Let me be frank about this from the beginning. I do not rate Alastair Cook. Never have, probably never will. On the eve of the U-19 world cup in 2004 I had heard rumours that we had unearthed a teenage sensation who was about to take the cricketing world by storm. The experts on TV and in the broadsheets informed me he was not only a prolific run scorer, he was also stylish, intelligent and an England captain in waiting – much like a young Michael Atherton (but left handed). Cook did indeed...
Bring down the price of test match tickets
The cricket media have finally spotted the link between exorbitant ticket prices and poor attendance. Or at least Jonathan Agnew and the BBC online team have – in what’s become a major talking point of the Edgbaston test. Far too often, cricket journalists disparage poor attendance as evidence of uninterest or disloyalty – forgetting that unlike spectators, they not only enter for free, but get paid, a free lunch, and the best seats. Attendance at Trent Bridge was good; so...
England’s coach journey to number 1?
A very thought-provoking article by Simon Hughes in today’s Daily Telegraph. He argues that England’s forensic coaching techniques and vigorous attention to detail are propelling our side to the top of the world rankings. As he points out, our test record since February 2009 is P20 W10 D8 L2. But six of those wins were against weak Bangladeshi and West Indian opposition. The mere two defeats is perhaps a more telling statistic. Hughes flags up two interesting talking points. First...
Is Anderson really king of the swingers, or is he still Jimmy (the) Riddle?
Eat your heart out Terry Alderman. And as for you, Ben Hilfenhaus, kindly move over. There’s a new swinger in town. Well, to be totally accurate, James Anderson is hardly new. He’s now 28 years old and he’s played 49 test matches. But people outside of Lancashire (and the Anderson family) are finally beginning to call Jimmy ‘the best swing bowler in the world’. Even Shane Warne has recently admitted as much. But is the title ‘best swing bowler in the world’ an accolade that Jimmy Anderson would...
The elephant in the room
Just one question springs to mind after the first day’s play at Trent Bridge: should we drop Kevin Pietersen?
The Full Toss Meets Andrew Flintoff
When Shell wanted an ambassador to help promote their new FuelSave range, Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff was the natural choice. There’s always been a connection between cricket, automobiles and people nicknamed Fred: The Flintstones’ car looks exactly like a cricket pitch roller. Fortunately, today’s automobiles are rather more comfortable than the ‘Flintmobile’. Petrol technology is also improving – although Shell still have some way to go before they match the invisible elixir...
