Meta tags:
description= Musings on society, politics and cricket;
Headings (most frequently used words):
the, of, and, review, at, in, pakistan, if, domestic, ghost, one, lucky, ones, feeling, is, thing, other, end, ashes, history, heritage, dancing, dark, day, night, test, stroke, genius, appeal, back, to, future, construction, james, anderson, what, only, doosra, détente, where, next, for, england, capturing, spirit, cricket, popular, culture, follow, me, on, twitter, archives, tags,
Text of the page (most frequently used words):
the (960), and (397), #cricket (173), that (130), his (113), for (110), but (98), was (85), with (84), england (72), has (71), this (68), not (66), from (56), game (55), are (50), one (46), what (45), pakistan (43), their (43), sport (42), have (41), can (41), test (41), its (38), like (33), #history (32), into (32), when (31), team (31), had (31), been (30), only (30), about (29), all (29), english (28), would (28), both (28), who (28), they (28), ball (27), anderson (26), ashes (26), out (26), day (24), modern (24), many (24), there (23), play (23), should (23), might (23), trumper (22), those (22), him (22), eagar (22), other (21), posted (20), match (20), new (20), cricketing (20), often (20), series (20), first (20), well (20), world (19), which (19), also (19), see (19), players (19), perhaps (18), never (18), sporting (18), bowling (18), mac (18), spirit (17), time (17), more (17), them (17), where (17), even (17), leamon (17), popular (16), through (16), novel (16), part (16), success (16), than (16), much (16), our (16), against (16), culture (15), image (15), whilst (15), were (15), past (15), now (14), may (14), seems (14), playing (14), how (14), batsman (14), century (14), batting (14), night (13), christian (13), social (13), way (13), off (13), still (13), over (13), man (13), little (13), different (13), you (13), james (12), identity (12), moreover (12), long (12), these (12), good (12), action (12), must (12), seemed (12), any (12), conditions (12), photograph (12), ryan (11), australia (11), moral (11), outside (11), traditional (11), just (11), cricketer (11), two (11), rather (11), between (11), bowler (11), comment (10), modernity (10), mike (10), tagged (10), idea (10), being (10), too (10), some (10), becomes (10), seen (10), questions (10), controversy (10), best (10), drury (10), rivalry (10), few (10), wicket (10), west (9), photography (9), art (9), 2013 (9), 2015 (9), fair (9), similarly (9), certain (9), used (9), interesting (9), important (9), british (9), ways (9), others (9), however (9), will (9), such (9), last (9), context (9), given (9), appeal (9), far (9), before (9), runs (9), made (9), wickets (9), summer (9), moment (9), misbah (9), beldam (9), ultimately (9), india (8), edgbaston (8), 2014 (8), 2016 (8), age (8), again (8), does (8), especially (8), played (8), course (8), television (8), nostalgia (8), make (8), love (8), ground (8), narrative (8), lord (8), sense (8), fine (8), yet (8), beyond (8), place (8), revolution (8), seem (8), relationship (8), then (8), pakistani (8), tour (8), away (8), left (8), innings (8), pace (8), because (8), great (8), required (7), domestic (7), book (7), imagination (7), story (7), attempt (7), sports (7), koestler (7), watch (7), pastoral (7), understanding (7), public (7), fans (7), terms (7), pitch (7), broad (7), without (7), end (7), matches (7), example (7), laws (7), during (7), hit (7), umpire (7), think (7), years (7), better (7), international (7), win (7), could (7), home (7), each (7), next (7), leave (7), fast (7), very (7), old (7), control (7), second (7), ability (7), jumping (7), bradman (7), politics (6), technology (6), memory (6), taylor (6), haigh (6), august (6), october (6), january (6), likely (6), within (6), life (6), fan (6), american (6), plays (6), probably (6), another (6), famous (6), cricketers (6), professional (6), supposedly (6), thing (6), recent (6), field (6), form (6), run (6), position (6), historical (6), clarke (6), meaning (6), written (6), meanings (6), work (6), know (6), political (6), national (6), society (6), nation (6), able (6), ali (6), mohammad (6), won (6), back (6), crease (6), future (6), always (6), career (6), individual (6), swing (6), aesthetics (6), potential (6), technique (6), bowled (6), lucky (6), struggles (6), striking (6), previous (6), younis (6), people (6), insight (6), himself (6), capture (6), pink (6), self (6), record (6), 1975 (6), thomson (6), get (5), ghost (5), indies (5), south (5), tendulkar (5), ipl (5), green (5), steyn (5), counterfactual (5), 2018 (5), remain (5), picture (5), room (5), itself (5), perception (5), indian (5), recently (5), linked (5), use (5), phrase (5), take (5), once (5), something (5), tea (5), class (5), across (5), colonial (5), school (5), based (5), background (5), jackson (5), return (5), same (5), excellence (5), pre (5), captain (5), michael (5), did (5), question (5), towards (5), australian (5), stand (5), understand (5), surreal (5), contest (5), notable (5), taken (5), khan (5), down (5), oval (5), tests (5), images (5), process (5), quality (5), side (5), change (5), heritage (5), writing (5), fit (5), reverse (5), needs (5), skill (5), feeling (5), distant (5), present (5), captures (5), half (5), final (5), sign (4), morris (4), victor (4), sri (4), spectacle (4), literature (4), ian (4), britain (4), reviews (4), andy (4), september (4), april (4), morality (4), bodyline (4), fixing (4), tours (4), t20 (4), limited (4), alternative (4), really (4), worth (4), problems (4), shorthand (4), postcolonial (4), post (4), works (4), experience (4), communities (4), usually (4), easily (4), global (4), remains (4), figure (4), teenage (4), games (4), former (4), empire (4), traces (4), range (4), white (4), compared (4), talent (4), mark (4), buttler (4), novels (4), evening (4), war (4), men (4), remember (4), simply (4), role (4), stokes (4), dismissal (4), taking (4), opposed (4), hard (4), edge (4), press (4), break (4), useful (4), hardly (4), values (4), neat (4), using (4), got (4), look (4), doesn (4), don (4), less (4), suspicion (4), moeen (4), lies (4), further (4), twenty (4), amir (4), lead (4), crowd (4), player (4), almost (4), faces (4), whites (4), delivery (4), memories (4), hope (4), times (4), offers (4), quite (4), after (4), moments (4), full (4), due (4), late (4), live (4), short (4), bowlers (4), tradition (4), looks (4), bowl (4), wrote (4), energy (4), most (4), cup (4), third (4), real (4), movement (4), escape (4), force (4), crucial (4), puts (4), personal (4), set (4), contemporary (4), photographs (4), breaking (4), grace (4), spectator (4), reduced (4), length (4), performance (4), wider (4), coverage (4), attention (4), sportsman (4), raisin (4), adiga (4), challenges (4), wordpress (3), com (3), content (3), shane (3), marqusee (3), kevin (3), pietersen (3), human (3), gideon (3), flower (3), november (3), follow (3), village (3), survived (3), problem (3), challenge (3), reality (3), interest (3), symbol (3), asia (3), considered (3), setting (3), era (3), neill (3), terrific (3), largely (3), odd (3), main (3), liberal (3), winning (3), particular (3), came (3), accessible (3), mysterious (3), experienced (3), since (3), transcended (3), missed (3), longer (3), among (3), geopolitics (3), imperial (3), legacy (3), problematic (3), poem (3), tebbit (3), construction (3), accept (3), imagined (3), vitaï (3), lampada (3), flaws (3), non (3), women (3), help (3), elide (3), irrelevant (3), necessarily (3), challenging (3), professionalism (3), achieve (3), traditions (3), ones (3), find (3), train (3), hat (3), universe (3), influenced (3), sees (3), incident (3), news (3), bourgeois (3), wodehouse (3), contradictions (3), result (3), exists (3), rarely (3), behaviour (3), stumps (3), felt (3), steve (3), smith (3), therefore (3), season (3), spinner (3), entirely (3), alastair (3), cook (3), pretty (3), suggests (3), harder (3), stuart (3), decision (3), allow (3), whether (3), preamble (3), broader (3), unique (3), conduct (3), references (3), ideals (3), ask (3), stereotypes (3), why (3), discussion (3), shift (3), suggestion (3), surely (3), european (3), easy (3), hence (3), calls (3), arthur (3), known (3), line (3), country (3), recognition (3), attitude (3), possibility (3), face (3), three (3), pakistanis (3), cambridge (3), possible (3), reasons (3), tension (3), representative (3), media (3), butt (3), soured (3), gatting (3), rana (3), umpires (3), choice (3), built (3), picked (3), football (3), antagonism (3), said (3), every (3), uae (3), black (3), eyes (3), scored (3), here (3), week (3), offer (3), jones (3), stump (3), iconic (3), gone (3), suffered (3), five (3), injury (3), cast (3), bright (3), particularly (3), leg (3), coaches (3), tinkering (3), training (3), fashioned (3), undoubtedly (3), taker (3), motion (3), making (3), current (3), come (3), four (3), attack (3), six (3), helped (3), natural (3), spell (3), trust (3), rise (3), difficult (3), regarded (3), become (3), shanaka (3), highest (3), skilful (3), things (3), getting (3), allows (3), succeed (3), mastery (3), afternoon (3), suited (3), dismissed (3), review (3), carefully (3), emotions (3), similar (3), difference (3), begin (3), cannot (3), style (3), exuberance (3), lacking (3), doubt (3), bat (3), changing (3), journey (3), appreciation (3), mind (3), aesthetic (3), fry (3), visual (3), golden (3), deeply (3), audience (3), photographer (3), george (3), photo (3), wonderful (3), subject (3), limits (3), front (3), adds (3), light (3), overs (3), novelty (3), lights (3), totally (3), dark (3), session (3), normal (3), reluctance (3), hollies (3), your (3), events (3), visible (3), throughout (3), opener (3), conflict (3), commentary (3), analysis (3), focus (3), overseas (3), rare (3), value (3), pinnacle (3), text (3), intimacy (3), physical (3), unlike (3), photos (3), manju (3), tom (3), teammates (3), improving (3), site (2), website (2), name (2), write (2), comments (2), manage (2), reader (2), log (2), subscribed (2), subscribe (2), already (2), create (2), wisden (2), william (2), lanka (2), warne (2), sachin (2), osman (2), samiuddin (2), mitchell (2), bell (2), party (2), year (2), dale (2), july (2), june (2), 2017 (2), archives (2), older (2), posts (2), enduring (2), presents (2), excess (2), brave (2), considering (2), glorious (2), sometimes (2), corruption (2), western (2), journalists (2), prime (2), globalisation (2), merely (2), historian (2), europe (2), strictly (2), conception (2), speaks (2), model (2), dream (2), foreign (2), limiting (2), staid (2), nature (2), familiar (2), apparent (2), tartt (2), globalised (2), characters (2), anything (2), obscure (2), boris (2), eaten (2), caught (2), street (2), mutant (2), ninja (2), aware (2), crumpet (2), heartlands (2), multiple (2), internet (2), welcome (2), countries (2), embodies (2), vision (2), rural (2), ready (2), henry (2), newbolt (2), expect (2), irreconcilable (2), harmless (2), eccentricity (2), accurate (2), least (2), represent (2), resist (2), socially (2), asian (2), whole (2), ignored (2), own (2), perpetuated (2), divisions (2), french (2), capable (2), privileged (2), elite (2), mythical (2), salve (2), unequal (2), fondness (2), done (2), develop (2), film (2), distracted (2), helping (2), woman (2), incarnation (2), doctor (2), powerful (2), fighting (2), reaction (2), sharply (2), middle (2), creates (2), prodigy (2), ideal (2), means (2), fact (2), instant (2), interpretations (2), ben (2), throw (2), became (2), clear (2), under (2), unwritten (2), seemingly (2), following (2), lankan (2), cheat (2), previously (2), act (2), legal (2), didn (2), leads (2), wide (2), knowledge (2), define (2), apply (2), product (2), ethical (2), code (2), trent (2), bridge (2), gloves (2), slip (2), aggressive (2), manner (2), according (2), everyone (2), acted (2), certainly (2), understood (2), ethics (2), regularly (2), raise (2), somehow (2), around (2), raised (2), slight (2), common (2), comprehensive (2), cliché (2), conceptions (2), explicitly (2), hovers (2), loosely (2), paraphrase (2), nothing (2), spin (2), positive (2), feel (2), themes (2), engage (2), structural (2), critique (2), recognise (2), willingness (2), nuance (2), consider (2), knowledgeable (2), shapes (2), trope (2), breaks (2), harmony (2), understands (2), deeper (2), absurdity (2), mix (2), rules (2), tell (2), power (2), thinking (2), popping (2), darkness (2), noon (2), multiracial (2), provides (2), healthy (2), atmosphere (2), step (2), teams (2), mutual (2), recrimination (2), huge (2), acceptance (2), reached (2), touring (2), rashid (2), ansari (2), clue (2), détente (2), special (2), task (2), saeed (2), ajmal (2), situation (2), versus (2), seriously (2), clash (2), noted (2), shahid (2), afridi (2), asif (2), spot (2), actions (2), winter (2), saw (2), toured (2), neutral (2), she (2), roy (2), steadily (2), sort (2), later (2), leader (2), overshadowed (2), weight (2), nations (2), meeting (2), none (2), matter (2), today (2), frustration (2), botham (2), fingers (2), watched (2), victory (2), skulduggery (2), comfort (2), helps (2), channel (2), optimism (2), turn (2), pain (2), coping (2), simple (2), colour (2), careers (2), gloom (2), glory (2), looming (2), changed (2), hindsight (2), simon (2), chance (2), richards (2), represented (2), faded (2), variations (2), vagaries (2), grass (2), finally (2), death (2), simplistic (2), misleading (2), marked (2), instead (2), sad (2), retirement (2), condition (2), start (2), spring (2), failed (2), fielding (2), attempts (2), advantages (2), kept (2), ever (2), athlete (2), hair (2), red (2), created (2), appropriate (2), leading (2), together (2), skills (2), efficiency (2), drive (2), perfection (2), looked (2), hanging (2), deliveries (2), stay (2), staggering (2), number (2), space (2), intensity (2), coaching (2), successful (2), maintain (2), seven (2), allowed (2), large (2), remarkable (2), tuned (2), subtle (2), changes (2), enough (2), memorable (2), including (2), debut (2), notably (2), excellent (2), despite (2), extent (2), until (2), need (2), matched (2), constant (2), rival (2), happy (2), 2010 (2), sydney (2), spells (2), luring (2), mathews (2), moved (2), sixes (2), hundred (2), headingley (2), say (2), retire (2), knows (2), reminder (2), mean (2), ups (2), poses (2), transcend (2), ongoing (2), curdle (2), happens (2), writer (2), fetishize (2), failure (2), fulfil (2), pleasure (2), twice (2), winner (2), saqlain (2), mushtaq (2), days (2), exhibition (2), batsmen (2), techniques (2), worcester (2), effort (2), goes (2), struggle (2), conservatism (2), tragedy (2), winners (2), travelled (2), quintessential (2), financial (2), attracted (2), accompanied (2), tedious (2), exoticism (2), approach (2), pieces (2), distraction (2), attracts (2), bringing (2), tensions (2), cursed (2), sided (2), poet (2), timing (2), piston (2), athletic (2), produced (2), elegance (2), comfortably (2), imagery (2), details (2), depicting (2), blurred (2), mass (2), cardus (2), exclusive (2), amateur (2), urban (2), posed (2), study (2), standard (2), score (2), dominate (2), reflects (2), hint (2), uncle (2), pad (2), freeze (2), judgement (2), influence (2), closer (2), achievement (2), stroke (2), genius (2), foot (2), possibilities (2), reason (2), twilight (2), heavy (2), metaphor (2), retreating (2), let (2), faced (2), artificial (2), nine (2), floodlights (2), needed (2), centrepiece (2), ideas (2), genuinely (2), early (2), watching (2), eight (2), chose (2), keep (2), lunch (2), want (2), trick (2), engaged (2), pick (2), becoming (2), appeared (2), fall (2), drip (2), order (2), powerfully (2), impressive (2), stepping (2), asked (2), pressures (2), informative (2), provide (2), analytical (2), jokes (2), technical (2), else (2), engaging (2), significant (2), whom (2), warm (2), miss (2), depends (2), rich (2), data (2), procession (2), reactionary (2), alongside (2), melbourne (2), urn (2), providing (2), attract (2), patrick (2), asks (2), seeing (2), strength (2), search (2), vietnam (2), emotional (2), captured (2), unknowing (2), deep (2), breath (2), draws (2), person (2), appearance (2), roles (2), chosen (2), twentieth (2), fenner (2), inner (2), sanctum (2), brothers (2), faster (2), realism (2), realisation (2), fulfilment (2), finds (2), sexuality (2), selection (2), follows (2), pressure (2), equal (2), collective (2), suitable (2), hero (2), restraint (2), standards (2), dressing (2), musings (2), started, design, email, loading, collapse, bar, subscriptions, view, report, privacy, account, join, subscribers, free, blog, dalrymple, travel, tony, judt, tim, heald, parks, africa, scotland, scandinavia, ryszard, kapuściński, russia, royalty, peter, siddle, patagonia, nelson, mandela, mountains, johnson, journalism, invented, traditons, imperialism, rights, gérard, depardieu, guy, debord, gap, fellow, travellers, drs, denis, compton, caucasus, bruce, chatwin, brian, johnston, apartheid, afghanistan, tags, december, february, march, tweets, twitter, mythology, cohesion, remarkably, packer, rebel, srinivasan, modi, amongst, alphabet, soup, leagues, reach, hypermodern, gold, padded, forms, illusion, obscures, festival, innovation, pageantry, distract, sordid, underbelly, tournament, conflicts, coexist, conceal, suffused, ashis, nandy, advertisements, default, arisen, types, inextricably, liberalisation, dhoni, kohli, indicative, bric, economy, intersects, shape, bollywood, owners, entertainment, apotheosis, conclusion, transition, dipesh, chakrabarty, provincializing, exception, joseph, 2008, york, orientated, count, avid, authentically, immigrant, enclaves, integrate, aspirational, surprised, efforts, spread, usa, expat, unsuccessful, irredeemably, deciding, baseball, valium, linguistic, contribution, netherland, representations, donna, pulitzer, prize, arcane, ritual, espn, sound, everything, jai, alai, badminton, croquet, available, carousel, enigmatic, rootless, ridden, camel, wichity, grubs, malaria, lived, ukraine, properly, border, born, turtles, inscrutability, impenetrably, evoking, though, goldfinch, anglocentric, followings, flickering, screens, channels, found, markets, proved, reconnection, reaches, constructed, extension, independence, removed, haunts, freed, moorings, places, origins, populated, boys, fight, incompatible, reflect, fantasy, haunted, language, progressive, reform, sum, total, keen, flattering, portrayal, reject, projecting, smug, exclusivity, claiming, inclusive, cordial, systemic, disguised, estimated, recreational, mostly, privately, educated, population, secondary, patronised, intersectional, nostalgic, fantasies, tackle, visions, inequalities, trevelyan, nobility, peasants, chateaux, burnt, amity, injustice, glossed, paragon, member, inequity, rendering, opportunity, invisible, elsewhere, induces, conformity, driven, limitations, intended, iconoclast, obsessive, 