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wisdenindia-blog · 6 years

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‘T20 is an old man’s game’

They came, they fought, they conquered, and then they left the battlefield with their ‘children’, and a trophy. In a format dominated by youngsters, Chennai Super Kings acquired 11 30-plus players in the Indian Premier League2018 auctions. The franchise was criticised for forming a ‘Dad’s army’ , but the same ‘Dad’s Army’ overpowered the more youthful outfits in the league before getting the better of Sunrisers Hyderabad twice in the playoffs (Qualifier 1 and Final) to lift the IPL trophy for the third time.

Amazing achievement by @ChennaiIPL last night, 3rd Ipl title and joint best alongside @mipaltan. A big congrats to @msdhoni and his team. #IPL2018

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Captaincy is more important in T20 than any other format as shown by the victory of @ChennaiIPL in this years IPL. Well done to probably the most experienced and streetwise team in the comp Tough luck to @SunRisers who had a great season too

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Congratulations to @ChennaiIPL on winning the #IPL2018Finals..Hard luck to the @SunRisers..You guys were brilliant throughout..It was a super intense and super interesting #IPL this year..Great to be a part of it representing @rajasthanroyals @IPL #IPL2018

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Seriously good knock by @ShaneRWatson33 well done mate simply amazing to watch. Not the result @SunRisers wanted but you have to pat yourselves on the back and say well done for the way you played throughout the tournament

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Congrats @ChennaiIPL

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Congrats to @ChennaiIPL for this years @IPL success. This has to be one of the most amazing comeback results in our sport. Quite remarkable! Special mention to @ShaneRWatson33 who has been on some journey to be standing where he has today. Enjoy!

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Bhajju pa and Chinna Thala bro code! #WhistlePodu #SuperChampions

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A blue sea is what Iam used to, Sea of yellow in #wankhede chanting #CSK....what a return it has been for @ChennaiIPL after 2 years..!! #IPL2018Final

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T20 is an old boys game. #csk #IPL2018Finals

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Well done @ChennaiIPL, #vivoipl2018 champions once again. The fire and the yellow-army burn as bright as ever in MS Dhoni and his men. Well played again @DJBravo47 #CHAMPION.

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It was great come back season for @ChennaiIPL this team deserves all success cos this franchise treats every player and its fans with utmost respect. Well played @SunRisers thru out the season.Some brilliant bowling performance by #srh great cricket in this ipl for fans #IPL2018

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Congratulations #msd led @ChennaiIPL for winning the @IPL. Never the less @SunRisers were also a great unit till the end. #CSKvSRH #VIVOIPL2018Final

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Super Coach ... Super Captain ... Winning a Super Tournament ... #IPL2018Final

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Well done, @ChennaiIPL. A great display of quality cricket. Certainly the most consistent side of the tournament. A special knock from @ShaneRWatson33 in a crucial game which saw them through. #CSKvSRH #IPL2018Final

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It’s been a fantastic season of #IPL Congratulations to the Chennai SuperKings and a special shout out to MSD for carrying out the season with such ease

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Took something special! Well done @ShaneRWatson33 and @ChennaiIPL serious innings and campaign from both.

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Congratulations to @msdhoni and @ChennaiIPL for winning the 2018 @IPL the two best teams got the finals but the best team won.

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Congratulations to @ChennaiIPL for winning the @IPL. Dominant performance by them and also well done to @SunRisers for a wonderful season.

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Congratulations Chennai Superkings on becoming deserving champions of the biggest T20 tournament in the world. Brilliant throughout the tournament and the wonderful people from Chennai and whole of TN deserve this @ChennaiIPL . #IPL2018Final

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Time to hear from the captain and players who helped Chennai achieve glory.

Excited to be going home after 7 weeks at the IPL... Was really good being back at @ChennaiIPL this year. What a franchise it has been over the years. Proud to be part of another trophy with CSK

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Celebrations with family @Geeta_Basra #hinayaheerplaha #ipl2018 @ChennaiIPL

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பல காயங்களுக்கு ஆறுதலாக இந்த @ipl கோப்பையை @ChennaiIPL மக்களுக்கு சமர்ப்பணம் செயகின்றோம். காரியம் கை கைக்கூடியது.உங்கள் பாசத்திற்கும்! நேசத்திற்கும்! தலைவணங்குகின்றேன்.தாய் போல் எமை சீராட்டிய தமிழ்நாடு வாழியவே.அனைத்து துன்பங்களையும் மறந்து எங்கள் தோளோடு தோள் நின்றமைக்கு #நன்றி

