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An account of Rahul Dravid through his formative years

Satish Viswanathan17-Mar-2006

‘Consistent, persistent, focused are words freely associated with Rahul Dravid now butthese have always been his strengths’ © AFP
The year 1990 seems so far away but that¹s where we must begin. It was thefinal year of college for some of us, but it was the first year among thebig boys for Rahul Dravid. Then a slightly freckled, wiry lad, he is todaythe Indian captain and on the verge of playing his 100th Test. Then a shyintrovert, today he is perhaps the country¹s most articulate sportsperson.Then a murderer of spin bowling, today he wears down the best and fastest offast bowlers. It has been some journey.From St Joseph¹s School to St Joseph¹s Commerce College (SJCC) is a naturalstep for most Josephites in Bangalore, but for Dravid it was much more thanthat. Here was where he would get three degrees for the price of one. Itwas a great place to study; the college believed in creating well-roundedpersonalities rather than just bright students; and most importantly, SJCChad a fantastic cricket team, one of the hardest to break in to.Many a talented cricketer had made his way into the college after being astar in school cricket, only to then warm the benches for a year or twobefore getting a look in. But not Dravid: at 17, his special ability wasmore than apparent.I remember one incident vividly. Having gone away to represent Karnataka inan Under-17 tournament, Dravid returned with a broken arm and was forced tomiss a few college games. Just days after he had resumed practice, thecollege side was to play a three-day final. The team think-tank wasunanimous that Dravid must come into the side if only for his ability tokeep one end up and allow the otherwise predominantly attacking batsmen toplay their strokes freely. But this meant that we had to drop a batsman whohad scored a mere half-century in the previous game.To cut a small story short, Dravid justified his inclusion, but the lad whowas dropped simply walked out of the college. He didn¹t think for a momentthat Dravid was a better player than him and made his point rather tooforcibly. I met him a few years later, and I was relieved that he was nowable appreciate that Dravid had been more deserving.The other thing that I remember most about him is something he said aftermore than a modest tour of West Indies in1997. ‘My biggest fear is ending myinternational career as just yet another Test cricketer. I want to beremembered as a great Test cricketer.’ This was barely one year after hisTest debut, and coming from someone else it could have sounded boastful, oreven foolish. Not so with Dravid, who was earnest and completely focused onbecoming really good.Single-mindedness has always been his big asset, and this was something wewere exposed to pretty early. I remember a two-day fun-trip out of Banglaorein 1990. While most of the team drank the night away at a cool hill station,Dravid spent the night practicing. No, it wasn¹t cricket. He found out thatour wicketkeeper was a great dancer and decided it was time for somelessons.What the dance teacher didn¹t realize was that this was no ordinary pupil, who would go away after a while; the lessons went on for the whole night. You can see that his feet movement is near perfect on the cricket field these days and has been so for more than a while.Consistent, persistent, focused are words freely associated with him now butthese have always been his strengths. The one thing he has added inabundance is balance. Balance not just at the batting crease but life ingeneral.He does not fly back from an inconsequential series for the birth of hischild but willingly stays awake nights tending to him after that. His busyschedule allows him little time for old friends, but does not forget topersonally call them up for his marriage. While he does not like offendingpeople, it doesn¹t stop him from bringing on Anil Kumble, old friend andproven matchwinner, as third-change spinner on a spinner¹s paradise.On Saturday, Dravid will walk out in his Indian blazer for his 100th Testand may just be overcome enough by the occasion to lose a step or two andwill probably lose the toss too. But whatever happens from here, he hasalready earned the right to described as one of great batsmen in the world.

In the early 2000s a pair of spinners took centre stage. But Warne is gone, Brett Lee is better than ever, Dale Steyn is making the headlines, and quicks are even thriving in India, traditionally fast-bowling’s final frontier

