VIEWPOINT – Is there a bigger dampener than a two-Test series?

“As the ICC has increased the number of T20 Internationals that countries can play against each other, the number of two-Test series are becoming more common, which I would rather not happen at all because they are a nothingness of a nothing”. This is what the great former Indian batsman Rahul Dravid said […]

VIEWPOINT – Time to revive the trans-Tasman rivalry

It is quite a shame that Australia and New Zealand have played each other in only 52 Test matches since the inaugural one-off Test at Wellington in 1945-46. Despite their healthy rivalry, Test match fixtures between the two nations have been disappointingly infrequent. That Test in 1945-46 played a part in Australia refusing […]

VIEWPOINT – Which is the best World Cup format?

The ongoing football World Cup in Brazil has caught the attention of the world, and the excitement among fanatics of the game will only increase as the semi-final round beckons. The tournament has been a big success and people from countries with barely any football culture are also hooked on to the games. […]

Viewpoint – The Munster question

My friends know I have a fridge magnet at home, bearing the legend, ‘ Everyone is entitled to my opinion.’ So when Rustom invited me to do a piece on Irish cricket… I didn’t take a great deal of persuading. You need a few bits of background about me to get the drift […]

VIEWPOINT – A brief suggestion on how to enhance Test cricket

Eleven things that could be done in the near future to enhance Test cricket, in my opinion:- 1) First and foremost, some kind of parity in the number of Tests each team plays, and each team should play every other with reasonable frequency (like the 90’s). Easier said than done though – yet another […]

VIEWPOINT – A rearguard to remember

Over the years, the glorious game of Test cricket has churned out moments that are forever destined to be part of a nation’s psyche. To name a few, for England, the Ashes victories of 1953, 1981 and 2005 stand out. For Australia, the three Ashes whitewashes and a golden run in the 2000’s are […]

VIEWPOINT – An outrageous plan that could choke the life out of cricket

Although it has been two days since someone (many thanks to that whistle-blower, and also thanks to Sharda Ugra and Jarrod Kimber for highlighting this on Cricinfo) leaked a shocking draft proposal to revamp the structure of the ICC, it is still difficult to believe that it actually happened and that it was not […]

VIEWPOINT – An Ashes turnaround like no other

Not even the staunchest supporters of the Baggy Greens would have imagined that the 2013-14 Ashes would be decided in favour of their team in the first three Tests itself. It has all happened so suddenly – England, who came Down Under on the back of three successive Ashes triumphs, were made to eat […]

VIEWPOINT – Naming future India-South Africa Test series after Mandela would be apt

“Sport has the power to change the world…it has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. It speaks to youth in a language they understand. Sport can create hope where once there was only despair. It is more powerful than government in breaking […]

VIEWPOINT – A farcical final that was a fitting end

It was only apt that the last match of the 15-year old Champions Trophy was in effect a Twenty20 game. For as we all know, the main reason of the ICC for bumping off this tournament is that they can cram in more irrelevant Twenty20 leagues into the calendar. The Test championship is of […]