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A big thank you to the #YellowArmy for your immense support! You are the best fans anyone can ask for! Thank you for believing in us, for not losing hope during out difficult days, and for being a part of the wonderful journey this season. @ChennaiIPL #WhistlePodu

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Kudos to winning the IPL 2018 final ...CSK roars #familytime

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Cannot express my feelings! It's been a wonderful season for us & a fitting finish by @ShaneRWatson33. A well constructed innings from him today & inspiring captaincy from @msdhoni right from game one takes us to our 3rd title.A big thank you to all our supporters#WhistlePodu

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Men behind the scene!! From guiding us to taking care us of at each and every stage of this hectic tournament. A big thank you to all of them. @ChennaiIPL

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Congratulations to my team! And a special thank you to all my fans... it’s always great to win titles @ChennaiIPL @sonymusicindia @SonyMusicGlobal @SonyMusicAU #rundworld

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3/4 months back before the auction I mentioned this And it happened #believe it and become whatever u want to #4th IPL trophy for me @ChennaiIPL #whitslepodu

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IPL champions

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Their better halves were as excited as the players.

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What a way to end the tournament! Hard work, gruelling travelling and crazy schedules paid off.. well done @ChennaiIPL !! Proud of you all.. You said it right @harbhajan3 ‘whoever takes you takes the cup home too’ #ipl18 #chennaisuperkings

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You made us all super proud and incredibly happy! An epitome of champions @chennaiipl #cskfamily #csk #chennaisuperkings #whistlepodu

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“Teams win games, but finals are won by individuals,” MS Dhoni had said on the eve of the match. And Shane Watson, who blasted a scintillating unbeaten 117, proved the theory right.

@ShaneRWatson33

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#IPL2018 well done to CSK last night, proving yet again cricket is a sport where age is not a barrier. Great knock by @ShaneRWatson33 the best performing Australian in the tournament.

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What a Shanesational innings by @ShaneRWatson33... A well defined win for the Chennai Super Kings... #IPL2018Final #CSKvSRH

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Nandri Watson! Stand and deliver!

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“Elementary my dear Watson!” Just hit the ball harder and further than anybody else in the @IPL Final. @ShaneRWatson33 #IPL

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Congrats @ShaneRWatson33 a Joy to watch mate. Well done to both teams for an exciting final. @IPL https://twitter.com/CricketAus/status/1000786555299024896 …

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What an innings from @ShaneRWatson33 after the 1st 10 balls it has been a display of power hitting well done @CskIPLTeam just to good on the day #IPL2018Finals

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INCREDIBLE @ShaneRWatson33 #CSKvSRH #IPL2018 #IPL2018Champions

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Watto and Huss celebrate #IPL win with @ChennaiIPL. Read: https://bit.ly/2IPhHBD #ThunderNation

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Very very special performance @ChennaiIPL @ShaneRWatson33 take a bow mate...#crushedit God Bless you all as our beloved festival of @IPL comes to a conclusion. Love you India

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@ShaneRWatson33 ! in a run chase, in the @IPL final v the best bowling attack in the comp after starting 0 off 10 balls. Boss innings of magnitude. #VIVOIPL https://twitter.com/starsportsindia/status/1000784804793610240 …

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Shane Watson....... Doesn’t matter how Old you are......... #IPL2018Final

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Amazing mental strength from @ShaneRWatson33 to hold his nerve and stick to his game #IPLfinal2018

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That's got to be the best knock in the #IPLfinal history surely? @SunRisers have been the team to beat throughout the tournament and they can be extremely proud.Sometimes you can't do anything when an individual plays like that.Hats off #shanewatson and well deserved @ChennaiIPL

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We did it!!! #ShaneWatson u absolute champ! What a fantastic innings! @ChennaiIPL are the champions Time for celebrations now! #WhistlePodu

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From WHY Watson to WHY NOT Watson, what a ride, take a bow .. #Champ #IPL2018Final #CSKvSRH

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What better way than celebrating victory in front of your loyal fans?

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Annanukku je! Thala entry! #WhistlePodu #HomeComing

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The pride full of smiles when they rightly landed at Singara Chennai! #WhistlePodu #HomeComing

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Back to our #HomeSweetDen! #WhistlePodu #SuperChampions

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Praises also poured in for Hyderabad.

Hard luck @SunRisers. You really played well, displayed quality team work and thoroughly deserved to be in the finals. You can proudly hold your heads high.

