Cricket- the sport not the insect

[ramjambunath]

I first thought of this to discuss about the Butt, Asif and Aamer guilty charge on account of match fixing but thought, it's the off season and there are a few Australian, English and the odd Indian or Caribbean cricket follower here so I might as well start a new cricket thread (the other two, don't have a complete scope).


Pakistani trio found guilty in betting scam

Pakistan cricketers Salman **** and Mohammad Asif have been found guilty of their part in a "spot-fixing" scam after a trial at Southwark Crown Court.

Former captain ****, 27, and fast bowler Asif, 28, were both found guilty of conspiracy to cheat and conspiracy to accept corrupt payments.

They plotted to deliberately bowl no-balls during a Lord's Test match against England last summer.

Another bowler, Mohammad Amir, admitted the charges prior to the trial.

The guilty pleas by the bowler, who was 18 when the scam took place, could not be reported before.

The jury was not told of these pleas.

BBC sport news correspondent James Pearce says all three are facing the prospect of jail terms.

Conspiracy to accept corrupt payments carries a maximum prison term of seven years.

Our correspondent also says the case "raises serious questions about the integrity of Test cricket".

A statement was read out by Amir's lawyer at the start of the trial, before any evidence had been heard.

He said: "Mohammad Amir accepts full responsibility for deliberately bowling two no-balls and, in due course, you will hear how this vulnerable 18-year-old boy was subjected to extreme pressure from those on whom he should have been able to rely.

"He recognises the damage his actions have caused Pakistan cricket."

Full story

Australia are playing a tour match against a pretty strong South Africa A side and are dominating
http://www.espncricinfo.com/south-africa-v-australia-2011/engine/current/match/514028.html

Ponting and Hughes failed again and so did Watson but good times for the proper fast medium bowlers (not Copeland) who shared the 10 wickets.


Edit: I don't mind Salman ****'s name being *ed.

 

[Midnightfright]

Its unfortunate that a cricket thread has to be started with that story. Not getting to watch too much if the OZ VS SA test due time constraints but don't really rate this Aussie side to ghighly so shall be intresting to see how they fair.

 

[ramjambunath]

It's sad, but good riddance to Salman and Asif (what mistakes has Asif not committed). I hope to see Aamer in the future though.

I don't understand what Copeland's doing in the team, the guy barely touches 125kmph. I know his FC record is good but he's slower than Bopara, and Bopara will never take the new ball.

 

[Midnightfright]

It's sad, but good riddance to Salman and Asif (what mistakes has Asif not committed). I hope to see Aamer in the future though.

I don't understand what Copeland's doing in the team, the guy barely touches 125kmph. I know his FC record is good but he's slower than Bopara, and Bopara will never take the new ball.

I guess they see something in him. Personally I don't rate him as anything other than average.

 

[ramjambunath]

I guess they see something in him. Personally I don't rate him as anything other than average.

Tony Greig was saying that Clarke wanted him in the team to get a semblance of control in the bowling attack. That bit is okay, but when he comes up against someone like Gayle (if he plays again for WI), he'll be smacked and it will take an age to wear out an Alastair Cook.

He could become very good but that would need him to improve his pace by 10mph, after all line and length were both McGrath and Pollock's forte. At his current pace, he seems a defensive rather than attacking pick.

 

[Zam_Olyas]

I love the barmy army...their rendition of Jerusalem can be quite good (jerusalem not being the national anthem of england is a shame imo)

 

[Spider1964]

No way Copeland should be in the Test team. Bowls half rat power and once the shine is gone, he can't reverse it. There are 2 bowlers in each state team better than Copeland... but ahh, that's right, he's from New South Wales... Clarkes home state... mmm? I'd love them to pick Cummins, reminds me of when Brett Lee came along, only he's taller and potentially faster.

RamJam.. I wouldn't be too worried about Watson, Hughes & Ponting missing out in this game, they'll make plenty in the tests.. IMO SA bowling attack looks thin after Steyn? If Botha is their spinner then they are in for some long days. I don't rate Morkel, Parnell or Tsotsobe... Time will tell.

In a series that I expect to be dominated by the bat, any bowler that can take wickets will be important.

Will be over in SA for the 2nd test, can't wait.

 

[craig1985]

Mohammad Asif makes Riccardo Riccò look like Albert Einstein. Let's see, he's tested positive for Nandrolone in 2006, and had his suspension overturned on appeal (and the UCI has nothing on the Pak-istan Cricket Board when it comes to being incompetent). Then in 2008 he was detained in Dubai for possessing illegal drugs (a wise idea, I'm sure you will agree), but later had the charges dropped. And then last year this whole spot fixing saga.

