Can Alastair Cook breach Sachin’s milestone test numbers?

Having debuted as a 21 year at Nagpur in 2006, a promising left hander went on to make a fifty and a hundred in his first test. An impressive feat alright, but nothing legendary or one for the record books. Who would’ve though, the 21 year old would go on to represent his team in the next 139 off the 140 test matches they play since 2006, to become the most capped English player and the leading English run scorer, by a distance? Now, touching 32, and just fresh of becoming only the 10th batsman to reach 11000 runs in test cricket, Cook has a realistic shot at emulating the impossible numbers that the great Sachin Tendulkar racked up.

Cook has already played 253 innings across his 140 test matches, already the 7th highest number of innings among all players to play test cricket. The reason for him getting so many opportunities is because he has played 252 of his 253 innings as an opener or at No.3. Cook averages 46.44, impressive, but still the second lowest in the list of the Top 20 run getters. He just needs 4913 more runs to reach the magical milestone, a small number in comparison to the 11008 runs he has diligently racked up till now.

Cook has crept up to No.10 now.

Cook’s average also remains lower than the rest as he only has 15 innings in which he remained not out to his credit, because of his high batting positions. His breaching the 11000 run mark comes through some utterly dominant performances, especially in Australia and Asia, as well as his relentless concentration and his all round skill set. Not withstanding that, is Cook really good enough to be included in a list with the names of Brian Lara, Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting and Jacques Kallis? 

The fact that Cook has played almost every test match since his debut and that England play more test matches than any other team can be summarised by the fact that Cook became the fastest to reach the landmark, in just 10 years, 3 years faster than the next fastest man to the landmark. It is worth noting that he had the lowest average when he reached the landmark among the 10 players and took the 3rd most number of innings to reach 11000.

Even though Sachin Tendulkar made his debut 5 years before Cook in terms of age, Cook still played more test matches and consequently more innings, but has been less prolific, with a difference of 11 runs per innings between them.

Cook has had his fair share of chances, just like any other cricketer would have in a long career. He must be given credit to keep himself injury free for more than a decade now, but has also been considerably fortunate. Since Marcus Trescothick’s retirement in 2006, the English team always had a dearth of openers. Cook made his debut count and hence got permanently associated with Strauss to form a settled opening combination, becoming a major player in the test setup. His severe dip in form in late 2012 to 2014 coincided with Strauss’s retirement, and a further lack of options. In 2009 and 2014, when there was pressure mounting of him and his axing was imminent, he produced mach winning performances of 160 and 95 respectively to remain in the first 11.


Cook's rapid decline.

What are the factors that work on his favour? Age, a major one, is well and truly on his side. Most batmen reach their peak between the 5-6 year period from their late twenties to early 30s. Micheal Hussey made his debut at the age of 30, when Cook had already over 9500 runs to his name. Kumar Sangakarra, Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting all used their mid thirties to rack up their most dominant performances. Sachin and Sanga even blossomed in their late 30s (37-38). Cook is also bound to get the most number of opportunities, due to England’s packed test schedule. He is going to average 10-12 test matches a year. Even if he scores 800 runs a year, at a fairly under par average in the mid 40s, he will still only be 37 when gets close to 16000 runs. If Misbah can continue playing till 42, 37 is a great bet. That he is captain, as well as the most experienced and the best fit for his role, will ensure that he stays in the team throughout. He plays only one format, so he will be able to manage his workload efficiently and stay in touch with test cricket the whole year round with ample time for rest.

Can he do the improbable?

What are the factors that go against him? Non Asian players don’t tend to play beyond 34, even if they’re capable of. Greame Smith, Brendon McCullum, Marcus Trescothick and various others are solid examples. However, as the landmark gets closer, it is a major enough incentive to get Cook going. If he plays till 34, he is going to be within 2000 runs of the landmark. The pressures of captaincy may get to him. Having already drawn a series in Bangladesh and on the verge of a 3-0 defeat in India, he has come under criticism from the media. Although Root is more than able to be his successor, the constant scrutiny plays on one’s mind. Cook recently also claimed that the “desire” to play for England is lessening, and he wanted to spend more time with his family. One long term injury, can easily accentuate the desire. As days pass by, Cook will also become more injury prone. The disadvantages of playing one format also are prominent. Cook now plays a test match after 8 months, but then plays 7-8 tests in quick succession.

