Made for TV, not for people
Made-for-television cricket. We’ve seen a lot of it in the past five years dished out in the name of “globalising” the sport. Televised but meaningless one-day matches dished up for an insatiable market from the “emerging” regions of world cricket. Singapore, Toronto, Kuala Lumpur, Kathmandu, and even a park in northern Los Angeles have all […]
When it’s ok to be controversial
Case Study A: Adam Gilchrist speaks at a football club members luncheon.. asked whether he thinks Muttiah Muralitharan throws the ball, replies that Murali’s action “is probably not quite within [the rules]”. Official Reaction: The Australian Cricket Board charges Gilchrist with bringing the game into disrepute and issue a statement saying that they do not […]
It’s all just a commodity
So South Africa won the Australian one-day triseries for 2001-02. They defeated New Zealand 2-0 in the best-of-three final, and congratulations to them. We should be thankful to them, too, for sparing us from an episode that would have shown us just a little more evidence that cricket is nothing but a commodity for television. […]
Top ten things you didn’t know about Martyn Ball
10. He played for Young England in 1989. 9. His nicknames (according to “The Cricketers’ Who’s Who”) are Benny and Barfo. 8. He is Gloucestershire’s only player on the Test leg of the Indian tour. 7. It took eight years at Gloucestershire before Ball was awarded his county cap. 6. The reason the England selectors […]
If in doubt, blame the umpire
It’s always the umpire’s fault.