Lawrence Booth26-Mar-2008
Bad and back: Dale Steyn has averaged 19 since returning to Tests in 2006 © Getty Images
“Poetry and murder lived in him together,” wrote RC Robertson-Glasgow of Don Bradman, but anyone who watched Michael Holding glide to the crease or heard the chants of “kill” as Dennis Lillee prepared to do his worst might think the conceit applies equally well to the fast bowler. Ever since George Brown of Brighton ended the life of an inattentive dog in the early 19th century with a delivery that beat the wicketkeeper and – so legend has it – went through a coat held by the trembling long-stop, the speedy have exerted their hold, both ghoulish and visceral, on spectators. Think of Harold Larwood and Bodyline, Frank Tyson, Lillee and Thomson, Holding’s over to Geoff Boycott, Wasim and Waqar, Donald to Atherton at Trent Bridge, Shoaib Akhtar. “The fast bowler,” wrote John Arlott in 1975 in his preface to David Frith’s , “is the most colourful characterin cricket.” More than three decades later, is it wishful thinking to suggest that the colour is returning to a few characters’ cheeks?If we take as our yardstick a speed of 85mph – the likes of Thomson and Shoaib, bowler of the first recorded 100mph deliveryin match conditions, are a subset of their own – then the global paddock looks nicely stocked. Australia have a more mature Brett Leeand an exciting Mitchell Johnson, even if Shaun Tait is temporarily out of action; England boast Stuart Broad, Ryan Sidebottom (quicker now than when Duncan Fletcher ignored him), Steve Harmison, and are itching for Andrew Flintoff’s return, to say nothing of Simon Jones; New Zealand have – or had – Shane Bond; Pakistan have Shoaib, when fit, and the whippy, casual Mohammad Asif; South Africa can unleash Dale Steyn and, more recently, Morne Morkel; Sri Lanka can let loose Lasith “The Slinger” Malinga; andeven West Indies can take their pick from Fidel Edwards, Jerome Taylor and Daren Powell. As for India, the days of the many-pronged spin attack of the 1970s are a distant memory: as with most other areas of the game, the world of pace is very muchtheir oyster. “Fast bowling around the world is pretty healthy at the moment,” says Troy Cooley. “These are exciting times.”Not least for Cooley himself. One of the game’s most respected fast-bowling coaches, he was the puppet-master behind England’s Ashes-winning four-man pace attack in 2005 before being poached by his native Australia in plenty of time for the return leg in 2006-07. It would be a gross exaggeration to say that Australia’s 5-0 win was down to Cooley. But it would be equally wrong to ignore his contribution. After all, would Harmison really have begun with that scene-setting wide at the Gabba if Cooley’s calming influence had been in England’s dressing room rather than Australia’s? Who knows? But what is clear is that back-room support in this non-stop era of international cricket is now a necessity rather than a luxury. And it seems to be paying dividends.”The schedule can be a bit tough,” says Dale Steyn, who – following South Africa’s drubbing of Bangladesh – had taken 97wickets at 19 each since returning to Test cricket in April 2006. “If you manage it well, you can get away with it. We have great support staff in South Africa, so if I have a day off, I don’t get on my feet at all. They know all the requirements.” The 24-year-old Steyn says he is yet to bowl within himself, which might explain why his Test strike-rate in the last two years has been a phenomenal 33. “I love the buzz of bowling fast,” he says. “Yes, I do get a thrill from it. Morne Morkel is incredibly quick too, and that spurs me on. You think you’ve got to bowl quicker than the other guys because you don’t want to lose your place in the team. Even the franchises are producing quick bowlers. The selectors have got a good thing going. Now I want to be the quickest in the world.”Steyn’s instinctive enthusiasm – “When I fly from Johannesburg to Cape Town and look down at my country, it’s amazing to think,’Out of all the people to bowl fast for South Africa, they picked me'” – is a recurring theme among pacemen. Tyson spoke of the “gladanimal action” of bowling fast. Lillee noted: “It’s the sheer ‘I can fly’ exhilaration … It’s seeing that look of apprehension on your quarry’s face.” Thomson, his partner in crime, famously reckoned he just went “whang”. Neither was he averse to the sight of blood. Each generation of quicks derives its own special pleasures.It’s the sheer ‘I can fly’ exhilartion…It’s seeing that look of apprehension on your quarry’s faceDennis LilleeThe question is, do the generations wax and wane as a matter of course? Is the current crop of emerging quicks merely part of cricket’s natural ebb and flow? Mike Atherton, who faced some of the modern game’s great new-ball pairings during the 1990s, agrees there was a “drop-off in terms of the quality of fast bowlers” in the years following his retirement in 2001. But he adds: “I wonder to what extent these things are cyclical.” The power struggle between quick and slow over the last four decades suggests he has a point.In the 1970s three of the five leading Test-wicket-takers were spinners: Derek Underwood (202 wickets), plus the Indian pair ofBishan Bedi (196) and Bhagwat Chandrasekhar (180). But by the 1980s only one slow bowler – Pakistan’s Abdul Qadir (216) – made a top ten dominated by the West Indians and the four great allrounders: that decade Richard Hadlee, Kapil Dev, Ian Botham and Imran Khan claimed 1075 wickets between them. Shane Warne led the pack in the 1990s but behind him came five quicks and one almost-quick: Curtly Ambrose (309), Courtney Walsh (304), Wasim Akram (289), Allan Donald (284), Waqar Younis (273) and Glenn McGrath (266). And in the 2000s Muttiah Muralitharan, Warne and Anil Kumble lead the way. But Warne has retired, Kumble will soon join him, and – after the fallow period alluded to by Atherton – the picture is changing once more.Not everything, however, can be put down to the self-regulatory nature of cycles. Improvements in physiotherapy have helped, evenif Cooley stresses that fast bowling remains a “risky business”. But Stuart Osborne, who has been the Sussex physio for ten years andhas worked regularly with the England Academy, says technological advances have changed the nature of the beast. “Fast bowlers now are year-round athletes,” he says. “They are fitter and stronger than when I first started in the job. The buzzword in the last five years has been ‘core stability’ – they work on different muscles now. You always get naturals, but there’s a lot more help now for fastbowlers who are not as naturally gifted. Ice baths prevent stiffness in muscles and at Sussex we have a jacuzzi, as well as hot-and-cold contrast baths. Bowlers are screened regularly and there’s an eye on workloads. There’s been a sharp reduction in stress fractures.”
Ishant Sharma took 4 for 38 against Australia in February, including Ricky Ponting with a brute of a lifter © Getty Images