Cook will get closer to Sachin every passing innings, but only time would time if he can really challenge the tally, if he really has the hunger and the desire to pass the hurdle and emulate the master. He has proved over time that he has the skills and even the capabilities, but now comes the hard part. At this point, Cook has a better chance of getting closer to Sachin than not getting closer to him, but as he becomes older, the task infront of him will appear more mammoth and daunting.

Poll- Youth vs Experience in T20 cricket.

PLEASE VOTE FOR YOUR PREFERRED TEAM ABOVE

Ever since the inception of T20 cricket, youth and fearlessness have always the norm as players who were quick to adapt and approached the game in a more aggressive manner were given the go-to. However, we have seen the importance of specialists and well rounded experience playing a huge role for teams as well.

T20 cricket has acted as a form of resurrection for many players who have managed to stretch their careers as well as perform consistently in this format. 

In the ‘young’ team, we can see considerably higher strike rates, which suggests that the players have really adapted to the rigors of the format, and have become a force for the opposition bowlers that is difficult to contain. On the other hand, we see stark contrasts in the strike rates of the members of the ‘old team’. This specifies that the roles of all players have been set and the players’ multitude of experience makes them fulfill their requirements consistently. The star all rounders Rusell and Shakib are crucial members the Under 30 team, while the Over 30 team is beautifully balanced and has more specialist players that ensure regular and impactful performances. The economy rates are discernably higher for the young team, but is well balanced out with the consistently high strike rates of the Top 6, and the knack of picking up timely wickets by the pacers and the strangling effect of the spinners. The spin duo of Tahir and Badree look like a handful and are complemented beautifully by Bravo, who bowls 4 overs almost every time as well Ashish Nehra who has had a dream run.

As it is evident, both the teams have their own strengths and almost no perceivable weaknesses as they have all their bases covered. On the whole, a young team can almost certainly be assured of giving fighting performances in challenging conditions because of the brand of cricket they have created, and not to forget, their athleticism in the field. The experienced team edges ahead in the adaptability, consistent performances, and the composition quotient. If divided according to the roles of the players, both teams look proficient enough with the right balance of aggression, calmness, temperament and ability. 

For years, youth trumped experience, but now have the tables turned? Below, are two teams compiled according to the ages of players, as age is taken to be the divisive factor between these two fine lines- youth and experience. These players are selected solely on their performances in this T20 world cup, as well as their prowess in the T20 format. Let’s settle this difficult debate, once and for all. What trumps what? What is better? What is more daring? Youth or experience in the T20 format? Take your pick….

Team A (Under 30 team)

Jason Roy- Age 25

Martin Guptill- Age 29

Virat Kohli (c)- Age 27

Joe Root (vc)- Age 25

Shakib Al Hasan- Age 27

Jos Buttler (wk)- Age 25

Andre Rusell – Age 27

R Ashwin- Age 29

Jasprit Bumrah- Age 22

Mohammad Amir- Age 23

Mustafizur Rahman- Age 20

Team B (Over 30 team)

Chris Gayle- Age 36

Hashim Amla- Age 33

Shane Watson- Age 34

AB De Villiers (vc)- Age 32

Yuvraj Singh- Age 34

MS Dhoni (c/wk)- Age 34

Dwayne Bravo-Age 32

Samuel Badree- Age 35

Ashish Nehra- Age 36

Imran Tahir- Age 36

Dale Steyn- Age 32

India's acceptance a big step in advancement of DRS

The Decision Review System has been one of the most sought after innovations since 2008, which has yearned to eliminate a big part of human error- umpire error through increasing the role played by machines and technology. Constantly being under scrutiny and evaluation, the system has been used in the three major ICC tournaments since 2011. Whether to the joy, or even disgrace, of several fans, it is an undeniable fact that cricket is dominated financially, logistically and politically by "The Big Three" boards- ECB, CA and BCCI.

