2023's Big Winners
1st January 2024
The big winners of the [last] year
Monumental years for associate countries and the Women’s game, plus best XIs across the board.
The Cricket Monthly’s Sambit Bal writes that the game will continue to go where the fans want to take it, and we should embrace the change wrought by the demands for more and more cricket.
The Guardian’s Ali Martin talks about how Australia. Just. Kept. Beating. India.
ESPNcricinfo has all the teams of the year for you to go and fight about on social media. And, yes, your favourite player was absolute snubbed.
Cricket.com’s Gaurav Nandan Tripathi reviews the year the Women’s game made a jump into the mainstream cricket consciousness.
Cricket.com’s Pramod Ananth writes about a big year for associate nations, with great reviews of multiple different countries who had mixed fortunes this year. Emerging Cricket’s Shounak Sarkar looks at the seven biggest moments for cricket’s smaller nations.
The SA20 wreaks havoc
South Africa’s Test momentum comes to a screeching halt, David Warner has left the building, and the PCB wants to challenge their second close loss to Australia.
Neil Brand is set to make his South Africa Test debut as captain, as a heavily changed team was chosen for the New Zealand series. Wisden’s Ben Gardner explains what the SA20 and South Africa’s finances have to do with the decision.
ESPNcricinfo’s Shiva Jayaraman writes an ode to the irreplaceable David Warner, as the Aussie opener confirmed his retirement from both Tests and ODIs.
The Guardian’s Geoff Lemon writes about how Pakistan came tantalisingly close to winning the Boxing Day Test, while the PCB is planning to challenge the ICC about Mohammad Rizwan’s dismissal.
After India Women succumbed to another ODI loss to Australia, Cricket.com’s Hardik Worah writes about the waning patience with Shafali Verma. Meanwhile, ESPNcricinfo’s Srinidhi Ramanujam writes about the potential of Richa Ghosh at one-down.
Sandeep Lamicchane, who was to be the new face of Nepali cricket with stints in the IPL and the BBL, has been convicted of rape and will potentially face up to 10 years in prison.
Burger burns India
South Africa seem to have found another pacer, the Punjabi batter who’s made his way to Australia, and the importance of grassroots cricket.
Cricbuzz’s Telford Vice writes about the latest South African pacer to come out of the woodwork, as Nandre Burger overcooked the Indian batting order at Centurion.
ESPNcricinfo’s Tristan Lavalette writes about Nikhil Chaudhary, who made his journey from Punjab to Australia to become just the second Indian-born player to play in the BBL.
Sydney Morning Herald’s Geoff Lawson writes about cricket’s descent in a money-first sport, and how this need not be a bad thing if we remember that grassroots cricket is an unprofitable but vital part of the system.
Cricket.com’s Aakash Sivasubramaniam writes about how the Melbourne Cricket Ground was revamped after a bad pitch rating in 2017/18.
The BBC’s Ali Abbas Ahmadi writes about the Pakistani cricket show that enraptured India during the World Cup.
When the MCG Bay-ed for Akram
Wasim Akram remembers what it was like to play at the MCG, how to take on spin, and who are the best cricket commentators of all time?
Triple M have a great clip from the commentary box during the Australia-Pakistan Test about Wasim Akram’s hilarious story about fielding in front of MCG’s Bay 13 in 1989!
Aakash Chopra has an interesting video on the basics on how to play spin.
Jarrod Kimber, Estelle Vasudevan & Behram Qazi debate the best commentators of all time. [Apple Podcasts]
Editor’s Note
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