I read a lot of sports blogs. I’m a below the line addict. I’ve seen fans polarised before – most notably footballs fans arguing over the merits of certain managers – but I’ve never, ever, seen English cricket supporters at each others’ throats like this. It’s a war. Over the last few days I’ve tried to stand back from the cacophony and understand events from a detached perspective. Obviously, one’s position on the Strauss / KP doos-gate depends entirely on whether you think KP is a...
Tremlett Keeps the KP Saga Alive
It’s the story that just keeps giving …. the ECB a headache. Here’s our new guest writer, Tregaskis’ views on the latest twist in the tale. On a day when England’s beleaguered team did themselves a massive favour by the simple expedient of not being the Netherlands, the Kevin Pietersen saga continued its epic Nordic narrative. The skirmishing between the uncontrollable berserkers at the ECB and the banished hero shows no sign of abating. There will be no moving on or piping...
Leave Trott Alone
It’s official. The whole world has gone bonkers. And I don’t care whether it’s politically correct to say the word ‘bonkers’ or not. Disclaimer: no bonkers people were harmed in the writing of this blog post. Sky aired a programme called ‘Burnout’ at the weekend that focused on Jonathan Trott’s battle with what the ECB, not Trott himself, called a ‘stress related illness’. In extensive interviews with Ian Ward, who set an all time record for smiling in a documentary about mental torment, Trott...
Two divisions and double standards – chaos at the ICC
I’m not a socialist. Nor am I a moralist. But, like most people, I can tell the basic difference between right and wrong. Unfortunately, it looks like the ECB, CA and the BCCI no longer can. I’m not going to pretend I know everything that goes on in the inner sanctums of the ICC. All I can do is form an opinion based on the little I know. Maybe my views are misplaced; maybe they’re not. But from what I’ve read and seen this week, the behaviour of the so-called ‘big three’ is nothing short of...
Anatomy of a failure part 1 – The ECB
When England were knocked out of the European Championships on penalties last year, most people blamed the manager – failing to realise, of course, that most England mangers since 1966 have been sacked after failing miserably. Were they all rubbish? Largely overlooked was the fact that Gerrard and Parker, the only two central midfielders left standing, were running on empty after a gruelling domestic season in which they, unlike players from rival nations, didn’t get a mid-season break. Was it...
What does BCCI actually stand for?
Have you heard the news? According to the Daily Telegraph the BCCI has banned 30 English players from playing and practising in India following India’s humbling in the recent test series. At this point you probably think I’m joking. Surely a supposedly professional organisation, containing grown men, wouldn’t be so petty and, quite frankly, absurd? Well, I’m afraid not. The BCCI seems determined to make itself look ridiculous. At this point it’s a toss up whether the BCCI or the leadership of...