It has been no secret that BCCI has vociferously opposed the "questionable" system and has not adopted in any of its bilateral series since the disastrous 3 test tour against Sri Lanka where DRS was exposed, at a time when the other 9 cricket boards, to the major part, have welcomed the idea. The BCCI are obviously great financial benefactors to the ICC and contribute a lot to the development of the game in general, in terms of advertising to other countries or even giving them a platform to get involved. The BCCI and the Indian team are also associated with a mass fan following willing to popularize any idea that the board adopts or the fans find worthy.

The prayers have been answered

At a time when the effectiveness and longevity of DRS was coming into question, the BCCI has resuscitated the concept by investing its faith for a long home series with England, in which they play 5 tests, giving the DRS a big platform and enough time to convince the players and fans alike. The system has also gone through some glaring changes, something that would've played a role in the change of BCCI's mind, that has added balance to the batsman friendly game in favour of the bowlers.

 The zone in which more than half the ball must hit the pad for not-out decisions to be overturned has been increased along with the zone in which the ball-tracking projection needed to show more than half the ball hitting the stumps.  Therefore, more than half the ball still needs to hit the pad in line with the stumps, but measured from the outside of off stump to the outside of leg stump, and more than half the ball still needs to hit the stumps, but not as centrally as before.

Not NOT OUT anymore- Due to an increase in dimension, such decisions would benefit the bowling team, unlike previously

The DRS is certainly the way ahead in the future following a change in the mindset of both players and spectators. The rigors of the game mean that small margins of error can have a huge impact in deciding the fate of a match, and the need for umpires to be spot on is increasing. There remains to “charm” of human error anymore. There have been also formerly been talks of adding detectors of front foot and side no balls, to add more accuracy and precision to the game. 

For a game that is played by humans, and made more interesting by errors and imperfections just like every other sport, this may not be the best way forward, but certainly has many advantages associated with it. Reducing the workload of the on field umpires, whilst still adding more scope for scrutiny, DRS’s future prospects have been bolstered with the support of the biggest and most influential cricket board. The BCCI have given the go ahead, ensuring exciting things are coming ahead. Now, it’s the turn of the Decision Review System to repay the faith.

Decoding the ICC Ranking System and its probems

Pakistan were playing a burly English side at Lords. India were playing a fragile West Indies side at Antigua, while Sri Lanka were facing the not so mighty Australians in Colombo. India won a series overseas, versus an 8th ranked team and Australia suffered a rare, but destructive white wash from a 7th ranked team while the 2nd and 3rd ranked teams locked horns to square the series. Pakistan played in adverse English conditions after 6 years, having had no trace of cricket at home in past, or future, while India went for a short stint away from home, waiting a full fledged home season ahead of them. Australia went in, deservedly as the No.1 team, but on the back of a consecutive 6 match losing streak in Asia, awaiting a tour of India soon.

It is all too obvious what the near future is like, or was like for these teams. Unfortunately, the ranking system doesn’t take the circumstances in consideration, and it is not practically possible either, but the ranking system can certainly take account of stats and figures for a particular year for a given match. Here is a sneak peek into the ranking system followed by the ICC specifically in tests. Teams are ranked on basis of points given at the end of each series.The points awarded to a team depends on the strength of the opposition. The strength of the opposition is again assessed on the basis of the difference in rating points between the two teams in question. These rating persist for 36-48 months with varying weightage depending on the time period when the matches are played. The first two years get 50% weightage, while the last 12 to 24 months gets 100% weightage. For example, in May 2015, all matches from May 2012 to April 2014 gets 50% weightage, while matches after May 2014 gets 100% weightage.

Latest Rankings- Based on a points system and includes results from last 2 years 

So, all in all the system weighs a number of plausible factors including relative performance, opposition as well as time period. The rating points decide the final rankings, which change on a series to series basis, with the No.1 team provided with a trophy and cash incentive. What is this method missing? Surely, every thing has flaws, but this has a glaring and deeply penetrable one. The single most influential aspect, that has an overbearing say on the outcome of the game, players and officials aside, is the pitch. The 22 yard strip along with the playing conditions add to the over bearing home advantage that shakes the balance of the game, and makes one team look stronger than the other. Had India not produce colloquially spinning tracks, or England seaming tracks, there wouldn't have been any challenge of playing and winning in the sub continent or at Lord's, not to mention facing up to the different climactic conditions. The team winning away and losing away from home should be given more credit than the team playing at home.