<epicfail.jpeg>

 

[ramjambunath]

No way Copeland should be in the Test team. Bowls half rat power and once the shine is gone, he can't reverse it. There are 2 bowlers in each state team better than Copeland... but ahh, that's right, he's from New South Wales... Clarkes home state... mmm? I'd love them to pick Cummins, reminds me of when Brett Lee came along, only he's taller and potentially faster.

RamJam.. I wouldn't be too worried about Watson, Hughes & Ponting missing out in this game, they'll make plenty in the tests.. IMO SA bowling attack looks thin after Steyn? If Botha is their spinner then they are in for some long days. I don't rate Morkel, Parnell or Tsotsobe... Time will tell.

In a series that I expect to be dominated by the bat, any bowler that can take wickets will be important.

Will be over in SA for the 2nd test, can't wait.

Any idea how Starc's coming along? He alway seems pretty good when I see him play.

Problem for Australia, I believe, is apart from NSW no other team has a proper bowling lineup. Victoria is okay, but others are pretty poor (WA, SA especially) and players like Hughes have a pretty inflated average maybe because they don't face the best domestic bowlers in Australia. Shaun Marsh, for example, is hardly out of his depth in the international arena.

Is Botha going to play the test though? I thought it might be the 'fully South African' Imran Tahir or Paul Harris who'll play. Apart from Steyn, their attack does look weakish, but Morkel and Tsotsobe seem to be improving rapidly.

It's sad that the series had to be shortened for the champions league bull****.

Enjoy the test, if you're going to the stadium and make sure you don't get one of those boerewors sausages thrown at you if Australia win.

Mohammad Asif makes Riccardo Riccò look like Albert Einstein. Let's see, he's tested positive for Nandrolone in 2006, and had his suspension overturned on appeal (and the UCI has nothing on the Pak-istan Cricket Board when it comes to being incompetent). Then in 2008 he was detained in Dubai for possessing illegal drugs (a wise idea, I'm sure you will agree), but later had the charges dropped. And then last year this whole spot fixing saga.

<epicfail.jpeg>

Asif's such a waste of a talent, thick fool. There was also the incident where he and Shoaib Akhtar got in an argument and resulted in him being smacked with a bat.

Zam, I think Jerusalem has way more emotion and heart than the current anthem (From a third person's point of view).

 

[Ferminal]

I don't understand what Copeland's doing in the team, the guy barely touches 125kmph. I know his FC record is good but he's slower than Bopara, and Bopara will never take the new ball.

He's a better bowler than Johnson and Siddle and South Africa should suit him perfectly. Harris is the key though, if he doesn't stay fit we have little chance in the series.

 

[Spider1964]

Any idea how Starc's coming along? He alway seems pretty good when I see him play.

Problem for Australia, I believe, is apart from NSW no other team has a proper bowling lineup. Victoria is okay, but others are pretty poor (WA, SA especially) and players like Hughes have a pretty inflated average maybe because they don't face the best domestic bowlers in Australia. Shaun Marsh, for example, is hardly out of his depth in the international arena.

Is Botha going to play the test though? I thought it might be the 'fully South African' Imran Tahir or Paul Harris who'll play. Apart from Steyn, their attack does look weakish, but Morkel and Tsotsobe seem to be improving rapidly.

It's sad that the series had to be shortened for the champions league bull****.

Enjoy the test, if you're going to the stadium and make sure you don't get one of those boerewors sausages thrown at you if Australia win.



Asif's such a waste of a talent, thick fool. There was also the incident where he and Shoaib Akhtar got in an argument and resulted in him being smacked with a bat.

Zam, I think Jerusalem has way more emotion and heart than the current anthem (From a third person's point of view).

Starc is massively over-rated IMO, needs to find 10kp/h or some variation, another over-hyped New South Welshman. Has struggled early in the season in all comps, with not many wickets and lots of runs flowing against him. James Pattinson is a better prospect. Ben Hilfenhaus is better than them both when his body lets him.

Sean Marsh's brother Mitch is a good prospect with bat and ball, gun. Sean was on the verge of ****ing his career against the wall, but turned his life around after coming under the scrutiny of the law with Luke Pomersbach... now there's a waste of talent. He has taken this season off to deal with depression, hopefully he gets back to health, because he is a very talented player.

I'll keep an eye out for those boerewors sausages

 

[ramjambunath]

He's a better bowler than Johnson and Siddle and South Africa should suit him perfectly. Harris is the key though, if he doesn't stay fit we have little chance in the series.