1938, alfred, hitchcock, charters, caldicott, missing, central, determination, consumes, distracting, fixating, followers, dogmatic, fanatical, running, fifth, travelling, alien, dresses, jumper, panama, evil, appears, innocuous, eccentric, lady, vanishes, stands, wanders, programmes, casual, follower, overwhelmingly, idyll, uses, detective, dramas, quintessentially, pastime, timeless, tranquil, contrasted, brutal, homicides, arcadia, lover, character, archetype, decent, chap, adventurous, dangerous, trains, young, service, instruction, midsomer, murders, morse, knots, fabric, paper, access, scorecard, databases, video, fragmented, illusory, fictional, representation, layperson, obstructed, having, stopped, starc, hitting, simultaneously, evasive, inconsistency, wrong, uphold, entitled, jos, sachithra, senanayake, backing, mankad, denounced, scrutinised, added, compulsory, warning, rule, stop, criticising, poor, curious, denunciation, override, synonymous, sentiment, perennial, bouts, moralising, confusion, attempted, brad, haddin, looped, perfectly, legitimate, advance, appealing, arguably, broke, pilloried, tabloid, richard, dawkins, antipathy, unclear, imagine, encompassing, unsporting, ungentlemanly, encapsulated, unacceptable, unauthorised, stretched, definition, realms, parody, tool, sanctioning, underwriting, talk, superior, integrity, amorphous, respect, responsibility, frequently, codified, brief, summary, ethos, colin, cowdrey, ted, dexter, captains, introduced, 2000, collection, platitudes, covering, defined, cheating, listing, sift, categories, ascribed, allusions, defy, wilfully, complicate, lot, themed, shehan, karunatilaka, formed, uncritically, chinaman, bask, unwilling, afraid, misconceptions, perpetuate, vague, forward, exciting, opportunities, jettison, regressive, encourage, produces, depth, maybe, begun, universal, lingers, subconscious, influences, themselves, bristle, strangers, admit, signify, uncommon, case, honourable, fiction, representing, mindset, milieu, raphael, turtle, says, nobody, diametrically, opposite, combine, ludicrous, nineteenth, symbolises, overthrown, hungarian, communist, exile, source, wisdom, guide, sole, creases, proletariats, conducted, capturing, reflecting, clubs, hopefully, irascible, supposed, reconciliation, benefit, fraternal, faults, misunderstanding, ignorance, marred, major, prevail, baggage, shake, moving, oppositional, logic, muslims, complex, identities, original, adil, zafar, birmingham, bradford, respectively, largest, hampton, trinity, hall, recalls, generation, father, academic, specialises, muslim, ambassadors, duty, perform, open, faith, close, denigrated, working, geopolitical, deteriorated, defining, termed, terror, footballing, france, algeria, morphing, argue, specious, civilisations, argued, 1994, islam, negative, vocabulary, volatile, excitable, suggestions, untrustworthiness, religiosity, casually, moin, wasting, scuffing, inzamam, forfeiting, deterioration, add, mutters, trouble, instability, cropped, practically, 1980s, 1987, infamous, chris, refuse, walk, receive, hardship, bonus, incensed, jeremy, coney, zealand, imran, increasingly, necessary, response, maggie, thatcher, suggested, hardening, attitudes, catalysts, dispute, aaqib, javed, clashed, palmer, 1992, escalated, accusations, tampering, animosity, accompanies, accumulated, sediment, sixty, 1954, inspired, fazal, mahmood, abdul, hafeez, kardar, captaincy, barely, passed, untoward, 1955, group, essentially, kidnapped, idris, baig, nearly, causing, diplomatic, disrupted, unrest, influential, student, aftab, gul, 1968, lahore, bail, went, salman, trial, hangs, sibling, rivalries, rugby, charge, germany, argentina, sides, creating, rancour, unrivalled, contests, beating, statement, belonging, triumph, arrogant, onerous, bound, discomfort, disrespect, send, mother, law, month, expenses, paid, stressful, grainy, encapsulate, thirty, shakoor, jabbing, aligned, affront, respective, nasser, hussain, graham, thorpe, jubilant, lit, brightly, karachi, stadium, fading, bisecting, stride, salmat, wandering, guiltily, feet, accusation, odds, doosra, right, wish, luck, differently, imagining, disappointment, melancholy, sadness, illuminate, trigger, fandom, unbridled, supplies, reassurance, defeat, loss, profligate, mechanism, happened, unrequited, invites, introspection, prone, replaying
Text of the page (random words):