India have had fruitful dominant periods at home and equally destructive periods away from home.

A 3-0 win against the No.1 team at home is impressive enough, but technically Sri Lanka would've got the same credit had they won 3-0 in Melbourne, Perth and Sydney, a seemingly impossible task. India got the more credit for beating South Africa 3-0 on abnormally spin friendly pitches, than England who beat South Africa 2-1 in their own den on hot bouncy tracks. What's worse is that the pitches are being powered more and more to suit the home team, sometimes the assistance is exaggerated, like we saw in Nagpur, and Colombo. The advantage is profound enough to double the rating points gained, after a series win, especially to top ranked teams. What about the margin of dominance? The Ashes 2015 saw England "edge" Australia out by what looked like an agonising 3-2 evenly fought margin, but in truth, none of the games entered day 5, and were disparate with the score line. It is obviously impossible to assign different points for every victory, but a few guide lines set would b beneficially in weighing the team's performance more accurately.

Test Cricket is also about endurance and consistency. Not one good year makes you No.1, but shear dominance or resilience for 4-5 years. Therefore, one bad year shouldn't lower your ranking from No.1 to No.7, in South Africa's case, as they had an unbelievably long dominant period before that. The rankings shouldn't alter so extravagantly every month either. Moments after Steve Smith won the mace, Misbah was handed the same, with Kohli well in line to receive it soon. In conclusion, the rankings system could do with some changes- some glaring ones immediately, while others that would give the system more relevance if applied. It must be conceded however, that the rating system weighs more factors in consideration than not, so must be appreciated for its utility.

The Unjust Life of an Indian Sportsman

*Not an article purely based on cricket, influenced by the ongoing Rio Olympics 2016* 

 In a cricket savvy nation such as India, sports such as hockey (national game), badminton, tennis etc. don’t count for much. In fact, so much so that most of the contributions are met with dry acceptance or are totally overlooked. The BCCI (Board of Cricket Control for India) is the richest cricket board, with a net worth of almost 320 crore rupees per year. That is incentive enough to become a cricketer. The earning of a basic cricketer amounts to 25 lakh per year without having to play any match. Each match fee ranges from 2 to 7 lakhs.

The salaries for other people are vastly different. Top Hockey players are paid an average of 25000 per match which amounts to around 3 lakh per year. Athletes who take part in the Olympics earn as little as 75000 per tournament and a yearly salary of 1 lakh. Most of these sportsmen have to resort to doing part time jobs in order to keep up with their daily expenditures. Every year 5,000 of renowned Indian athletes are stripped of their salaries and are compelled to do menial jobs.

Yogeshwar Dutt and Milkha Singh

Everyone will talk about India losing an ODI match to Bangladesh but no one will talk about Vishvanathan Anand losing to Carlsen or Sania Mirza winning the Mixed Doubles title. It is disappointing that people know KL Rahul, but not Shivani Kataria (India's first female Olympic swimmer) or Jitu Rai. While cricketers party hard, and are always in the news; the other sportsman live a life of agony and strive for acceptance and respect not only among the immediate Indian fans but also among the general public. An athlete’s life is generally characterised by toil and determination. A cricketer’s life includes luxury. A cricketer has a hard job no doubt, but his single earnings in an IPL tournament is enough for his earnings for at  least 3 years. Just recently, the Indian Ice Hockey team didn’t even have enough money to register for a tournament, a meagre amount of 1 lakh required which is the money an Indian cricketer gets after playing one T20 match.

Being a cricketer is as difficult as being any other sportsman. So why the added incentive? And why the granted disadvantages? Its almost as if discuss throwers, wrestlers, boxers and even Olympic Medalists are unknown and ignored here. Not only are the wages and facilities bare minimum as compared to cricketers, these ‘mediocre’ athletes don’t even have the proper resources to even practice their skills, let alone hone them. Satnam Singh, the latest prodigy and thankfully well known sportsman in India, didn’t even have a basketball court in his village let alone the necessary equipment. Most of the Indian Olympic and Commonwealth athletes don’t even get a chance to practice in the stadiums until a month before the tournament actually start. Most of our sport teams apart from the obvious ones (hockey, tennis, football) remain strapped for cash.