Nowhere has this new tendency to prolong the life of the average fast bowler had more impact than in India. And this is where the argument really does depart from the cyclical. It used to be thought that the group most likely to smuggle secrets across borders were legspinners, misunderstood by everyone but each other. But the MRF (Madras Rubber Factory) pace foundation in Chennai, the brainchild of Lillee himself, has given fast bowlers everywhere the sense of a global community and Indians in particular the confidence to reach beyond their traditional stereotypes of beguiling spin and wristy batting. Zaheer Khan, RP Singh, Irfan Pathan, Sreesanth and Munaf Patel are all products of the foundation, as is India’s bowling coach, Venkatesh Prasad. When Lillee told Prasad how his bowlers could best exploit the Fremantle Doctor during the recent Perth Test, it was confirmation that the fast-bowlers’union has moved way beyond the old agreement not to bowl bouncers at each other. India won by 72 runs.TA Sekhar, who briefly bowled fast-medium for India in the mid-1980s, has been working with Lillee at the foundation almostfrom its very beginnings in 1987. “When it started, no one in India understood what it meant to be a fast bowler,” says Sekhar. “Theyhad no clue about training. Now young bowlers know about the three types of action: open, semi-open and side-on. They knowexactly what they want to do and where they want to land the ball. Previously bowlers were always side-on. Awareness has improved massively. And they are learning how to swing the ball at pace, which is what they did in Australia. Only BrettLee swung it for Australia, but all our boys were doing it.”Until the emergence of Prasad and Javagal Srinath, another graduate of the foundation, as an international-class new-ball pairing in the 1990s, India’s lack of fast-bowling heritage had irked those who looked west and saw the Pakistanis churn out one loose-limbed tearaway after another. Sekhar attributes the discrepancy to nothing more than genetics – “Constitutionally, Pakistanis are bigger men” – but says this very awareness helped him and Lillee customise a training regime for potential Indian fast bowlers. Sekhar stresses the need for fitness and strength but also points out that the natural flexibility of most Indians (“We sit on the ground and cross our legs when we eat”) has helped prevent back problems. “With Shaun Tait, we all knew he was going to have injury problems because of his action,” he says. “There is an inherent risk of injury in bowling fast. The body is not designed to do it. You have to get used to awkward moments and do your training and weights, your yoga and Pilates. It’s about core-muscle strengthening.”After some trial and error at the start the system has evolved at the school over 10 to 12 years and now we’re seeing the benefits.”Fast bowlers are the strongest kind of cricketer and yet the most delicateStuart OsborneSekhar speaks in reverential terms about the skills which Lillee, who has first-hand experience of serious injury after missing nearly two years of Test cricket in 1973 and ’74 while he recuperated from stress fractures of the back, imparts to a new generation of fast bowlers during the seven or eight weeks he spends annually at the foundation. “He is the best fast-bowling coach I have ever seen. He makes it very simple. There isn’t too much theory. He watches a bowler once in the flesh, then again on video, and then he can say what’s going wrong. He can see in real-time what other coaches only see in slow motion.”Fast bowlers everywhere clearly agree. The counties now send between 15 and 20 bowlers to Chennai every year, with Mick Newell, the coach of Nottinghamshire, admitting “the boys hang on Dennis’s every word”. He adds: “Dennis is very big on injury-prevention coaching. He’s always looking for straight lines. He builds actions and spots bowlers who are likely to run into trouble.” Newell credits Lillee with helping Sidebottom, in early 2004, to find the swing into the right-hander which has changed his career. Lillee lined him up straighter, kept his wrist behind the ball and got the seam straight. Makhaya Ntini and Mitchell Johnson have both paid visits to the foundation – Johnson took five wickets in a one-day international at Vadodara not long after – and Sekhar is particularly proud of the improvement made by Mohammad Asif, who reportedly amazed onlookers when he returned from a stintin Chennai with a regular outswinger and an extra yard of pace. No matter that Asif represents the arch enemy.It might irk Sekhar that he is yet to work with Ishant Sharma, the 6ft 4in, 19-year-old prodigy from Delhi who persuaded theowners of the Kolkata franchise in the Indian Premier League, to fork out £475,000 for him at the recent IPL auction: only three players cost more. Instead, there is genuine excitement in his voice. “Ishant Sharma is the most exciting talent going around,” says Sekhar. “He needs to fill out a bit, and I hope he doesn’t fall into the trap of listening to absolutely everyone. But he uses his body very well, has a good wrist position and good bounce. And he excites people.” It is symptomatic of fast bowling’s ability to stir the emotions that Sharma’s spell to Ricky Ponting in the fourth innings at Perth – 38 deliveries, 15 scratchy runs, plenty of fresh-air gropes, and finally, a misery-ending edge to first slip – is already the stuff of folklore.
Makhaya Ntini lags behind three spinners in a list of Test wicket-takers in the 2000s © Getty Images
Cooley, another Lillee disciple, provides the non-Indian perspective. “It’s great to have the facilities there in India, becauseit’s one of the hardest countries to bowl fast in. You’re putting bowlers in very uncomfortable positions. It can be 40 degrees, there’sthe humidity and the fact they’re no longer at home. You work out pretty quickly who’s got the right attitude that champions need. You learn fast bowling is a tough job.”But is it too tough in an era where there is already talk of squeezing the packed schedule into even fewer weeks to accommodate the IPL? After all, as Osborne points out: “Fast bowlers are the strongest kind of cricketer and yet the most delicate. They are the thoroughbreds, the ones who need the most work done to them.” Most experts agree that the sheer volume of cricket should militate against day-in, day-out, express-pace bowling, and point towards Flintoff, Shoaib, Bond and Simon Jones as examples of players unable to shake off long-term injuries. But this overlooks the number of problems avoided with the help of the back-roomers – Cooley says managing the players’ fitness is a “huge part” of his job – and the recent trend of moving away from so-called mixed actions, where shoulders and hips are not in alignment. Atherton wonders whether there might be another problem in the long run. “Administrators like pitches to last for five days,” he says. “You don’t seem to get many pitches around the world any more where the captain will stick the opposition in, so it becomes harder for fast bowlers to find wicket-taking opportunities on the first morning.”It might be true that the days of a Test team collapsing to 2 for 4, as England – Atherton included – did on the first morning atJohannesburg in 1999-2000, will become increasingly rare. But with Chennai now established as the international fast bowler’s home away from home, captains forever on the lookout for a cutting edge on pitches that demand a bit extra, and the physiotherapists among the most important people in the dressing room, the best fast bowlers ought to be superbly looked after. For all the concerns, it might just be that there has never been a better time to bowl quick.