Definitely more consistent than Johnson (one good spell every two years) but I rate Siddle. Siddle was the only bowler to come out of the Ashes with any respectability. Copeland can get success in SA but so can Cummins, who seems very good, and pretty much any decent fast medium bowler.

I'd love to see Pattinson play for Australia (it isn't often brothers play for different countries) but he doesn't seem to have much FC experience. He's a very good prospect from what I've seen, which is a few ODD and ODIs never seen him play FC.

A bit off topic, a 1960 tied test programme from ABC was on tele here a couple of hours ago, absolutely brilliant. Meckiff, Grout, Benaud, Lindsay Kline, Hall, Sobers, Joe Solomon, Conrad Hunte and Alf Valentine all giving their views on the match.

 

[Ferminal]

What is your attack then? They will always pick a spinner, so you have 3 spots.

Cummins has virtually no first class experience so it's a risk. If they were serious about picking him in the tests then he should have been in Australia playing for NSW. Cummins and Johnson in the same team would be too much. I'd probably go Harris, Copeland and Cummins/Siddle. Johnson would be better suited at the Wanderers in the 2nd Test.

I think it will be Harris, Siddle and Johnson though.

 

[ramjambunath]

My Australian attack would be
Harris
Siddle
Bollinger (if fit) / Cummins
Lyon ahead of the other spinners on fast tracks as he flights the ball and is slow (maybe a bit too slow) speed wise.
Watson, obvious choice.

Harris, if not injured, can be both a defensive and attacking option. He bowled very well even in Sri Lanka. If Johnson can get it right, he should get in and in South Africa the conditions may be perfectly suited for him but he isn't reliable.

But yes Harris, Siddle, Johnson seems most likely in reality.

 

[auscyclefan94]

I don't barrack for Australia when Mitchell Johnson is in the side. Awful and very over rated as a bowler. There are actually quite a few Aus cricketers I don't like. The fact that the selectors are so stupid and don't dump players when they get no runs (yes you Ponting) says a lot about where Australian Cricket is going. Katcih is very sorry but I am glad he spoke out as Hodge's rant about the Aus team was justified as both have confirmed that there is a boys club or clique going on.

Harris is a liability imo. I am not so sure that he can still be charging in at the end of a day's bowling and still be bowling decent overs. Could lose some weight.

 

[ramjambunath]

I don't barrack for Australia when Mitchell Johnson is in the side. Awful and very over rated as a bowler. There are actually quite a few Aus cricketers I don't like. The fact that the selectors are so stupid and don't dump players when they get no runs (yes you Ponting) says a lot about where Australian Cricket is going. Katcih is very sorry but I am glad he spoke out as Hodge's rant about the Aus team was justified as both have confirmed that there is a boys club or clique going on.

Harris is a liability imo. I am not so sure that he can still be charging in at the end of a day's bowling and still be bowling decent overs. Could lose some weight.

Good to see that both Katich and Hodge are in form and scoring hundreds. Of course the Hodge hundred was at the north Sydney Oval, which is tiny and Dan Smith scored 185, but a brilliant innings when Victoria were struggling.

Harris is the best Australian quick at the moment in my opinion. When he doesn't get injured as in Sri Lanka, he has been much better than the rest of the bowlers.

Also, who says weight is important for athleticism
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlQk1y00fvc

 

[auscyclefan94]

Good to see that both Katich and Hodge are in form and scoring hundreds. Of course the Hodge hundred was at the north Sydney Oval, which is tiny and Dan Smith scored 185, but a brilliant innings when Victoria were struggling.

Harris is the best Australian quick at the moment in my opinion. When he doesn't get injured as in Sri Lanka, he has been much better than the rest of the bowlers.

Also, who says weight is important for athleticism
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlQk1y00fvc

Number 99 is a big boy! But I was expecting a video of Merv Hughes or Mark Taylor.

 

[ramjambunath]

Taylor and Hughes are almost cliched nowadays. Dwayne Leverock, the policeman extraodinaire, is the new messiah of the obese cricketer.

 

[Dancing On The Pedals]

I don't understand what Copeland's doing in the team, the guy barely touches 125kmph. I know his FC record is good but he's slower than Bopara, and Bopara will never take the new ball.

India tried it this summer with Praveen Kumar. He was the best of the Indian bowlers (which really isn't saying much...)

Re Australia, it seems to me (speaking as a Pom ) that there is a decent number of fast-medium/fast bowlers coming through, or who have been playing test cricket for a while. I think the selectors should work to develop a strong 'unit' of 7-8 quicks from which they can pick - a bit like England have done over the last few years. Cummins looks like a real star.