rough that time he has bowled a staggering number of deliveries in a short space of time a workload that few fast bowlers have had to manage in test matches coupled with the intensity of flower s coaching undoubtedly successful if hard to maintain and regularly being part of a four man attack anderson has coped with an enormous strain being able to stay fit and in form through the last six or seven years has allowed him to take a large number of wickets that he was able to is remarkable anderson is also worth celebrating for more than his longevity he is a beautiful bowler to watch his action is not only admirable for its efficiency look at a picture of anderson in his coil winding up to bowl it is a moment of pure sporting aesthetics like an ian bell cover drive what clr james called the perfection of form when i wrote about swing bowling for cricinfo i compared it to natalia goncharova s cyclist an image of motion and potential energy jarrod kimber also looked to art when describing anderson recently writing that that ball is making shapes that hr giger or zaha hadid would kill for his bowling trajectories should be hanging in some modern art museum or spray painted on walls for his grumpy demeanour and fondness for a sledge anderson remains in touch with the aesthetics of sport it may not be as consciously honed as the impeccable technique of a textbook batsman but the sinuous paths of his deliveries the taut energy of his action elevate his bowling in the memory this art has survived the attentions of the bowling coaches but their tinkering has another side easy as it is to bemoan the attempts to change anderson it is important to recognise he has had advantages that few other bowlers have had he has survived so well in part because he has been kept medicated remunerated nourished and protected as well as any cricketer ever he is a very modern cricketer in the sense that he is a genuine athlete benefitting from a twenty first century attitude and twenty first century treatment but whilst he may have dyed his hair red at the beginning of his career anderson has never been a revolutionary what all the training all the tuning all those advantages have created is an old fashioned english fast bowler he undoubtedly belongs in the tradition of larwood trueman statham and others he looks over his left shoulder and moves the ball away he has a northern abrasiveness an action like a bolt of silk unfurling swing seam accuracy it is appropriate that he is england s leading test wicket taker because he ties a history together he is the modern athlete and also successor to a tradition he was built by coaches not summoned from the mine but he embodies a heritage and keeps old skills alive posted in cricket tagged cricket england james anderson leave a comment what if and if only posted on april 13 2016 by christian drury the sad news of james taylor s retirement due to a heart condition has cast a shadow over the start of the english season spring should be a time for optimism and bright beginnings not elegies and endings taylor s retirement is particularly untimely given his recent success for england a career that for all his domestic runs had failed to live up to its evident promise was finally coming good he had made runs in sharjah and durban against high quality spin and pace he had captained england in dublin last summer and made a fine one day century against australia now his dextrous batting belied by those popeye arms and his elastic short leg fielding a highlight of the winter just gone are just memories tinged with the melancholia of what might have been counterfactual history is often rightly scorned by historians as simplistic and misleading it avoids the structural and overemphasises the individual but whilst it might be bad history it is also beloved of sport nothing gets fans going like the question what if perhaps it s because sport still focuses on the individual over the social players careers offer a structure for speculation and matches are marked by clear results what could have been different what if that chance had been taken what if they d picked him instead what if she hadn t been injured cricket s history is full of players who never achieved what they seemed capable of for reasons tragic and not think of those left unselected by chance or by circumstance from andy gateaume one test innings 112 runs never picked again to barry richards and mike procter banished from test cricket for the racism of the nation they represented there are those who flickered and faded like vinod kambli the man who could never be tendulkar or ajantha mendis who was left a sphinx without a riddle once his variations were deciphered others like taylor have suffered from the vagaries of health and fitness lawrence rowe the jamaican virtuoso made a test triple century but in a magical realist twist was allergic to grass mohammad zahid was a pakistani fast bowler of almost mythical pace but only played five tests due to injury finally there are those are tragically denied a career by death the late phillip hughes the tubercular wunderkind archie jackson and the numerous cricketing victims of the world wars their runs left unscored their wickets untaken unrequited talent always invites introspection and cricket a sport prone to nostalgia at the best of times can often colour