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A special thank you to all our wonderful supporters, it’s been a memorable #IPL2018 for us all. One step further next year #orangearmy #onwardsandupwards

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Very proud of the way @SunRisers played in this IPL, I thank each and every member of the @SunRisers family for their efforts and support. Absolutely brilliant knock from Shane Watson and many congratulations to @ChennaiIPL on a well-deserved victory #IPLfinal2018

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Congratulations #SRH on a fabulous campaign. So much to appreciate and learn. And congratulations to Kane Williamson for playing, and leading, with class and dignity.

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Irfan Pathan had a fanboy moment.

It was a pleasure meeting @BeingSalmanKhan bhai n got to learn some great stories abt his love for the http://game.How many knew sallu bhai had trained under Salim Durani sir for a week or so #SalmanKhan #IPLFinal

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How can you not love Dinesh Karthik?

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Just a few words on my IPL journey #gratefulness #fun

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That’s how you use #Throwback!

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Stumbled upon this. Pleased to say I haven’t changed a bit.

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It was a day of pride for Pakistan.

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Alhamdulillah Pakistan is the 1st ever nuclear power in Global Islam. Salute to Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan and all those who worked hard to make it possible #YoumeTakbeer

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Pakistanis all over world are proud of this achievement .we must thank our scientists who make us protected #YoumeTakbeer

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A clear sign of what we can achieve if we are united in our vision #YoumeTakbeer #PakistanZindabad

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Cricketers seemed pretty hyped about LeBron James single-handedly muscling Cleveland Cavaliers into the NBA finals, yet again.

At this stage Lebron would still make it to the finals if the rest of his starting five was a second hand bar fridge, 2 decks of playing cards and a half eaten cantaloupe

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Lebron. James.

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One more NBA finals 4 dis legend LEBRON JAMES Worth waking up dis mrng Boom

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Too Much Critics with No Credentials boommmmmm #Goat @KingJames #AmazingSpeech

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Misbah-ul-Haq, the former Pakistan skipper, turned a year older.

Many thanks to all of you for birthday wishes but special thanks to my #TeamPakistan and @SarfarazA_54 for giving me such a wonderful birthday gift by winning #HomeOfCricket test match.Congratulations boys & @TheRealPCB.

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Happy birthday @captainmisbahpk bhai

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#OnThisDay 1974. One of Pakistan cricket's greatest ambassadors Misbah-ul-Haq was born in Mianwali. Misbah played 276 times for Pakistan & has been widely recognised as the man who revived Pakistan cricket when he took over as Test captain in 2010 #Cricket

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Pakistan's most successful Test captain - 26 wins. The fastest Test fifty - 21 balls. The most ODI runs without scoring a century - 5,122. Happy birthday to Pakistan great @captainmisbahpk!

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28th May 1974 - Former Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq is born. played 276 matches for Pakistan and scored 11,132 runs. took over captaincy during tough times and took Pakistan to No 1 in Tests with on and off field problems & with no home matches. Happy Birthday @captainmisbahpk

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And so did Ashwell Prince, the former South African batsman.

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He scored 3,665 Test runs for South Africa including 11 centuries with a high score of 162* v Bangladesh in 2008 - happy birthday @ashyp_5!

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Trending Today

#‘T20 is an old man’s game’

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wisdenindia-blog · 6 years

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Dhoni delivers, like only Dhoni can

A perfect season, a perfect final and in more ways than one – a journey of redemption for both Chennai and Dhoni. © BCCI

As his delirious teammates sought to out-Bolt Usain and engulf the batsmen in the middle, Mahendra Singh Dhoni sauntered towards the opposition dugout to offer his commiserations. Had you just switched on the telly – unthinkable, right? – and seen his emotionless face, you would have been hard-pressed to figure out if his side had won or lost. The inscrutable mask was in place. It could have been just another night in office; only, it wasn’t.

Ambati Rayudu, one of 11 30-plus members in the Chennai Super Kings squad, had just lashed Carlos Brathwaite to the cover fence, signalling the triumphant culmination of a campaign flawless in its conception and nearly so in its execution. Shane Watson, another of the over-30 brigade, had emphatically fashioned the conquest of Sunrisers Hyderabad in the final of Indian Premier League 2018 on Sunday (May 27) night with his second hundred of the campaign, on one leg and loads of fire. The phoenix had risen from the ashes, bouncing back from a two-year hiatus with the most telling of statements. And yet, while his men rejoiced, the leader showed no sign of emotion. Maybe to him, it really was just another night in office.

