Strauss’ side have put in during their three matches so far have been so different from each other it has to be seen to be believed. After a workmanlike but unremarkable victory over the Netherlands, the tie against India in Bangalore was one of the greatest batting performances by an England one-day side in living memory. However, after being talked up by almost every commentator and pundit in the sub-continent, the defeat at the hands of the Irish has brought Andy Flower and his players back down to Earth with a bump. They still should qualify from the group stages, but I would not back them to go much further after their opening performances.

2. James Anderson is not a world-class one-day bowler. Anderson has struggled in England’s first three matches and is fighting for his place in the team heading into the tomorrow’s match against South Africa. His 28 overs in the tournament have been hit for 212 runs, whilst he has only picked up two wickets. His performances have reflected those of the whole team, and he must aim for much more consistency if he is to resurrect the form that saw him become the leader of the attack in recent years.

Anderson has struggled in the tournament thus far

3. Kevin Pietersen could become an opener. When it was revealed that KP was going to open the batting, many asked whether his game would be suited to taking on the new ball. However, he has shown glimpses of the temperament and intelligence that he would need to continue as an opener in the one-day game.

4. India aren’t as good as everyone thinks. It is without doubt that MS Dhoni’s team have one of the best batting line-ups in the world, but this is only half of what a team needs to win the competition, and currently their bowling and fielding is coming under fire. Zaheer Khan’s burst during England’s batting powerplay has been the only highlight in the field for the hosts thus far, and the likes of Munaf Patel, Sreesanth and Piyush Chawla are not proven international bowlers. If India are to win the competition, their bowlers will have to step up to the mark, as their batsmen cannot be relied on for the whole tournament.

5. The quicker, the better. When teams go to the sub-continent, they tend to pack their bowling attack with spinners. However, it has been the quicker bowlers who have been most impressive in the opening two weeks of the tournament. Kemar Roach and Lasith Malinga have both taken hat-tricks, whilst the likes of Mitchell Johnson and Shaun Tait have fired Australia to two victories wth their full and fast approach. This World Cup could very well surprise a lot of people and be the tournament where the world’s best fast bowlers are the main stars.

6. The good Pakistan have turned up. Whenever an international competition comes around, many people ask which Pakistan are going to turn up, and this year it looks as if they are at their brilliant best. Despite a shaky batting performance against Canada, they have emerged as genuine contenders, and with an inspired Shahid Afridi leading from the front, they could easily find themselves lifting the trophy for the second time.

7. The World Cup needs the associate nations. Ireland’s victory over England has shown to the ICC that the associate nations have a place in world cricket’s premier events. The performance brought about one of the greatest ever World Cup shocks and lit up the tournament, something which those that govern the game cannot ignore if they want to keep people watching future tournaments. Despite weak performances from Kenya and Canada, I for one feel it would be unfair if the likes of Kevin O’Brien and Ryan Ten Doeschate did not get the chance to show off their skills on the world stage.

8. Chris Gayle is cooler than anyone thought. As always, Chris Gayle has been the epitome of cool throughout the tournament. However, he proved just how cool he was as he took time out from dodging rocks on his team bus to tweet to the world. Many would have concentrated on their own safety, but not Gayle. He wanted to let his 39,000 followers what was going on outside the ground. The man is very cool.

9. Not even his teammates like Sreesanth. After India’s first game of the tournament against Bangladesh, opening batsman Virender Sehwag was quoted as saying everyone had played well apart from Sreesanth. It is well known that opposition players and supporters aren’t particularly fond of the young bowler, but Sehwag’s comments shed light on what the Indian dressing room thinks of their outspoken contemporary. It seems that the only person who likes Sreesanth is the man himself.

Sreesanth has never been one to make friends
on the cricket pitch

10. No one knows who is going to win the tournament. Unlike the last few tournaments, it does not seem as if it going to be a non-event of a tournament that ends predictably with Australia holding the trophy aloft. In fact, it would be somewhat of a surprise if Ricky Ponting’s side even made it to the final. Any number of teams could be celebrating victory at the end of the tournament, and I for one would not like to be the person to predict who that will be.... 


This article can be found at worldcricketwatch.com and sportsvoice.co.uk

Do the associate nations belong at the World Cup?