these careers with both gloom and glory replaying the memories of what might have been becomes a way of coping with the looming uncertainties of the future the past offers comfort and seems to offer answers even if only in the form of impossible alternatives the memories of unfulfilled talent are often changed through hindsight as well would simon jones s signature wicket michael clarke s off stump detonated in the manchester sunshine remain quite so iconic if he had gone on to play more than just a single test after it these moments remain sharper for their unfortunate scarcity however the counterfactual is not simply a trigger for memory sporting fandom works through unbridled optimism and the question what if supplies that if they d scored we d have won so we can win next time the counterfactual is hope against hope a reassurance that it could be different that next week we ll turn up and see a win it s a salve against the pain of defeat or of loss of profligate players and those you ll never see again it s a coping mechanism a simple way to process what has happened what if and if only none of this will be much comfort to james taylor right now and i wish him the best of luck for now and the future cricket fans will look back on when they saw him play differently now and some might think of what might have been the runs he might have scored the games he might have won imagining a different future helps in the here and now but perhaps we should channel some of the disappointment and melancholy into thinking about what we did see we can allow the sadness to illuminate our memories posted in cricket tagged counterfactual cricket history james taylor memory leave a comment doosra détente where next for england and pakistan posted on october 12 2015 by christian drury three grainy images encapsulate the last thirty years of cricket between england and pakistan mike gatting and shakoor rana jabbing fingers aligned frustration and affront written across their respective faces nasser hussain and graham thorpe jubilant their whites lit brightly against the karachi night the national stadium fading to black mohammad amir popping crease bisecting his delivery stride watched by salmat butt the captain s eyes wandering seemingly guiltily towards the bowler s feet accusation victory against the odds skulduggery these themes run through the rivalry for both sides creating rancour unrivalled in many cricketing contests pakistan see beating england as a statement of postcolonial belonging a triumph of the nation team over the arrogant english england see playing pakistan especially away as an onerous task one bound up with frustration discomfort and disrespect as ian botham said pakistan is the sort of place every man should send his mother in law to for a month all expenses paid touring the uae might seem less stressful off the pitch but playing conditions remain challenging the history of england versus pakistan is often overshadowed by other contest the weight of history and politics that hangs over pakistan s matches against india and england s love of the sibling rivalry that is the ashes but for england in particular playing pakistan might be more important than any other sporting contest england may love the home nations rivalries of rugby and football the antagonism of playing the french the historical charge of meeting germany or argentina but none matter as much to the nation today as playing pakistan the animosity that accompanies the matches has built up steadily the accumulated sediment of sixty years of controversy from pakistan s almost instant success winning at the oval in 1954 inspired by fazal mahmood s bowling and abdul hafeez kardar s captaincy barely a test series has passed without an untoward incident of some sort on the 1955 6 tour a group of england players essentially kidnapped idris baig a pakistani umpire nearly causing a diplomatic incident on later tours to pakistan tests were disrupted by political unrest pakistan picked an influential student leader aftab gul for the 1968 9 lahore test whilst he was on bail and who went on to represent salman butt at his spot fixing trial the relationship soured for good in the 1980s pakistan won in england in 1987 and england s tour that winter saw the infamous gatting rana clash chris broad refuse to walk and each england player receive a hardship bonus at the end of the tour rana had previously incensed jeremy coney when new zealand toured and imran khan s calls for neutral umpires seemed increasingly necessary gatting s response does maggie thatcher back down when she s given no choice suggested a hardening of english attitudes towards pakistan home umpires were the catalysts of the next dispute when aaqib javed clashed with roy palmer when pakistan toured in 1992 that tour