Pandya's betrayal, Lanning's troubles & Rohit's captaincy
Best Cricket Stories of the Week, 13th to 19th April 2024
“Fans in lots of sports see themselves - not the officials, team owners or players - as upholders of their sport's unwritten moral code…Getting Pandya into their good books could exact a price even billionaires cannot pay”; Cricbuzz’s Telford Vice recaps the Hardik Pandya saga, and says that wins are not going to be enough to reverse his perceived betrayal.
“It’s another example of there being room for coaches to upskill players even in a league where they get to work with them only for two months in a year. CSK chooses its net bowlers following a rigorous trial and those who showcase maturity are chased in player auctions”; Hindustan Times’ Rasesh Mandani reports that CSK’s internal priority on bowling coaches is reaping rewards this season.
“2022 was the first year with 10 teams following the addition of Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Super Giants, and showed marked change in the 4:6 ratio. My perception is that the expansion to 10 teams has diluted the quality of bowlers available to teams, and they’re now being hit for more frequent boundaries”; Cricket analyst Dan Weston makes a compelling case for an alternate theory to the Impact Player rule for the increased totals this season.
“He would happily talk cricket – and spin bowling – often seeking the opinion of others as if they knew better than him (which was ridiculous). Here was the antithesis of the international superstar sportsman until, with his feet splayed at 1o to two, he set off on his run-up”; The Guardian’s Vic Marks tributes England’s greatest spinner, Derek Underwood, who passed away this week.
“At the grand old age of 161, Wisden should be an anachronism. Yet it remains a perennial bestseller and headline grabber, because it acts as the conscience of cricket. It’s in good hands with Lawrence, who has a moral compass to match his composure”’ The Guardian’s Tim de Lisle traverses memory lane to talk about his time at the helm as the shortest-tenured Wisden Almanac editor ever, and the role Wisden still plays in the modern cricket consciousness.
Howie Games’ Mark Howard talks to former Aussie captain Meg Lanning about her international career, and the crippling dependencies that forced her to quit the national team. [Apple Podcasts]
David Wiese continues the story of his globe-trotting franchise life on his podcast Hitman For Hire. In the latest episode he talks about that little bit of time he had at home without cricket last November; what it’s like to not have your kids recognise you, the anxiety of being unemployed while the World Cup is in full swing, and a lot more. [Apple Podcasts]
Club Prairie Fire’s Adam Gilchrist & Michael Vaughan continue their parade of A-list guests, as Rohit Sharma comes on to talk about MI’s season, selection headaches for the World Cup, and how the IPL has changed.
Ravichandran Ashwin talks to KL Rahul about the latter’s IPL career, his hopes to have become an RCB legend as a local player, and taking inspiration from Kohli & MSD to become a star in another city instead.
Ashwin talks to CSK coach Michael Hussey about the franchise’s stunning success in the IPL, as well as how they try to create a welcoming atmosphere for their players led by MS Dhoni’s example.
Jarrod Kimber & Estelle Vasudevan how Ellyse Perry made herself a world class T20 player in a must watch for all the RCB fans who fell in love with her this year.
Batta Fast’s Osman Samiuddin & Ahmer Naqvi have a fun look back at all the cola adverts featuring Pakistani players. It’s a great little video if you’re looking to kill an hour.
Editor’s Note
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