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Somerset were to play the Eagles (they did yesterday), it was a crucial encounter. They needed their top order to fire, help them post a good total on board. So that their bits and pieces bowlers would step in to give them a helping hand. Even before the ink dried on the strategy map there was ink on someone’s passport - The stamp of goodbye, the mark of departure or whatever you would want to call it. The passport belonged to one Marcus Edward Trescothick, the same man who had to leave half way from a party that toured India and again in the midst of an Ashes campaign.
Marcus was (rather is) fighting demons from within, demons that wouldn’t want to see him leave the shores of England to play. After a concerted fight Marcus seemed to have managed to cage the demons during a tour of UAE early this year. He landed in India on a positive note, though he didn’t make any notable contribution, his team banked on his experience. After all he was the top dog in the last county season.
But Marcus did well to fight them, in fact he nearly vanquished them before this reappearance. Demons, they have their way.
Manoj Prabhakar said he is a glorified luggage handler. One could understand Prabhakar’s frustrations. For, in a cricket team the luggage handler is the booker… Well err… I mean the one who takes care of the travel arrangement of the touring party. I am sure Prabhakar thought he was the master Booker, every bookie’s friend and a smart cookie who tries deflecting the blame. So why someone else? (BTW, did he aim his potshots at Russell Radhakrishnan or Venky ??)
Nonsense apart, Venkatesh Prasad is probably one of the qualified coaches in India, he did well while as the coach of Karnataka. Whatever said about his speed, he was an intelligent bowler and was successful too. If he was not, any of Ashish Winston Zaidi, Dodda Ganesh, David Johnson, Abhay Kuruvilla & Paras Mahbrey would have played more tests than him. Add their numbers together it would still be lesser than Venky’s. I am sure he contributed something atleast.
He was perched on top of the open bus savoring the T20 win, he was on top of the world when some commentators called India’s bowling attack the best in the world.
But that was before the demons had their way.
Robin Singh or Robbing Singh, call him whatever. He is one of the earnest figures in Indian cricket, again one of the few qualified figures. Hardworking and sincere, that is how most of his peers describe him. I am sure Sachin Tendulkar wouldn’t have recommended his name as Mumbai Indians coach for nothing.
Sachin called him just before the demons ejected him. And then, the demons had their way.
Rahul Dravid, whatever said he definitely is an all season’s player. He is one of the most successful ODI players India has ever had, someone who brought solidity into the middle order. He has more been a silent samurai than a cricket player. For, he’s had to slay the demons all through his career.
Does anyone remember Jaywant Lele ? Rahul Dravid is not fit for ODI’s he proclaimed and had him dropped from the team. Dravid fought his way back. And then it was the Colonel’s turn, he had to stand down as captain (I thought he was a rather successful captain) and saw himself dropped from the ODI team.
And then came the bouncers, those were the demons down Rohit Sharma & Suresh Raina’s alley. They saw the resurgence of Dravid, but it was shortlived. The next place where the Indians play ODI’s is at home where it doesn’t bounce that well.
So the demons had their way.
Demons have had their way either by themselves as the Trescothick story illustrates or through a demoniac as in the case of Venky, Robin & Rahul.
Many variants of demon but their objective is the same, elimination. Raina’s, Bhajji’s and even Dhoni’s run for that amulet, the day when the demons would chase you is not too far.
Manifestations of the demon
Mark of a man - Some more stats
As NC rightly pointed out in one of his comments, Ramps is getting very good coverage for himself at 40. Thanks to BCC!.
Well now, we have 3 issues to address
1) Can or Can’t England produce a guy who would average mid to high 40s?
It is a million dollar question, I am not sure if I would want to take-up the challenge of answering the question. I would recommend we keep this as a separate discussion. With the thumping win over West Indies (another wooden spoon team) in the first test, I am not sure if this is the right time to start that discussion. For, this positive (one test) might pull some wool over our discerning eyes. So let’s wait for the series to get midway at least.
2) How can they continue to play a batsman who averages 27 for over 50 tests?
The batsman in question is Ramps. Let’s look at some numbers again. A couple of mosaics, easy to read.
Some takeouts
a) Ramps got to play for England in 9 installments. 4 poor, sub 20 outings, 3 in 20s and 2 hovering 40s outings.
b) The longest run was 15 matches at 26 which included a decent Ashes campaign in Australia at 32.
c) Both instances when he averaged 40, he got dropped immediately. While this would make one think that the others might have fared better than this 40, it is not the case.
So how do we explain the selectors dropping a player who averaged 40?
3) Talent pool: I would differ slightly, with the view most of us have. In thinking England has a small talent pool. Let us do one small exercise, take the current T20 team of India and England. Tell me how many players from U-19 levels have gotten in to the teams?
The answer is...
I would say Tesco is definitely a thing of the past as far as the current England set-up is concerned.