Fran Kirby pulled out of England's starting line-up on Friday ahead of their clash with Austria, causing injury concern for the Lionesses and Chelsea.

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Kirby pulls out of England line-upLeft warm-up early ahead of Austria gameReplaced in the XI by TooneWHAT HAPPENED?

Kirby left the warm-up early ahead of the friendly in Spain and was seen in discussion with the England physio before being replaced in the Lionesses' XI by Manchester United star Ella Toone.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Kirby is one of England's most talented players but has sadly been hampered by setbacks in recent times. It was only last summer when the Chelsea playmaker was forced to miss the World Cup as a result of a knee problem that had already ended her club season early. Both the Blues and the Lionesses will hope this problem is nowhere near as serious.

DID YOU KNOW?

Kirby became Chelsea's all-time top goal-scorer on the women's side in late 2020 and has now scored over 100 goals for the club. The only other player to hit a century for the Blues is Sam Kerr.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR KIRBY AND ENGLAND?

More news on the extent of Kirby's issue and whether or not she'll be able to feature in Tuesday's friendly against Italy will be known in the coming days, as the England staff assess the talented playmaker.

Newcastle United are reportedly ‘ready to compete’ for the signing of Brighton and Hove Albion central midfielder Moises Caicedo this summer.

The Lowdown: In demand

Caicedo is a player in high demand after he tried to force through a move to either Arsenal or Chelsea in the January transfer window.

Brighton have since tied him down to a new contract, but that is not expected to scupper any potential interest in him in the summer.

The Latest: Newcastle in race

As per The Sunday Mirror, Newcastle are ‘ready to compete’ for Caicedo this summer, with both Arsenal and Chelsea expected to renew their interest, while Liverpool and Manchester United are also thought to have ‘tracked’ him.

His valuation has soared up to £90m since January, and the Magpies are ‘likely’ to be in the mix for his signature, as sporting director Dan Ashworth was incidentally the one that signed him for Brighton two years ago.

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The Verdict: A lot of money…

Spending £90m on Caicedo would easily surpass the club-record £63m that they paid Real Sociedad to sign striker Alexander Isak last summer.

Thus, the owners have to way up whether the Ecuador international is worth that now, with his potential set to rise at the age of just 21.

Caicedo has been a standout performer for a Brighton team pushing to potentially qualify for the UEFA Champions League this season, as none of his team-mates have averaged more tackles per match (three) in the top flight than him, while he also ranks highly for interceptions, key passes, long balls and through balls per game (WhoScored).

Nonetheless, he would be a phenomenal signing for the Magpies, but his price tag may put them off.

Newcastle United return to Premier League action this afternoon as they travel away from St. James' Park to take on newly-promoted Sheffield United at Bramall Lane.

Eddie Howe's side come into this match off the back of a 0-0 draw with AC Milan away from home in their first Champions League game of the 2023/24 campaign.

What's the latest Newcastle team news?

The Magpies head coach has confirmed that central midfielder Joe Willock remains unavailable for selection and will not return before the October international break.

Brazil international Joelinton is also not in contention to feature against the Blades today but Howe has hinted that the ex-Hoffenheim star could be back over the next few weeks before players head off to represent their respective nations.

There are no new injury concerns to deal with and the English boss could rotate his squad to avoid fatigue and further knocks this afternoon.

Will Callum Wilson start against Sheffield United?

One player the manager must unleash against Paul Heckinbottom's side is England international Callum Wilson, who could terrorise the opposition alongside Alexander Isak in attack.

The former Bournemouth marksman scored the only goal of the game, from the penalty spot, against Brentford last week but was named on the bench for the draw in Milan in midweek.

Wilson has only started once in the Premier League this season and has racked up three goals across his five appearances in total in the division.

This comes after the 31-year-old ace, whose mindset was hailed as "incredible" by Howe, produced 18 goals and five assists in 21 top-flight starts and 31 outings in total throughout the 2022/23 campaign.

He has, therefore, scored 21 goals and provided five assists in 22 Premier League starts since the beginning of last season, which is an average of one goal contribution every 0.85 starts and shows that he can provide quality in front of goal on a regular basis.