As I write this piece, England are struggling to overcome the Netherlands in their opening World Cup game, and by the time you read this the result may well be known. The strong performance from the men in orange has led to many commentators asking whether the ICC’s decision to cut the competition to ten teams for the 2015 tournament is the right one.

England struggled past the Netherlands in their opening
group game

In the four games leading up to Tuesday’s match, the favourites have all won emphatically against some of the smaller nations in world cricket. Despite Bangladesh and Zimbabwe both being test playing teams, they struggled to compete when pitted against favourites India and holders Australia in their opening group matches.

So is there a place for the smaller teams at the World Cup? Some commentators argue that they just create extra games which don’t need to be played and take up too much time. Their argument usually contains the fact that the associate teams just aren’t good enough to compete at this level as they don’t have the experience or talent.

But does the performance of the Netherlands change these views?

The Dutch only have three professional players, but one of those, Ryan Ten Doeschate, destroyed England’s bowling attack with a brilliant 119 and is easily the best associate player. However, should a team who only boast three professionals take part in the sport’s showpiece event?

Despite the Netherlands’ performance, the likes of 2003 semi-finalists Kenya and the experienced Zimbabwe have both struggled and their best players are getting towards the ends of their international careers, whilst Canada have very little to offer the championship.

The surprise package of 2007 were the Irish, and although more of their players have become professional, they look unlikely to repeat the success of four years ago. Despite having the likes of ex-England international Ed Joyce and Trent Johnston, who sits in the Top 20 of the ICC Bowling Rankings, at their disposal, they may struggle to win any matches at this year’s tournament.

The only smaller side who could do well this year are co-hosts Bangladesh, who are a young and exciting side who could cause a surprise, especially with the West Indies and an out of form England in their group.

So is the decision for 2015 the correct one? Bangladesh are a young team and will have improved by 2015 so the decision to keep them is a fair one, but should the ageing Zimbabweans be given an automatic pass? The Dutch, Irish and Kenyans will probably have something to say about this, and there should possibly be a qualification process to decide the tenth team for future World Cups.

Is this the end of the road for Paul Collingwood?

Paul Collingwood has long been a staple of England’s cricket team. He holds the record for one-day international appearances in an England shirt, and only last year he captained the Twenty20 side to World Cup glory.

However, after retiring from test cricket at the end of the Ashes, he was left out of the team for the first one-day international against Australia in Melbourne. His recent poor form may mean there is no way back for the man who still holds the record for the best all-round one-day international performance.

Collingwood is no stranger to being on the brink of being discarded by the national team, but every time he has find a way to persuade the selectors to stick with him, mostly by scoring great centuries or picking up a crucial wicket. His fielding has also set the standard for the modern-day England team, with some of his memorable catches his main legacy.

Collingwood had a poor Ashes series to say the least, and his retirement at the end of the Sydney test match only seemed to spare him from being dropped. However, when this form carried on into the two Twenty20 international, the England selectors have found themselves with no option but to leave him out.

Collingwood's poor Ashes series led to his retirement after the
Sydney test

With only six matches left in the series, he may not have the chance to prove his worth ahead of February’s World Cup. England’s middle order looks very strong, with Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen, Ian Bell and Eoin Morgan looking as if they will be very difficult to dislodge when it comes down to their batting compared with Collingwood’s, especially on recent form.

However, after defeat in Melbourne, many commentators have said Collingwood’s medium pace may have come in handy, as England’s five frontline bowlers struggled under the floodlights. James Anderson and Stuart Broad should be back for the World Cup though, and this should strengthen the bowling attack, leaving Collingwood even more out in the cold.

It remains to be seen whether Paul Collingwood will be given the chance to represent his country in the forthcoming World Cup, but seeing him on the podium as part of a winning England team would be a great way for him to bow out of international cricket. 

This article can also be found at worldcricketwatch.com

The auction's over, so what does the IPL have in store this year?

After three seasons full of controversy, the IPL will be back in the spring with two new teams and numerous new players. Last week many players were put up for auction as the teams for the 2011 competition began to take shape. The auction broke previous IPL records, with Gautam Gambhir becoming the most expensive player in the tournaments history.