escalated into mutual recrimination with accusations of ball tampering in the twenty first century moin khan s time wasting shahid afridi s pitch scuffing inzamam s forfeiting and butt amir and mohammad asif s spot fixing have all lead to the further deterioration of the relationship add in mutters about bowling actions crowd trouble and political instability all of which have cropped up before and the situation seems practically irreconcilable moreover the geopolitical situation has deteriorated further one of the reasons that pakistan versus england should be taken more seriously as a sporting rivalry is that it is one of the few that exists based on the defining questions of the century so far what has been loosely termed the war on terror perhaps only the footballing rivalry between france and algeria has the same post colonial tension morphing into new questions about national identity this is not to argue that england playing pakistan should be seen as somehow representative of some specious clash of civilisations rather as mike marqusee argued in 1994 the pakistani cricket team is often used especially by the english media as a sporting shorthand for islam perpetuated through negative stereotypes the vocabulary volatile excitable the suggestions of untrustworthiness and suspicion of religiosity casually elide as marqusee noted the pakistani cricket team and pakistanis especially british pakistanis it is notable then that there were three british pakistanis in england s original touring party moeen ali adil rashid and zafar ansari moeen and rashid are from birmingham and bradford respectively home to two of the largest british pakistani communities ansari s background hampton trinity hall cambridge is recalls a different generation of england cricketer but his father is an academic who specialises in british muslim identity perhaps a clue to détente lies with them they are not ambassadors and have no duty or special task to perform but moeen in particular open about his faith and close to saeed ajmal who other england players have denigrated suggests that a working relationship might be possible between england and pakistan for the series not be marred by controversy would be a major step both teams would of course love to win but perhaps something of a hard but fair attitude might prevail there is historical baggage that the contest will never be able to shake but the possibility of moving beyond a strictly oppositional relationship the logic of the tebbit test and mutual recrimination would be a huge positive at a time where many british muslims face suspicion a broader acceptance of complex identities could be reached a multiracial national team reflecting multiracial clubs across the country is a sign of a new england hopefully one less irascible towards its supposed other british society still has a long way to go and international sport rarely provides a healthy atmosphere for national reconciliation but the nation would benefit with a more fraternal relationship with pakistan on the cricket field a recognition of past faults and of common identity over misunderstanding and ignorance posted in cricket tagged england identity pakistan 1 comment capturing the spirit cricket in popular culture posted on september 28 2015 by christian drury a revolution conducted according to the rules of cricket is an absurdity arthur koestler darkness at noon what can the work of a hungarian communist exile tell us about cricket arthur koestler might not seem like a likely source of wisdom about the game darkness at noon his best known work is a powerful critique of political power but a guide to thinking about cricket the sole line doesn t even seem to make much sense of course the laws of the game can t tell you about revolution of course popping creases and proletariats don t mix but look a little deeper the absurdity is not that cricket and revolution make a surreal mix rather they are diametrically opposed the rules of cricket are the opposite of a revolution hence to combine the two is ludicrous koestler is using cricket as shorthand for what he calls the nineteenth century s liberal ethics of fair play cricket symbolises what the revolution is opposed to what must be overthrown using cricket to signify liberal bourgeois values is not an uncommon trope especially in an english or in koestler s case european context the enduring idea of cricket in popular culture is as pastoral staid and moral it is a game of the village green with breaks for tea played with a certain spirit of social harmony and honourable conduct in fiction film and television cricket is an easy symbol for representing a certain mindset and milieu as raphael the teenage mutant ninja turtle says nobody understands cricket you got to understand what a crumpet...
|