Isak, who has the versatility to play out on the left flank to accommodate Wilson, has struck twice in four league starts this term and managed ten goals and one assist in 17 starts in his debut campaign in English football.

This means that the Sweden international has produced a goal or an assist every 1.62 Premier League starts on average since his move to the club from Real Sociedad in 2022. Whilst it is not as impressive as Wilson's return, it is better than one every other game and shows that he is able to regularly chip in with match-changing contributions.

In fact, the pair have been on the pitch together in 13 matches and assisted each other for four goals in that time, which shows that they can thrive and help each other to score.

Therefore, the quality is there for Isak and the £46k-per-week ace to be a terrific duo at the top end of the pitch and they could terrorise Sheffield United this afternoon with their sublime goalscoring talents in the final third.

Both players are capable of being lethal in front of goal at Premier League level and Howe must unleash the pair of them against the Blades to see how much damage they can inflict at Bramall Lane today.

The regular Monday column in which Steven Lynch answers your questions about (almost) any aspect of cricket

Steven Lynch09-Oct-2006The regular Monday column in which Steven Lynch answers your questions about (almost) any aspect of cricket:

Tatenda Taibu: allround star © AFP
Which Test player, in a domestic match in 2004, scored 175 not out and then took 8 for 43, both in the second innings? asked Amith Rao from India
That sounds like a quiz question … but the compiler missed out an even more amazing fact: the player concerned started the match as the wicketkeeper! The allrounder was Tatenda Taibu, the recent Zimbabwe captain, who was captaining Mashonaland in their Logan Cup match against Midlands at Kwekwe in April 2004. In the second innings Taibu made 175 not out, to help his side to an overall lead of 514, then decided not to keep wicket and bowl instead. He then took 8 for 43 with his offbreaks as Midlands crashed to 185 all out.What is the highest first-wicket stand ever in a first-class match? And a Test? asked Ewen McDonald from New Zealand
The Test record is 413, by Vinoo Mankad (who made 231) and Pankaj Roy (173) for India against New Zealand at Madras in 1955-56. That came under severe threat in January this year, when Virender Sehwag (254) and Rahul Dravid (180 not out) put on 410 for India against Pakistan at Lahore before Sehwag was out. The first-class record is a lofty 561, by Waheed Mirza (324) and Mansoor Akhtar (224 not out) for Karachi Whites against Quetta (who had been bowled out for 104 shortly beforehand) at Karachi in 1976-77. Just to complete the set, the highest opening stand in a one-day international was set in July this year: Upul Tharanga (109) and Sanath Jayasuriya (152) piled on 286 against England at Headingley as Sri Lanka sailed past England’s imposing-looking total of 321 with amazing ease, winning with 12.3 overs to spare.Has any batsman scored hundreds in both innings of the same Test match at the Adelaide Oval? asked Omkar Persaud from Canada
Five batsmen have scored two separate centuries in a Test at Adelaide – two of them in the same match, in 1946-47, when Arthur Morris made 122 and 124 not out for Australia, and Denis Compton replied with 147 and 103 not out for England. The following year Vijay Hazare made 116 and 145 for India there – but Australia still won by an innings. Rohan Kanhai made 117 and 115 for West Indies during the 1960-61 series that included the first Tied Test. The first instance was by England’s Wally Hammond, with 119 not out and 177 in 1928-29, and the most recent was by Dean Jones, who made 116 and 121 not out for Australia against Pakistan in 1989-90. For a complete list of batsmen who scored a hundred in each innings of a Test, click here.Who has scored the most centuries in one Test series? asked Ian James Bull from Surrey
The only man to score five centuries in the same Test series was the West Indian Clyde Walcott, who did it against Australia at home in 1954-55. Walcott, who sadly died recently, hammered 827 runs in that five-Test series, and his five centuries included two in the second Test at Port-of-Spain, and two more in the final Test, at Kingston. Walcott also made 108 in the first Test, which was also at Kingston – and yet despite his efforts Australia still won the series 3-0! Don Bradman (three times), Denis Compton, Sunil Gavaskar (twice, including his first series, in the West Indies in 1970-71), Walter Hammond, Neil Harvey (twice), George Headley, Jacques Kallis, Mudassar Nazar, Herbert Sutcliffe (twice), Doug Walters and Everton Weekes all scored four centuries in the same Test series.

Apart from batting in all 11 positions, Wilfred Rhodes shared record stands for the first and tenth wickets in Ashes Tests © The Cricketer International
Has anyone batted in all 11 places in the order in Tests? asked Jared Thorn from Australia
There are only three players who have batted in every position in Tests during their careers (this counts opening as both No. 1 and No. 2, as there’s some doubt about who actually took first strike in several early Tests). The versatile trio are Wilfred Rhodes of England – who famously shared in record stands for the first and tenth wickets in Ashes Tests – Australia’s Syd Gregory (who had one innings each at 9, 10 and 11, and managed eight runs in total from them), and Vinoo Mankad of India, who rather bizarrely went in at No. 11 in the first innings of the Barbados Test of 1952- 53, then opened in the second innings. Quite a few people just missed out on a full set, batting in ten different spots: Warwick Armstrong, Jack Blackham, Ian Johnson, Sammy Jones and Hugh Trumble of Australia, Farokh Engineer and Ravi Shastri of India, and Pakistan’s Nasim-ul-Ghani, Shujauddin and Wasim Bari. In ODIs six players have batted in 10 of the 11 possible spots: Abdul Razzaq, Shahid Afridi and Shoaib Malik of Pakistan, South Africa’s Lance Klusener, Mohammad Rafique of Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka’s Hashan Tillekeratne.I noticed that Ray Lindwall took 228 Test wickets without ever taking ten in a match. Is this the highest number of wickets taken without a ten-wicket haul? asked Vikram Ravi Menezes from India
Ray Lindwall’s 228 Test wickets without a ten-for is quite a long way off the record, as this table shows. Top of this particular list is Bob Willis, who took 325 wickets without ever quite managing ten, although he did take nine in a match four times – his best match figures were 9 for 92 against New Zealand at Headingley in 1983. The other bowlers above Lindwall are Joel Garner (259), Jason Gillespie (259 to date), Garry Sobers (235) and Darren Gough (229). Below Lindwall, Heath Streak, Brett Lee and Jeff Thomson all reached 200 Test wickets without the aid of a ten-for

