test side

Graeme Swann: What he said, really meant and definitely did not

Graeme Swann Is No ‘BullDog’

What he said:

“I can’t make speeches like Churchill and I’ll try to be as natural as I can.”

Graeme Swann—the comedian—takes over from Stuart Board as skipper of the English T20 squad for two matches against West Indies next week.

Swann claimed:

It’s a Twenty20 series with a lot of young lads so I’ll have to change the way I am from the Test side.

I’m very much the joker in the Test team, I’m there for a stupid quip at the end of the session. With this Twenty20 side, I’ll naturally have to be more grown up and mature about things.

But I don’t intend to be deadly serious and change too much. I believe a fairly high-spirited approach has made me the cricketer I am.

I’ll certainly look to keep that going within my own game and, if that’s infectious to others, then great.

What Swann really meant:

“I have games to win, not speeches to make.”

What Swann definitely didn’t:

“I’ll just get the Windians to fall over—laughing their guts out.”

Weekend Cricket Diary:Shivnarine Chanderpaul , English triumvirate and Gayle storms

Image via Wikipedia

6th May 2011

Shivnarine Chanderpaul straight-batted the West Indian Cricket Board (WICB) once more with his straight talk.

Speaking to Line and Length, a local radio station, the seasoned campaigner slammed the West Indian management as ‘interfering’.

“I think, given the opportunity, I might have got bigger scores. Every time I settled in and started to get runs, messages would come telling what to do and what not to do, how to bat and how not to bat.” said the Guyanese.

Continue reading →

IPL: Court Battles,Keralite preparations and Moral Leadership

Image via Wikipedia

For the BCCI, it has not been a good week, by any standards. Their No. 1 Test side has floundered in the series that could decide who has bragging rights.

But it’s the two setbacks in the Mumbai High Court that will set the agenda this weekend when the working committee meets.

The BCCI are undecided how to tackle the adverse rulings against them in the court cases against the Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab.

Should they pursue the matter further all the way to the Supreme Court? Or should they let laying dogs lie?

Continue reading →