Hussey and Dhoni will again join forces

Here I will review the auction and preview the teams who will take part-

Chennai Super Kings

Last season: Winners       

Best finish: Winners (2010)       

Captain: Mahendra Singh Dhoni

Star Man: Mike Hussey

Hidden Gem: Ravichandran Ashwin

Chennai have always been one of the most impressive sides in the IPL, and 2011 looks like it will be no different. They chose to keep hold of the likes of MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina and Albie Morkel, whilst they have bought back Mike Hussey and Doug Bollinger. Added to the squad are Dwayne Bravo and Ben Hilfenhaus amongst others, whilst the off-spin of Ravichandran Ashwin could be critical if Chennai are again going to challenge for honours.

Pietersen will turn out for Deccan in 2011

Deccan Chargers

Last season: 4^th place

Best finish: Winners (2009)

Captain: TBA

Star Man: Kevin Pietersen

Hidden Gem: Shikhar Dhawan

After a disastrous campaign in 2008, the Chargers have impressed in the past two campaigns. However, the side has this year gone through a mass change of personnel, with the like of Adam Gilchrist, Andrew Symonds and VVS Laxman all being let go. Kevin Pietersen, Dale Steyn, Cameron White and Kumar Sangakkara have been brought in, and if they can obtain some good young Indians, then they could again be challengers.

Sehwag will have a massive
job to do for Delhi to do well

Delhi Daredevils

Last season: 5^th

Best finish:  Semi-finalist (2008, 2009)

Captain: Virender Sehwag

Star Man: Virender Sehwag

Hidden Gem: Colin Ingram

Delhi have always been one of the most dangerous sides in the IPL, and with Virender Sehwag at the top of the order, they always have a good chance of scoring large amounts of runs. However, during last week’s auction they failed to sign any massive names, with Morne Morkel and Irfan Pathan arguably the biggest. This season could be a struggle for the Daredevils.

Gilchrist has left Deccan to
captain Kings XI

Kings XI Punjab

Last season: 8^th

Best finish: Semi-finalists (2008)

Captain: Adam Gilchrist

Star Man: Adam Gilchrist

Hidden Gem: Piyush Chawla

Kings XI were originally thrown out of the competition along with the Rajasthan Royals, but were brought back in after a court ruling. After finishing bottom last season, they could well struggle again after only making a small number of signings. Adam Gilchrist will captain a side including Stuart Broad and David Hussey, but will need some good young Indians to mount any type of challenge.

Muralitharan will turn out for new
team Kochi

Kochi IPL Team

Last season: N/A

Best finish: N/A

Captain: Mahela Jayawardene

Star Man: Muttiah Muralitharan

Hidden Gem: Ravindra Jadeja

Kochi are one of the two new sides in this year’s IPL, and have managed to acquire many big name players from around the world. The capture of Muttiah Muralitharan is the headline grabber, but VVS Laxman, Brendon McCullum and Sreesanth will all have to perform key roles if Kochi are going to do well in their debut season.

Gambhir attracted the highest price
at the recent IPL auction

Kolkata Knight Riders

Last season: 6^th

Best finish: 6^th (2008, 2010)

Captain: TBA

Star Man: Jacques Kallis

Hidden Gem: James Pattinson

Kolkata have the worst record out of all the eight original IPL teams, but this year splashed the cash, breaking the IPL auction record by buying Gautam Gambhir for $2.4million. Further signings of Jacques Kallis, Yusuf Pathan and Eoin Morgan mean the Knight Riders could find themselves in the latter stages of the competition for the first time.

Tendulkar will again lead Mumbai

Mumbai Indians

Last season: Runners-up

Best finish: Runners-up (2010)

Captain: Sachin Tendulkar

Star Man: Sachin Tendulkar

Hidden Gem: Davy Jacobs

Mumbai could be the team to watch in 2011, with Sachin Tendulkar again leading a side which consists of previous IPL stars Harbhajan Singh, Lasith Malinga, Rohit Sharma and Kieron Pollard. Andrew Symonds’ signing will also excite the Mumbai fans, whilst South African wicket-keeper Davy Jacobs performed well in the 2010 Champions League.