Osman Samiuddin looks back at an year which saw Pakistan develop a togetherness and commitment seldom seen

Osman Samiuddin31-Dec-2005

Inzi emerged as the type of benevolent, caring patriarch purpose-built for a young, insecure team © Getty Images
Four wins, three losses in nine Tests, on paper, doesn’t a great year make. For sure, Pakistan has had better years for results. But statistics will not fully reveal the promise much of 2005 held for Pakistan. By the year’s end, a joyous series win over England completed, the promise turned to significance.As Pakistan hadn’t won a home series in two years, the year became unique in recent times in any case. But the comprehensive manner of their triumph held a special allure and provided a fitting finale to the progress they had grafted for. As they did through the year, Pakistan took on England with a togetherness, discipline and commitment historically alien to them. By hanging on in Multan for four days, they encapsulated in miniature, a spirit of twelve months evidenced most vividly among the intimidating environs of Bangalore and Jamaica.Patterns have not been replete in Pakistan’s cricket but one has now emerged. This year they fought. In India they fought to draw a series not many expected them to; in the Caribbean they fought to draw a series many expected them to win and against England they fought to win a series not many expected them to. Significantly, each time, there was collective gumption in their performances. Just recall those players who have had good years; Inzamam-ul-Haq, Younis Khan, Shahid Afridi, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, Danish Kaneria, Kamran Akmal, Salman Butt, Mohammad Yousuf. It is as large and diverse a cast of heroes as Pakistan has had.Tangibly three factors bound them together; in no order of priority, Inzamam, Bob Woolmer and religion. Not only did Inzamam approach the absolute zenith of his batting prowess – Brian Lara apart, few matched him globally – he looked with nearly each passing day, the type of benevolent, caring patriarch purpose-built for a young, insecure team. He staunchly, and publicly, supported players, those like Mohammad Sami, who had fitful years and those like Afridi, who generally need support. By the end, even a rapprochement with Shoaib Akhtar had come. When he wasn’t there – as in Barbados – the team collapsed, also the scene incidentally, of a bust-up between Afridi and Younis.Woolmer’s part was also vital; that he carried no agenda with him when he came in, only cricket and a fresh outlook for players was change enough. Most players in the team speak glowingly not only of the technical input he has provided but of the confidence he instills. Nowhere has his work stood out more than in Pakistan’s ODI performances this year. In an arena that has long showcased, perfectly, their Jekyll and Hyde, Pakistan has acquired a scary professionalism. By not losing their customary flash, instead bolstering it with method and precision, Pakistan can look to the next World Cup with considerably greater optimism than they could the last.And finally, in a year that saw Yousuf Youhana become Mohammad Yousuf, no review could be complete without touching on the growing piety within the team. Of course, with utmost conviction, how it has affected the team cannot be measured, especially as it remains so obviously a private matter. But as Rameez Raja and Woolmer have publicly said (and Woolmer has experience with South Africa’s mid-90s Christian core), it has clearly glued the team in some way.The most ringing endorsement, though, came from Shoaib Akhtar; after his rehabilitation during the England series, he spoke openly of this new culture in the dressing room, attributing the role religion has played. He hinted too at the part religion has played in his revitalization into the team and as a player, which is arguably a more startling transformation than even Yousuf’s.In time to come, this series may well be remembered as a watershed in Shoaib’s career. Similarly, in time to come, this year may also be remembered as one for Pakistan.New man on the blockAlthough he made his debut two years ago, this was Kamran Akmal’s first year uninterrupted as Pakistan’s first-choice wicketkeeper. With five international centuries and mostly accomplished work behind the stumps, it promises to be the first of many. More than anyone else, by keeping out Moin Khan and Rashid Latif, Akmal signified the end of an era and the beginning of a new one. Narrowly beat out the likes of Salman Butt, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan and Shoaib Akhtar circa England 2005-06, who given his revamp, was arguably a new man altogether.Fading star(s)Openers in general; Taufeeq Umar, Imran Farhat and Yasir Hameed all had either non-existent (the first two) or frustratingly staggered (the last) years. The jury is veering towards guilty on the unsuitability of Shoaib Malik as Test opener and although Salman Butt alleviated some of the concern, finding him a partner became increasingly difficult as the year progressed. The stock of an opener has never been lower.High pointA three-sided coin please to decide between Bangalore, Multan or Lahore. In different ways, each performance was exhilarating and spoke of a team in progression, but each win sparked equally chronic goose bumps.Low pointThe failure to win a Test series in the Carribean; a shambolic host and their own confidence meant it was Pakistan’s best opportunity to win a series there for the first time. The bust-up between Younis and Afridi also held a whiff of old Pakistan.What does 2006 hold?Despite the England win, as the management concedes, Pakistan are still unused to Test matches. They are improving and this year, a busy schedule ahead of them, that progress will be tested. India is already upon them, a series that never lacks in importance regardless of context and a return tour to England will provide further indication of where Pakistan stands as a Test side. For good measure, both series sandwich a tricky but frustratingly short jaunt to Sri Lanka. Conceivably, by the end of next summer, Pakistan could be among the top echelon of Test sides again. A dress rehearsal for the World Cup – the Champions Trophy – awaits in October and Pakistan will take the opportunity to develop their bench strength and finalise a playing XI for the World Cup 2007.

