Posts under topic: ‘Players’

If you’ve heard of the recent Tweet-off between Graeme Swann and Jimmy Anderson that took place in Covent Garden, but are not sure what it’s all about, check out this video

Jonathan Trott has played for England, but he is a South African. So why is so much fuss being made of Michael Vaughan’s comments about him celebrating a South African victory?

James Anderson has ambitions. One of them is to captain England someday. Those of you in the know, and some of you who aren’t are by now rolling around on the floor. That’s right, a fast bowler couldn’t possibly be the Captain of England.

It seems that Kevin Pietersen wasn’t the only one who found working as captain with Peter Moores to be difficult. Michael Vaughan’s new autobiography is currently being serialised by the Times, and in it he reveals the problems that he and the team were having with Moores’ style.

Craig Kieswetter has been touted as not only England’s next wicketkeeper-batsman, but also as the new Kevin Pietersen.  He qualifies for England in February and is eager to earn the abuse of South Africans everywhere.
But he didn’t perform well at the Champions League Twenty20, and has admitted as much in an interview with Cricinfo:
I put [...]

You may have noticed the name of Boyd Rankin featuring in the recently announced England Performance Programme. Rankin has already played international cricket for Ireland, and could become the next of their players to be poached across the Irish Sea, after Ed Joyce and Eoin Morgan. Understandably, Cricket Ireland are not best pleased particularly as it will result in Rankin missing cricket for them whilst he is at the ECB’s training camps.

The ECB has announced it’s new England Performance Programme, with a new category system that tells everyone who is next in line for a place in the senior side.

Three categories – imaginatively named A, B and C – include those closest to selection (A), those “one to three years away” from selection (B) and those younger players who might make the jump in the future (C). So, here’s the list.

What is it with the English media and Kevin Pietersen? They just can’t stop themselves putting words in his mouth that he didn’t say. There is a great groundswell of opinion that KP is arrogant, aloof and somehow just not a team player. Putting aside the hatred for him in his native South Africa, where he is viewed with disdain for his departure to and qualification for England, he is still not exactly what you could call popular. Yet, much of the criticism is unjustified.

An Oval fairytale did happen this summer, but not for the media’s favourite saviour, Mark Ramprakash. Apparantly unhappy at being overlooked for the Ashes decider, Ramps has criticised the selectors and Ashley Giles in particular, who he all-but accuses of Warwickshire bias.

Sounds like sour grapes from where I’m standing.

As Andrew Flintoff delays the signing of his newly downgraded ECB contract at the prospect of earning more as a freelance Twenty20 cricketer, it is easy to get caught up in accusations of mercenary greed and a sport losing it’s identity.

But is cricket simply returning to it’s roots? Money, like it or not, was the catalyst for everything that has gone before. Even W.G. Grace would attest to that.