A very important question arises. Cricket is overhyped in this country and cricket deserves the allocation of a fair share of resources arguably more as compared to other sports, but the allocation of all available resources. The situation is so egregious that even the sportsman themselves are struggling to keep up with their passion, let alone attracting any fan base. Yet, the performance of the  athletes in the Olympics has been undermined and criticised. The sad truth is that money is spent to water an insignificant one of the million cricket grounds in India rather than on funding a coach or even acceptable premises to practice an event. The facilities for some sports are outright dire, and some of the athletes face nothing but adversity in trying to prepare for the Olympics with no physical or financial support.

If India is to develop as a well rounded sporting country, then its not only cricket that has to grow here. Slowly but surely changes are arising but with the rapidly growing country that is India, one can easily predict buzzing improvements if these sports are even given minute government support. Even if they are not given appropriate, but moderate support, both resourcefully and emotionally, then the second most populous country in the world will be able to sow and reap much more talented athletes who will surely do this country proud. Do not focus on India vs West Indies, focus on giving a #BillionCheers to our atheletes

Best Over 35 T-20 11

It was perceived said twenty 20 cricket is for the youngsters but over the years we have seen a lot of senior and retired cricketers turn things around in the format. And it has actually emerged as a blessing for older players helping them extend their careers.

This XI, comprising of players over 35 with an abundance of experience, skill and consistency, can worthily challenge the best teams and shatter the myth of youth over experience, at least in T20 cricket.

Consisting of 5 batsmen, 2 all-rounders, 2 spinners and 2 pacers from 5 nations, the team combination is a settled one. It has all its bases covered with a mix of aggression and assurance. Do you fancy a team that could beat this one?

1. Chris Gayle:

Chris Gayle of the West Indies poses with his man of the match trophy after the ICC World Twenty20 India 2016 match. (Photo by Pal Pillai/IDI via Getty Images)

Arguably the best T20 player ever, the 36-year-old is an obvious choice. With an average of over 42, Chris Gayle is the leading run-scorer in the format with over 9000 runs at an unreal strike rate of 150.9. He has actually got better with age, with his 12-ball 50 coming last year and his 175 at 34 he has also slammed 2 centuries this year by far.

Gayle also has the most fifties- 59 along with the most hundreds- 18, which makes him head and shoulders above the rest. Although not evident, he is more than useful with the ball with an economy of 7.5 and 75 wickets, bowling tight lines and uncanny variations.

2. Tillakaratne Dilshan:

Tillakaratne Dilshan of Sri Lanka celebrates scoring 50 runs during the ICC World Twenty20 India 2016. (Photo by Vivek Prakash-IDI/Getty Images)

The 39-year-old veteran is probably the best T20 player produced by Sri Lanka. He is their leading run scorer as well as the man with the second most T20I runs.

Tillakaratne Dilshan has a passive aggressive approach that proves really effective for him, as it makes him really versatile. He has the most fifties and hundreds for Sri Lanka but his strike rate of 123 ensures that he plays the perfect understudy to Gayle and bats through the innings.

3. Mohammad Hafeez:

Pakistan’s Mohammad Hafeez. (Photo by DIBYANGSHU SARKAR/AFP/Getty Images)

The 35-year-old is sublime to watch with his classy and picturesque batting and is a solid No.3 who can bat through the innings. One of the top 10 highest T20I scorers, Mohammad Hafeez has 9 fifties- the most by a Pakistani.

He has 2 hundreds and 25 fifties in domestic T20s with a strike rate of 122, making him a trustable and solid batsman, yet someone who can accelerate at any point in the inning. Considering the aggressive openers, the professor is the perfect man to play second fiddle and ensure that the inning keeps direction.