Smith has moved from Rajasthan to Pune

Pune Warriors

Last season: N/A

Best finish: N/A

Captain: Yuvraj Singh

Star Man: Graeme Smith

Hidden Gem: Callum Ferguson

Pune are the second of the new sides for this year’s IPL, and have equipped themselves well for a challenge on a debut title. Graeme Smith, Robin Uthappa, Jesse Ryder and Yuvraj Singh are all excellent Twenty20 players, whilst Callum Ferguson and Wayne Parnell add the exuberance of youth to the side. They could cause a few surprises.

Watson will be key to
Rajasthan's chances

Rajasthan Royals

Last season: 7^th

Best finish: Winners (2008)

Captain: Shane Warne

Star Man: Shane Watson

Hidden Gem: Johan Botha

After the recent auction, Rajasthan only have a squad of eight men, meaning they are going to have to rely on young Indian players to step up to the mark. They are again led by Shane Warne, and the all-round talents of Shane Watson and Paul Collingwood may still not be enough for them to mount a serious challenge.

De Villiers has the potential to
score big runs in IPL 4

Royal Challengers Bangalore

Last season: 3^rd

Best finish: Runners-up (2009)

Captain: TBA

Star Man: AB De Villiers

Hidden Gem: Cheteshwar Pujara

Bangalore are almost a totally new team compared to the team that appeared in the opening three seasons. Zaheer Khan, AB De Villiers, Daniel Vettori and Dirk Nannes have all been brought in as the Royal Challengers chase a first IPL title. Young Indians Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli will be hoping to impress their national selectors with some good performances. 

Are Australia ready for a World Cup defence?

With the Ashes over, Australia are now turning their attention towards the One-Day series with England and the World Cup in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh which follows the series in February. With World Cup squads having to be named in a week’s time, Australia’s selections for the opening one-day games against England have given us a few clues surrounding what team will be on the plane to the sub-continent.

Starting with the openers, it would only take a serious injury for Shane Watson not to open the batting. The limited overs format suits his hard hitting style and he will have to perform if Australia are to retain the trophy they have held for 12 years.  His medium pace bowling could also come in handy on the slow, low pitches that can be found on the sub-continent.

Since Adam Gilchrist burst onto the international scene, many teams now have a wicket-keeper as their opening batsman in the 50-over format. Since Gilly’s retirement Australia have continued this tradition and this doesn’t seem likely to change given their recent selection. Brad Haddin is the only man in the squad who could realistically open the innings. He seems to have been given the nod over Tim Paine, although both could make the trip to Asia.

Despite his lack of form, I would be very surprised if Ricky Ponting wasn’t batting at number three when he returns from his finger injury. However, for the time being it looks as if David Hussey will take the captain’s place in the side. Hussey averages less than 30 in his 23 one-day internationals, but a good performance against England could give Ponting some sleepless nights.

The rest of the middle-order almost picks itself, with Michael Clarke, Cameron White and Mike Hussey unlikely to be dislodged before cricket’s premier tournament. The likes of Callum Ferguson and Usman Khawaja could gain places in the squad, but are unlikely to make the team unless there are injuries.

Michael Clarke will head up Australia's middle order

The make up of the rest of the team is still a mystery. Many may predict that Steve Smith will bat at seven due to his leg spin bowling, which should come in handy on the spinning wickets of the sub-continent. Whether he will take up that position for the England series is yet to be seen.

The other bowlers who have been named in the squad have everything to play for. Mitchell Johnson’s lower order batting will most probably see him into the side, whilst Shaun Tait’s pace is almost unrivalled in world cricket.

Shaun Tait should figure in Australia's World Cup bid

The third seamer’s position looks as if it will be fought out by Peter Siddle and Doug Bollinger. Despite Siddle’s impressive Ashes series, Bollinger seems to be more in favour with the selectors when it comes to the one-day game.

The one position which has gained the most headlines is that of the spinner. Nathan Hauritz’s inclusion shows that he is still on the selectors’ radar, despite him being overlooked for the Ashes series. He will fight for his position with the much maligned Xavier Doherty, who wins a place in the squad after impressing in the one-day matches against Sri Lanka, which preceded the Ashes.

With seven matches to choose the right combination of players to retain the trophy, Australia’s selectors have a big job to do. The squad they have picked shows that are willing to back players who are tried and tested, and only time will tell whether this will reap the rewards of a fourth consecutive World Cup.

This article can also be found at worldcricketwatch.com