Tests 9 4 32 ODIs 22 13 90

South Africa flirted with catastrophe in Tests, and lost the plot on the biggest stage in the limited-overs game

Telford Vice06-Jan-2008

Steyn: second time’s the charm © Getty Images
A ship’s captain feels the need to rearrange the deck chairs even as his stricken vessel plummets into churning water; a man realises that the only way he is going to survive being pinned under a boulder is to hack off his trapped arm with a hunting knife. Impending catastrophe does different things to different people. South Africa’s problems in 2007 weren’t quite in the same league, but at times they must have sparked that brand of dread in certain quarters.For a start, the year was bookended by home Test defeats to India and West Indies. That put South Africa in danger of losing series to sides that had never won a Test in the country before. Pakistan followed India to the Republic, and again Graeme Smith’s team faced the ignominy of a home series loss. What with South Africa having lost rubbers at home to Australia and England in the two previous summers, the prospect of defeat against sides that had rarely challenged for series honours in the past rang loud alarms.South Africa managed to pull out of the nose-dive in time to earn 2-1 victories over their Asian opposition, but we don’t yet know how well they will recover from crashing to a loss in the first Test against West Indies. they managed to equalise against West Indies after a crushing loss in the first Test. But they could still lose the series.However, even the disappointment of a series defeat to the West Indians wouldpale in comparison to the gloom that spread through the nation after the WorldCup in the Caribbean. Other countries’ supporters might have been satisfied with their teams bowing out at the semi-final stage, but not South Africa’s. Especially not after they threw away a winning position in their pool match against Australia and then somehow lurched to an infamous loss to Bangladesh in the Super Eights.Another beating by Australia in the semi-finals was almost assured, but few would have predicted the hiding that the South Africans endured. They spiralled to 27 for 5 on their way to a dismal total of 149 in which Shaun Tait and Glenn McGrath proved unplayable and claimed seven wickets between them. Australia cantered to victory by seven wickets and with 19.3 overs to spare.Emotionally bruised, Smith’s team returned home to face the repercussions of a leaked report by their fitness trainer that there was a culture of drinking in the squad. A second bombshell was the revelation that the team was riven by cliques, and that Smith himself was at the centre of the malaise.In August, Norman Arendse was elected president of Cricket South Africa, and insome areas of the game the sharp intake of breath was almost palpable. Arendse, a senior counsel with a streetfighter’s instincts, is firmly rooted in the more progressive sector of cricket administration. “With the help of some hard life lessons I think I’m very well equipped for the challenges that cricket will bring,” Arendse said shortly after his election. “I hate exclusivity, I hate unfairness, I hate all those things that I wouldn’twant to happen to me.”Jacques Kallis and Mark Boucher would surely agree with the latter sentiment. Kallis was left out of South Africa’s squad for the inaugural ICC World Twenty20 tournament, and when Boucher voiced his disapproval of that decision, he was docked 60 per cent of any match fees he would earn in the event. Kallis was originally told he was being rested. This after he had had three months of doing nothing much else besides play golf. Gradually it emerged that he was thought too slow a batsman for the Twenty20 format. Quite why he wasn’t given this reason first up remains a mystery.South Africa sailed through the tournament unbeaten, until their last group match, when they went down to India. The fact that they couldn’t muster the measly 126 runs in that match that would have put them in the semi-finals at New Zealand’s expense only added to the theory that they don’t know how to win when it matters. That longstanding idea was turned on its head on South Africa’s tour to Pakistan, though.Kallis returned to the team in triumph with centuries in both innings of the first Test, which South Africa won by 160 runs, and another in the drawn second Test. A thrilling one-day series reached the fifth and final match locked at 2-2.Herschelle Gibbs’ 54 and Kallis’ 86 bolstered South Africa’s total of 233 for 9, and Makhaya Ntini and Albie Morkel shared eight wickets to complete a 14-run win.An almost anti-climactic home series against New Zealand followed, in whichShane Bond didn’t get out of the first Test in one piece and Dale Steyn sentCraig Cumming home in several pieces on his way to taking 20 wickets in twoTests. South Africa cruised to convincing victories in both matches.