 

[King Of The Wolds]

India tried it this summer with Praveen Kumar. He was the best of the Indian bowlers (which really isn't saying much...)

Re Australia, it seems to me (speaking as a Pom ) that there is a decent number of fast-medium/fast bowlers coming through, or who have been playing test cricket for a while. I think the selectors should work to develop a strong 'unit' of 7-8 quicks from which they can pick - a bit like England have done over the last few years. Cummins looks like a real star.

Kumar is top drawer. You can't just rule somebody out on lack of pace.

Re: England's quicks, it would have seemed ridiculous to even think about this 7 or 8 years ago, but I'd take any of 6 or 7 England bowlers over anything the Aussies have got - Anderson, Broad, Bresnan and Tremlett, obviously, but also Finn and Onions, even Shahzad. We've just done simple things - well managed and rotated, good coaching without overcomplicating, worked hard on conditioning. The fast bowling from that lot over the recent series against India and Australia was as good as we've seen since the West Indies in the 80s.

 

[ramjambunath]

Kumar is top drawer. You can't just rule somebody out on lack of pace.

Re: England's quicks, it would have seemed ridiculous to even think about this 7 or 8 years ago, but I'd take any of 6 or 7 England bowlers over anything the Aussies have got - Anderson, Broad, Bresnan and Tremlett, obviously, but also Finn and Onions, even Shahzad. We've just done simple things - well managed and rotated, good coaching without overcomplicating, worked hard on conditioning. The fast bowling from that lot over the recent series against India and Australia was as good as we've seen since the West Indies in the 80s.

I agree that you can't write off anyone for lack of pace, but Copeland, as far as I have seen, does not swing it as far as Praveen Kumar (English conditions were very favourable for his style of bowling this year). He also doesn't have the irritating quality of a Praveen Kumar, Cork or Merv Hughes, which in itself gets a couple of wickets. He bowls a good consistent ball, but without the pace many batsman at international level will get to him.

Generally, the second paragraph is fully correct but for Shahzad this year. He has to get himself in order, it was a truly woeful season for both him and Rashid. I think the Yorkshire CCC chairman went potty over the English internationals' lack of form.

 

[Luke Schmid]

I don't think any of Australia's bowlers are all that good. They can bowl well ocassionally but not consistently. They don't have anyone they can turn too and be almost certain they will be good.
As far as pace goes Harris was quite a bit slower when he first played for SA but over one off season he suddenly picked up quite a bit of pace and became a much better bowler and then left for QLD.

 

[Zam_Olyas]

times are bad when australian bowling is their weakest link...but for cricket as a whole its good coz they were so damn dominating. I love this chants against mitchell johnson by The Barmy Army http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYUIJsd9VhM&feature=related

 

[ramjambunath]

times are bad when australian bowling is their weakest link...but for cricket as a whole its good coz they were so damn dominating. I love this chants against mitchell johnson by The Barmy Army http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYUIJsd9VhM&feature=related

Love it.

Here's another Mitchell Johnson video, him vs Jimmy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AE1iv008N8

Johnson will definitely play the first test now, 6-89 in the match. Siddle being taken apart in the second innings 1-57 at 5.5 after a very good first dig. Copeland struggling 1-99 in the match, which has been dominated by the bowlers.

Australia's batting performance is worrisome, there's very little fight in it apart from Hussey, Clarke, Marsh and the explosiveness of Watson.

Meanwhile, one of my favourite teams Zimbabwe continues to show respectability in tests after bowling out NZ for 426 and responding with 82/1.

 

[Spider1964]

Kumar is top drawer. You can't just rule somebody out on lack of pace.

Re: England's quicks, it would have seemed ridiculous to even think about this 7 or 8 years ago, but I'd take any of 6 or 7 England bowlers over anything the Aussies have got - Anderson, Broad, Bresnan and Tremlett, obviously, but also Finn and Onions, even Shahzad. We've just done simple things - well managed and rotated, good coaching without overcomplicating, worked hard on conditioning. The fast bowling from that lot over the recent series against India and Australia was as good as we've seen since the West Indies in the 80s.

Come of it.. get off the drugs.

I'll take Garner, Marshall, Holding, Walsh, Patterson etc! any day of the week.

Seriously, Anderson may be considered to get a game amongst the West Indies greats, Bresnan and Tremlett have their moments, but the others are cannon fodder. Finn, Onions and Shahzad are county military medium pacers at best. Broad averages under 30 with the bat and over 30 with the ball, for him to be mentioned in the same breath as the West Indians would have Malcolm Marshall turning in his grave.

Just because they beat up on a 2nd rate Aussie side and a stuttering India, does not make them a match for the aforementioned West Indians.