4. Marlon Samuels:

West Indies batsman Marlon Samuels. (Photo by JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images)

The man behind West Indies’ two World T20 final victories, Marlon Samuels’ versatility as a batsman and ability to strike the game away from the opposition makes him a great T20 player.

He is capable of playing in contrasting styles according to the game situation and his average of 32, and a strike rate of 120 in complement his economy of 7 and his 66 T20 wickets, adding another potential bowling option to the 11.

5. MS Dhoni (C) (wk):

India’s captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (R) holds the Killer Cup trophy. (Photo by JEKESAI NJIKIZANA/AFP/Getty Images)

The recently turned 35-year old is definitely the most successful T20 and T20I captain and still one of the best wicketkeepers in the game. MS Dhoni is India’s fifth highest run getter even though he bats in the lower middle order.

His average of 37 and strike rate of 135 along with 4900 runs make him possibly the best man to have in the lower middle order to finish the innings. His immense skill and power, coupled with his agility and persistence make him a very difficult batsman to bowl to.

6. Albie Morkel:

Albie Morkel of South Africa. (Photo by Matthew Lewis-IDI/IDI via Getty Images)

The third seamer, as well as a more than capable hard hitting batsman, Albie Morkel, has a multitude of experience in the Twenty20 arena having played 287 matches. He can be lethal with both bat and ball on a given day.

Morkel’s strike rate of 147 and 3767 runs make him a fearful batsman, but his ability to bowl with the new ball and accurately and consistently bowl testing lines makes him the seaming allrounder the side needs.

7. Shahid Afridi:

Pakistan’s Shahid Afridi plays a shot. (Photo by DIBYANGSHU SARKAR/AFP/Getty Images)

The evergreen 36-year-old maverick is probably Pakistan’s biggest ambassador of cricket and a T20 specialist with a multitude of experience and ability.

Shahid Afridi’s big hitting capabilities come in handy at No.7. It isn’t just his strike rate of 155 that matters , but it is his crafty leg spin that makes him a complete and useful bowling all-rounder. 

8. Ashish Nehra:

Indian cricketer Ashish Nehra. (Photo by MUNIR UZ ZAMAN/AFP/Getty Images)

The 37-year-old Indian pacer has made an unexpected and astonishing comeback at the twilight of his career. Ashish Nehra’s 146 wickets in just 110 matches at 7.61 make him a perfect fit to be the leader of the pace attack.

Nehra specializes in moving the new ball both ways and is not just a wicket-taker upfront but is a threat at the death too with his pinpoint accuracy, and ability to read the batsman’s mind and deliver accordingly.

9. Samuel Badree:

West Indies bowler Samuel Badree.  (Photo by PUNIT PARANJPE/AFP/Getty Images)

For someone who has played more than 140 T20s, the 35-year old’s economy of 5.5 is exemplary. Samuel Badree is one of the rare leg spinners with the skill to open the bowling and be highly successful, no matter how the pitch behaves.

His average of just 18 is reduced to 14 in T20Is, which is why Samuels is also the top ranked T20I bowler. His superb bowling skills always have the batsmen in a tangle.

10. Imran Tahir:

South African cricketer Imran Tahir (L) celebrates dismissing West Indies batsman Andre Fletcher . (Photo by JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images)

Another leg-spinner, the 37-year-old Imran Tahir has been a prolific wicket-taker in T20 cricket with 154 wickets from just 125 innings and an economy of 6.8. His average falls to 15 in T20Is and he is a big threat to the batsmen in the later stages of the innings with 5 fielders outside.

Tahir is a conventional leggie and relies on flight, drift and turn to bamboozle the batsmen and will form a fiery trio with Afridi and Badree. He is particularly lethal on wickets that assist spin.

11. Mohammad Sami:

Suresh Raina of India is bowled by Mohammad Sami. (Photo by Vivek Prakash-IDI/Getty Images)

Not many people make a comeback at 35 and be successful, but Mohammad Sami definitely did, proving his critics wrong. His average of 7.05 is outstanding for someone who bowls at the most difficult times in the innings.

His 110 wickets in 99 innings justify his wicket taking ability. Sami may not be very quick, but is very effective with his discipline and tight lines. He is the perfect understudy to Nehra.