Why?
There is no Duncan Fletcher.
He won Ashes alright, but he was the Buchanan of England for a great part of his coaching career.
My Characters XI
- by Bhaskar Khaund
- William Shakespeare
Well , no, Bill Shakespeare didn’t say that but here’s my Characters XI anyway:
Marcus Trescothick
I doubt The Stones wrote 19th Nervous Breakdown for Marcus Trescothick. If they did, Mick and Keef were probably trying understatement. The circumstances behind his withdrawing from international cricket from a secure England opening position are well documented (at least with his analyst). The insinuating rumors went beyond that: stuff like how he’d weep when fielders appealed for bat-pad or how he once fainted at the crease when the non-striker twisted his ankle. Malicious and utterly ridiculous rumors! However, to be on the safe side, team support infrastructure should probably include soft handkerchiefs, a couch and a couple of shrinks.
Virender Sehwag
He gets to 99 off 20 balls and then holes out in the deep. The rest collapse for 20 off 99 balls.
Ricky Ponting
Probably the best bat in the world currently.
Kevin Pietersen
KP is the complete performance player - will put heart, soul and nationality into it.
Andrew Symonds
Outside off stump is not the only place this man goes fishing. And just when he had found easy bait in Harbhajan, he finds himself in the same boat. Symo is never one to feel all at sea however and at any rate, this fishy all rounder at no. 5 provides that vital imbalance crucial to any team.
(Note - ‘fishy’ in good faith on firm assumption that it can by no stretch of imagination be construed as racist)
Rashid Latif
Keeps wickets.
Bowler to batsman. Latif goes up in appeal.
Was that a nick? Was that an LBW shout?
Oh no, hang on, Rashid’s actually appealing against his ex-team mates’ match fixing ways.
Shane Warne
From Ball Of The Century clean bowling Gatting round his legs to balling sundry maidens round theirs, Warnie has done it all.
Harbhajan Singh
Although he is not averse to indulging in monkey business, at heart Bhajji is a warm and emotional team player. Check that high five on Sreesanth’s cheek that moved Sree to tears.
Thats unfair.
S.Sreesanth
Sreesanth of course has a mouth in his foot.
Shoaib Akhtar
Speed Akhtar is a fast man for our fast times. Fast cars, fast gals, the fast life.
Mohammed Asif
The talented M.Asif has a way of counter-attacking the odd career low: he gets high.
Right. So that’s my Eleven. And yours?
(PS – what about Coach? Javed Miandad I was thinking…)
mint you own business...
By straight point
since trescothic 'minted' that he used mint laced saliva to shine off the ball and oz during 2005 series...we are seeing reactions being reverse swinging in every direction...i still dont know whether they are shocked or in awe of this 'nobel' method...
but the thoughts which has been crossing my mind since i heard this is why...
why now?
what was the compulsion?
and more importantly why we are believing him?
are we believing coz it suits us...?
oh never 'mint' what it can do to the sales of his autobiography...a la flethcher's?
PS: only if england had good selectors they would not have selected this mentally fragile intellectual...so don't repeat the same mistake take things in control... 'fix the qualification of selectors' here...or go ahead be selector yourself...here at BCCI...
Finding the lost Trescothick
By Scorpicity
A couple of days back when boredom hit a new high where even having a cool glass of beer was a boring thought, I decided to watch some English county cricket. I know... I know... If I watch the English County leagues, it is a good sign of depression coming over me. After all, I have time and again maintained that “English county cricket is like Sandra Bullock doing a pole dance and you still won't get it up”.
But what got my attention was this estranged guy...”Marcus Trescothick” playing. I thought he was busy with his new found association of sensitive cricket players (ASCP), strengthened by vice-president, Shaun Tait and groupie, Tim May. But recently Ottayan in his blog, highlighted some excerpts of Marcus explaining to the world on his depression that stopped him from pursuing cricket. So watching him a day after I read that piece on Ottayan's blog, I was surprised to see him play. Curiosity to watch the man who by far could have been a force to reckon with for England got me watch a full match.
40 over match, 330 runs scored... 300 plus runs for the first wicket and Marcus unleashing one of the most brutal innings I have seen. Heck... even the commentator went brutal this, brutal that. The 170 odd runs that he unleashed got me thinking about the man who seem to be a softie ice cream that dissipates at a lick yet is so strong, flowing and majestic on the field with the willow. One wonders what England as a team could have been with Marcus on top, Bell, Collingwood, KP and my most hated English cricketer, Flintoff all in one flow. Nevertheless, it would be cricket's great loss if this player, doesn't ever come out of his depression and get back to where he belongs... not some crappy county team but for the national side.
For more brutal stuff, you could listen to Nile.
BTW, after scoring 330 they lost that game by D/L.
Peace!
