Idle cricket musing

[Ted Max]

Not sure the Mash has the right angle there, Brendan - amusing as it is. ECB knows exactly, and has done for ages, that all the power and money lies with the BCCI - and that's why they don't know how to play this.

It's not a question of surprise and resentment at the uppity colonials - the ECB is alone in this in that the IPL is taking place during its own domestic season - giving it a headache other Boards don't have.

Sure, other countries have had tours planned that clashed (Oz to Pakistan - India to Zim) but they have conveniently found reasons to cancel them.

If I were the ECB cricket board I would be working with the players likely to get contracts to sort out a plan that would allow them to play some cricket in the IPL as long as it doesn't detract from their international commitments or preparation. The contracted players play precious little county cricket as it is so that's less of an issue. Clarke made a decent point - how would cricket public and media react if next year most of the Test squad came back ill-prepared for the Ashes after 6 weeks hit and giggle in India?

But given the idiot Gatting is head of cricket partnerships, it seems unlikely there'll be any sensible solution and we're heading for an unnecessary rift - and resentment between players and ECB.

And PGC, the first to do a Greig has already done it - Dimitri Mascarenhas - but as a ODI player only, and not on a central contract, he has less to lose and has probably made the right gamble that it won't unduly affect his career anyway. The sparks will fly when the Pieterson/ Flintoff offers are made next season.

[Brendan]

I recon Pietersen?s* gunning for that honour.

*Note re. the pronunciation thread. That is pronounced P- i ? terrrrr ? sen and not Peterson.

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

Ted Max - a man into cricket and correct pronunciation. When shall we wed?

Brendan, you probably don't notice that South Africans seem to actually pronounce it as Pi -uh- t'sen.

[Brendan]

It all depends on the accent really PGC and more specifically whether the South African in question is English or Afrikaans. Although if we are being pedantic it is an Afrikaans name and therefore the Afrikaans version would be strictly correct. Although I pronounce it the English way.

Anyway it looks like it has fallen on the IPL to exercise some common sense in the matter.*

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/7339289.stm

*Not the mispronunciation of names that is. although considering the problem most of us have with Indian, Bangladeshi and especially Sri Lankan names someone should probably publish a book on it.

[Ted Max]

Some South Africans I know pronounce it: "thatfukehnturncoatPieterson".

Bindra needs to be seen as the good guy, given he has the ICC-sanctioned competition and has manoevred the ICL into the rebel corner.

He also is shoulders with the ECB and Clarke at the moment because he wants something back. What does he want back? The ECB not getting too cosy with Sandford, and to start cross-promoting its own version of the league in a competitive way.

Look at his buzzword - "global" - what he's after is the expansion of his league to become a world event. He needs the ICC on side for that, and for that he needs the buy-in of the members - even fusty old reactionary, neo-colonial, useless ECB (which invented 20/20).

[Brendan]

Ted Max Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Some South Africans I know pronounce it:

> "thatfukehnturncoatPieterson".

lol. That's the fellow.

[SteveT]

When I think of cricket, I think of fat botham and fat lamb and all the other fat gits who call themselves pro cricketers.

How can they be taken seriously as sportsmen?

How can we expect to do well against full time pros like the aussies, when we wheel out the last batch of school leavers and expect to win?

The lack of professionalism here makes me(6)

[Ted Max]

Was that posted from your De Lorean, SteveT? Watch out for the Libyans!

[SteveT]

No Ted Max my Dell!

The only thing I know about Libyans is, they have oil and sand.

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

Last time I looked, Mr Warne was a little bit podgy, Steve.

Give me a fat Botham with flair and joie de vivre anyday.

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

Anyone else listening to the Beeb commentary? They seem a trifle occupied with the new cricket jumpers. Don't have Sky so will have to wait for the highlights to see this phenomonen(sp?).

[Brendan]

I know that right now England still have a few games to play against New Zealand. But who really cares about how they do against an obscure Welsh county anyway?

The biggest question at the moment is whether the English sun will shine long enough for SA to win all the test matches this summer.

[Ted Max]

Nine or ten days of sun should do it, Brendan.

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

Anyone catch that documentary on Basil D'Oliveira last night on BBC4? It was pretty good, but left me feeling a bit anti-Colin Cowdrey who, since I'm from Kent, has always been a hero.

On topic, they showed a test at the Oval in 1968 which was rained off until members of the public jumped up to help drain the pitch and sweep the excess water away - ee, one doesn't see sights like that nowadays, made me proper proud.

[Ted Max]

Was it a repeat of the Peter Oborne film? Seen it before if so, and yes Obourne very much fingered Cowdrey as having done the dirty deed behind closed doors - in the most two faced manner.

IIRC the film kind of came out of Oborne's biography of D'Oliveira which is brilliant - read it if you can. Oborne doesn't nail down every aspect of his theory of a high level political stitch up between the MCC and the Saf government - some of it is pretty circumstantial. But he's brilliant on placing D'Oliveira as a player in world terms.

And if you like John Arlott, he comes out of it very well, btw.

EDITED to get the writer's name right.

[Brendan]

I didn?t see it but a colleague of mine did and we have been discussing it today.

I did see a film on his life a few years ago though. Not sure if it is the same one though

[ladida]

Which pub will peoplebe watching the Saffas this summer (since the CPT, my local, has disbanded SKY SPORTS until the football season starts up again)?

[mockney piers]

THe boss is talking of getting tickets....which is nice

[Brendan]

jke Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> (since the CPT, my local, has disbanded SKY

> SPORTS until the football season starts up again)?

It Has!?!?!? Well that bollocks? up my plans nicely. (6)

[Ted Max]

I've partaken in a bit of sly WFP cricket watching in my time. Magdala usually obliges.

[david_carnell]

Looks like the EDT or the Mag then.

[Brendan]

Do they have WiFi? I have some WFP to do this Summer.

That reminds me, I have to sort my laptop battery.

[ladida]

The Mag gets my vote, I have never been able to really stand that toilet tunnel in the EDT.

[Ted Max]

Mag has up-and-down WiFi. But it's free if it works. And you can go and sit outside and top up your vitamin D levels during drinks breaks.

[Brendan]

The Mag has WiFi and good Pizza going for it. This makes it a very good venue for WFP while the cricket is on.

It is still not going to be the same as spending a weekday afternoon at the bar in the CPT while the sun streams in through the windows and the match unfolds on the screen above the door. ADrinking shooters with the bar staff at lunch time and passing the time of day with the daytime regulars.