The Anglo-IPL backlash, Sehwag-ian Economics & Kumble's regret
Best Cricket Stories of the Week, 20th to 26th April 2024
“For us, the mere act of narrating any cricket involving India elicits scepticism among portions of our Anglosphere audience. There are plenty of people who view TGC’s “India suck off”, as it is often coined, as motivated purely by money, click farming, and is a sort-of treachery to the traditions upon which our fragile game stands” Cricket et al’s Sam Perry writes about the Western backlash his podcast, The Grade Cricketer, gets for covering the IPL every year.
“The crux of that chat with Cummins was that Head should forget that his place was under scrutiny. It was, at its core, Cummins' man-management principle at play. Head went from "playing not to get out" to "playing to score runs"; ESPNcricinfo’s Shashank Kishore writes about how Travis Head rediscovered his form after being dropped by Australia.
“Yet looking around, seeing numerous “distinguished” Old Boys from their school, including political leaders and corporate heads, engaging in casual conversation with each other, they understood that this was much more than a match. It was a gathering of Sri Lanka’s elite and has historically served as a backdrop of the nation’s elite politics”; Scroll’s Uditha Devapriya & Uthpala Wijesuriya write about the 145-year old Royal Thomian clash in Sri Lanka, the island nation’s most prestigious school cricket clash.
“The batters are selected for their utility in particular phases of the game, conditions, and opponents. And, as data suggests, Usman has not been employed effectively — something that Pakistan’s defeat to New Zealand in the third T20I in Rawalpindi put under a microscope”; Dawn’s Ahsan Iftikhar Nagi argues that Usman Khan should open for Pakistan, regardless of whether that bumps Babar or Rizwan.
“For all the differences in style between the 2011 and 2024 sides, Strauss detects one essential similarity. If there are two models to a captain-coach relationship – one offering different perspectives, the other mutually reinforcing – Strauss believes that the latter is more effective. Like the partnership between Stokes and Brendon McCullum, Strauss and Andy Flower had a shared outlook on the game”; The Telegraph’s Tim Wigmore catches up with Andrew Strauss to discuss whether his 2011 England team could beat the current Bazball team. [Paywall]
“Despite committing Rs 47,000 crore in media rights fee over the 2023-27 cycle, Disney Star and Viacom18 are not able to monetise the viewership on TV and digital, because there is oversupply compared to demand from advertisers”; Economic Times’ Javed Farooqui breaks down the advertising troubles plaguing the broadcasters who paid $6 billion (!) for the IPL media rights. [Paywall]
Willow Talk’s Adam Peacock hosts ex-Aussie international Aaron Finch to discuss everything Australia and the IPL, from the impact player rule to Jake Fraser McGurk’s breakout year. [Apple Podcasts]
Powerplay’s Firdose Moonda & Valkerie Baynes host Zimbabwe's Josephine Nkomo to preview the Women’s World Cup qualifiers. [Apple Podcasts]
Club Prairie Fire’s Adam Gilchrist & Michael Vaughan host Virender Sehwag to reminisce on his career, Tendulkar & playing Pakistan. Yes, it’s the interview with remark about Australia being too poor to afford his talent.
Ravi Ashwin welcomes Anil Kumble to talk about his short but memorable IPL career. Highlights include how Kumble adjusted from needing 4 overs to get warmed up for red ball cricket to figuring out how to maximise his time during T20 games, and the “missed opportunity” of winning the title with RCB in 2009.
Editor’s Note
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