That familiar sinking feeling: South Africa leave the World Cup © AFP
New man on the block
Dale Steyn was rushed into Test cricket and he faltered. He returned a meaner,keener bowler, and his 20 wickets against New Zealand were just reward.Fading star
Time was when Makhaya Ntini was bulletproof. That time has passed, and he nowappears increasingly as mortal as the rest of us. But at 30, there are severalgood years left in that superbly conditioned body. Perhaps the real fading staris Shaun Pollock, who found himself being eased out of the Test team in 2007.High point
Winning on the subcontinent is never simple, and South Africa will savour fora long time yet their twin triumphs in Pakistan.Low point
The look in the eyes of a 23-year-old Durban student who had sold most of hisearthly possessions to finance his trip to the World Cup, as he surveyed thedamage wrought by Australia in the semi-final.What 2008 holds
Forget the home and away series against Bangladesh, the year brims with other,far weightier challenges, in the shape of tours to India, England and Australia.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola "may be tempted" to leave the club and manage England, journalist Ben Jacobs has now suggested.

When does Pep Guardiola's contract expire?

Guardiola signed a new contract with Man City in November 2022, which is not due to expire until 2025, but there are doubts over his future, with The Guardian reporting he is "firmly minded" to leave the club when his current deal comes to an end.

The Spaniard is said to have "all but decided" to leave the Sky Blues in the summer of 2025, after what will have been a nine-year stint in charge at the Etihad Stadium, and the report states that "one option may be to coach an international team."

That is where England come into the mix, with it being reported that Gareth Southgate is set to leave his role as manager after Euro 2024, and some of the FA's officials are dreaming of bringing the City boss in to replace him.

Speaking to CaughtOffside about Southgate's future as England boss, Jacobs has now said: “Gareth Southgate has come under some criticism of late, although I thought England were excellent in the 3-1 win over Scotland. The 1-1 draw against Ukraine was drab, though.

“The FA are already considering options. This is normal, since international jobs (and the recruitment for them) work differently than in club football with a bit more forward planning. But obviously things can be entirely influenced by how England perform at Euro 2024, which is why it’s a bit early to be making predictions."

Before later adding: “Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola is an interesting one to watch. The FA would love to have him. If Manchester City again dominate, could Pep be tempted by a fresh challenge?

“Sources do indicate he likes the idea of managing at a World Cup, but he could also miss the day to day of club football at this stage of his career. Pep, a bit like Jose Mourinho has said in the past, may wait until slightly later in his career for an opportunity in international football.”

Is Pep Guardiola leaving Man City?

Of course, it is natural for managers and players alike to relish a fresh challenge, with former City captain Ilkay Gundogan opting to join Barcelona for that reason, despite leading the club to a historic treble in the 2022-23 campaign.

However, at 52-years-old, Guardiola is still relatively young for a manager, and it seems quite early for him to venture into international football.

If the Sky Blues continue to dominate in the Premier League and Europe, the former Barcelona boss may be tempted to stay, as it would be a risk to move elsewhere and start a completely new project from scratch.

For now, Man City fans can rest easy knowing their manager remains contracted until 2025, and they will be hoping he can win his sixth league title this season, having made a perfect start to the campaign.

Manchester United have now been provided with an update on Jadon Sancho's future at the club by transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

Is Jadon Sancho leaving Man United?

It would be fair to say Sancho's Man United career has not gone to plan, since joining from Borussia Dortmund in a £73m deal just over two years ago, and the winger has fallen down the pecking order since his public falling out with Erik ten Hag. The winger has not been selected for any of United's last three fixtures as a result of his ongoing dispute with his manager, which started when he took issue with the comments saying he had been axed from the matchday squad due to his performances in training.

After leaving the 23-year-old out for the 3-1 defeat against Brighton, Ten Hag admitted he "didn't know" whether he would play for the club again, but he is short on options on the wing, given that Antony has been on leave due to allegations regarding his private life.

The Daily Star reports the Red Devils are willing to sell the Englishman on the cheap to get him out of the club in January, with the hierarchy keen to get rid of him, although former club Borussia Dortmund have already ruled out bringing him back.

At the back end of the summer transfer window, the former Dortmund man was targeted for a move to Saudi Arabia, with Steven Gerrard's Al-Ettifaq being named as potential suitors, but it remains to be seen whether they reignite their interest this winter.

Although the London-born winger's career at Old Trafford appears to be over, there has now been a suggestion he could still end up staying, but he would have to be willing to make amends with Ten Hag.

Romano has now provided an update on the situation for CaughtOffside, saying: "As of today, Jadon Sancho has still not apologised and this is why the situation is still in limbo and why there is still no green light for him to return to the first-team squad. There’s a way back for Jadon Sancho if he says sorry and apologises to the coaching staff. Of course, it’s also about discussing problems together – but this is not the case yet."

Should Man United sell Jadon Sancho?

Although Romano makes it clear there is still a chance the England international remains at Man United, it is probably best for all parties if he moves on in the January transfer window. Despite impressing for the Red Devils on occasion, having been lauded as "fantastic" by Newcastle United's Kieran Trippier, the London-born winger's career has stalled ever since he left Borussia Dortmund.

In his first season at Old Trafford, the former Manchester City man recorded just six goal contributions in the Premier League and did not make much of an improvement last season, although he scored three more goals. Given that Sancho has now fallen out with Ten Hag on top of that, it is probably best for United to cash in on him, while they will still able to demand a decent fee.