By ICF Staff
August 22 2005

The Africa/Asia ODI Cup concludes with outstanding performances coming from bowlers, England intimidates Australia with reverse-swing, and the first Indian 20/20 tournament goes to the underdogs. Zaheer Khan

In the just-concluded Africa/Asia ODI Cup, Zaheer Khan stood out in a field of several of the world's best players.

Opening the bowling for Asia in tandem with world's fastest bowler Shoaib Akhtar, Zaheer took 9 wickets at an average of 11, consistently bowling with accuracy, pace, movement, and hostility, and shading another impressive performance from his bowling partner. In fact, Zaheer Khan was awarded the Man of the Series prize.

Both these players, respectively dropped by India (ODI) and Pakistan (ODI and Test), must have embarassed their selectors. Akhtar's raw pace had the world's current number 1 batsman Jacques Kallis with his famed defensive technique playing and missing like an amateur, setting him up to be snapped up by Zaheer at the other end. Zaheer's classic fast-bowler dismissals of bowled, LBW, and caught-behind or in slips allowed no breathing room.

At the presentation ceremony, Zaheer said in response to a question relating to selection that he would let his performance speak for itself, and would await his chance. One hopes that chance will come sooner than he expects.

Tendulkar Return

India impatiently awaits the return of world's best batsman Sachin Tendulkar, but the signals from BCCI, physio Gloster, and even Sachin himself have been a bit confusing.

We hear that he has recovered sufficiently from elbow surgery to bat with soft balls for two hours; however, what does that say about his ability to withstand fast bowling with a cricket ball all day in a couple of weeks? He has been selected in the Test squad for the Zimbabwe tour, assuming he can pass a fitness test.

Granted, Zimbabwe does not have a bowler of the calibre to cause any discomfort to the legendary batsman. But by the same token, does India really need Tendulkar to win a test series against Zimbabwe?

Tendulkar would be well advised to stay away from the Zimbabwe games, recover from surgery, and let others win a series which should be easy pickings.

Reverse Swing

English captain Vaughan has gone on record to say that the reverse swing from seamers Jones and Flintoff in the third Test, which had Aussie batsmen in trouble, started as early as the 12th over after a new ball was taken.

Is this the same England that focussed all its cameras and suspicion on the Pakistani pacemen who invented the art in the first place? Could the condition of the ball be altered, as Vaughan says, by all his fielders "working on it as a team" in a legal manner.

It is critical that umpires inspect the ball closely after each over, and for cameramen to zoom in on the fieldsmen working the ball for all the world to see. For the English Duke ball has never been amenable to reverse swing so early in English conditions. Allegations of ball-handling against an English county side this summer, and Mike Atherton some years back, ring uncomfortable alarm bells. Ever quick to judge or suspect others, it is time for the English cricketers to be placed under the microscope themselves.

20/20 in India

In India, a team labelled the "Bradman XI", composed of names such as Adam Hollioake, Russel Arnold, Upul Chandana, Mohammad Sami, Shoaib Malik, Salman Butt, Kamran Akmal, Mahendra Dhoni, Ajit Agarkar, and Javagal Srinath has failed to win a 20/20 tournament called the Bradman Cup.

In fact, they failed even to get to the final.

The teams that got to the final were little-known KSCA XI and Air-India. And the winner of the tournament was Air-India, thanks to fine batting by Naman Ojha and Suresh Raina.

Whatever this game is, the skills necessary for it are apparently not the same as those for playing cricket, at least as we know it.

Zimbabwe A in Duleep Trophy

At a time when confusing allegations and politicking from some ICC member nations are being used to repeatedly harp on Zimbabwe's ouster from the world cricket stage, it is encouraging to see India including the Zimbabwe 'A' team in this year's Duleep Trophy, the premiere first-class championship in India.

In addition, BCCI is considering scheduling an Afro-Asian under-19 tournament in India, on the heels of the just-concluded Africa/Asia ODI tournament.

This is supposedly a responsibility of the ICC: developing cricket in other countries. Revenue flowing into ICC coffers has never been greater than it now is, with hundreds of millions of dollars coming primarily from Indian companies eager to tap huge audiences in India. However, ICC seems to be content to let oceans of cash earn interest in their bank accounts, while leaving it to India and others to work on cricket development.

It is high time ICC management is overhauled for a smidgeon of integrity, responsibility and accountability to be brought into their conduct.