Success, of course, has many fathers, so it will be commonplace over the next several days for many to claim that they had predicted precisely this fairytale comeback from suspension for the Yellow brigade, by a country mile the most consistent team in IPL history. But four months back, after the mega auction towards the end of January, eyebrows collectively stretched sky-high when Chennai put together a gathering of family and friends, it seemed. Dad’s Army, we screamed. What are you guys doing?

The guys, as it turns out, knew exactly what they were doing. They went for experience and reasonable fitness, not merely youthful exuberance and Olympic-level chiselled bodies and electric speed. They plumped for battle-hardened veterans with nerves of steel. They placed most of their eggs in the basket of composure and poise, indifferent to the much-hyped cliché of T20 cricket being a young man’s game. Everything they did go against conventional wisdom. Then again, what is Dhoni if not unconventional (to us, not him)?

“People talk about numbers, statistics,” Dhoni said at the post-match presentation ceremony, shortly before wrapping his hands around a third IPL trophy and then quickly handing it over to the young turks in his side. “Tonight’s the 27th, my jersey number is 7, and this was our seventh final.” Not quite indifferent to such minute details, our MS, as he sent an entire city into seventh heaven. Thala had delivered, like only Thala can.

No matter the outcome of the final, this had already been a season of plenty for Chennai. Plenty of drama, plenty of emotion, plenty of fight, plenty of love, plenty of spirit, plenty of balance, plenty of Dhoni. Myopic thinking from motivated quarters forced the franchise to shift their base from singaara Chennai to Pune after just one home game. The fans were distraught; they had waited so long to welcome their heroes back, only to be dealt an unkind kind by those to whom the IPL will always remain a target for narrow, self-serving gains. The franchise swung into action, arranging special trains to ferry the CSK faithfuls to their adopted home and making them feel at ease. Scientific studies have shown, largely from a footballing perspective, that home support boosts the performance of a team by 8%, which in effect is almost one additional player. Chennai had their 12th man firmly in their corner, be it in Pune or Bangalore, in Kolkata or Mumbai, in Mohali or Jaipur or New Delhi. Entirely because of Dhoni.

The former Indian skipper came into the tournament with justified question marks over his T20 future. His numbers for Pune Supergiant in the previous edition of the IPL were modest, and for the last year and a half, he was nowhere near the tidal wave that unforgivingly swept everything in front of it. His muscular hitting had abandoned him, forever it appeared, as Dhoni plodded along in international T20s too.

His travails seemed to have spilled over to IPL 2018 when first Mayank Markande, then Kuldeep Yadav and Piyush Chawla, tied him up in knots. Dwayne Bravo and Sam Billings pulled off mini-miracles in those first two games, but the Dhoni whispers gradually began to mushroom.

The whispers were replaced by a crescendo at the PCA Stadium in Mohali as the old No. 7 resurfaced, all fire and brimstone, smoking the ball with such authoritative disdain that you wondered if you hadn’t actually imagined the last year and a half.

A tender moment shared between father and daughter right after MS Dhoni delivered a resounding message with Chennai’s third title victory. © BCCI

That epic, 79 not out off 44 with six fours and five sixes, turned Dhoni’s season on its head. Chennai fell just short in a stiff chase, but their talisman was back. The Finisher wasn’t finished, he was setting himself up to finish off games. The mojo rediscovered, Dhoni would go on to finish with 455 runs – behind only Rayudu and Watson from Chennai – at a strike-rate of 150.66. There were 24 fours and 30 sixes from 302 deliveries faced. A gentle smile played on Virat Kohli’s face as Dhoni was taking Royal Challengers Bangalore apart at the Chinnaswamy. Wherever he was watching from, Ravi Shastri would have been a lot more visibly gung-ho.

The legend of CSK stems from the legend of Dhoni. The bond of love and loyalty is mutual. There was greater certainty of Dhoni returning to the franchise at the end of their suspension period than of the sun rising in the east, of night following day following night. Chennai openly pined for Dhoni; only slightly less subtly, Dhoni made his affiliations in the Super Kings v Supergiant faceoff all too clear.

There obviously was a lot more to Chennai than merely their unparalleled head. There was the pressing need to mentally and cricket-wise adapt to expected slow tracks in Chepauk to less predictable surfaces in Pune. There was the absence through injury very early in the season of Kedar Jadhav, with his feisty batting and parallel-to-ground offspin. There was the reconciliation to a few runs conceded on the park because fleet-footedness wasn’t exactly their calling card.

There was Rayudu, finding a fresh lease of life. There was Watson, defying age and critics and unerringly switching on for the big games. There was Suresh Raina, another returning hero who was happy to quietly settle into the slipstream of the Watson-Rayudu-Dhoni pyrotechnics. There was Lungi Ngidi, the towering South African. There was Deepak Chahar, an uncut diamond coming into the event but a lot more polished by the end of it. There were Faf du Plessis and Bravo and Billings, stepping up when it mattered. Shardul Thakur, expensive but with 16 wickets to his name. Ravindra Jadeja, anonymous in the first half but his parsimonious self once May arrived. Harbhajan Singh, less effective than previously and a lot slower than before, but a wily customer nevertheless. Karn Sharma, who dealt the killer blow in the final when he out-winked Kane Williamson, and ended the night with a third straight winner’s medal, each one with a different team.

And then there was Stephen Fleming. Understated, happy to fill in for Dhoni in public spaces and mandatory press dos, and someone the captain trusts implicitly. It’s a relationship that is into its second decade, glued by faith and respect and admiration and honesty. Fleming was a huge success in his own right as New Zealand captain. The head coach and his merry band of support staff focussed on team culture and a vibrant, positive, thriving environment inside the dressing room. That allowed Dhoni to wave his invisible magic wand without compunction out in the middle.

In the aftermath of the victory, as the others let their hair down and danced and drummed and screamed and sang at the Wankhede, Dhoni looked on like the indulgent older brother who has seen it all a million times before. It wasn’t until he was joined by Ziva, his adorable daughter, that the leader forsook form and embraced the moment. The shutterbugs were busy capturing the moment for posterity when Dhoni walked away holding Ziva, mirroring her fascination at the confetti-rain. That singular act when he was caught in his own private world on the most public of platforms bared Dhoni’s soul. Cricket is a part of life, far from life itself. A trophy holds a lot of value, but it also means only that much. There is so much more for which to whistle podu.

#Ambati Rayudu Chennai Super Kings IPL 11 IPL 2018 MS Dhoni Shane Watson Stephen Fleming

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wisdenindia-blog · 6 years

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Life lessons from Dravid, Indian cricket’s man for all seasons

Dravid has spent a large part of the last three years with the cream of India’s Under-19 talent, means the former India skipper is closely connected to modern trends and developments. © ICC

The buzz had been steadily building, for an hour or so. Excited, excitable young lads skitted here and there, casting anxious glances at the elevator door. Proud parents were fighting a losing battle as they tried to mask their emotions. It took quite an effort to get the kids, especially, to forsake the corridor and take their seats as they awaited the arrival of one of India’s most celebrated, storied and idolised cricket sons.

When he did arrive, dressed casually but smartly in an orange tee-shirt and blue jeans, he was mobbed for selfies – the era of the autograph is, of course, well and truly over. Once he entered the private confines of a hall that could hold around 250 but was bursting at the seams with every vantage point taken, spontaneous chants broke out. For a full minute, the audience went “Dravid, Dravid, Dravid, Dravid…” The man at the centre of it all, the one on whom the adulation was being heaped, wore a typically embarrassed smile. He must have wondered what the fuss was all about; he must also have certainly been touched by the outpouring of love and admiration.

Rahul Dravid has never fancied himself as a hero. Unlike some of his contemporaries and many of his successors, he has remained remarkably grounded, refusing almost consciously to take himself more seriously than he should. He has no inflated sense of self-importance, and if he does have an ego, it has been suppressed in some deep, small corner, never to see the light of day. The slight awkwardness of the earlier days when the spotlight was so unforgivingly trained on him – like his peers that formed the Golden Generation of Indian cricket – has made way for a level of comfort and acceptance that is a natural progression. As he picked his way past the raucous mass of teenagers and made his way to the front through the narrow aisle, Dravid was at ease with himself. At peace with himself. Aware of the impact of his presence, but hardly allowing himself to be swept away by the tidal wave of feel-good and hero-worship.

Dravid was the chief guest at a unique prize-distribution function that brought wildlife conservation and cricket together on the same platform. The brainchild of Joseph Hoover, an old friend and a former colleague, the Tiger Cup uses the sport as a vehicle to raise awareness in impressionable minds of the pressing need to protect the majestic tiger, as much for ecological balance as for anything else. Each year for the last seven years, a forest guard has been recognised and rewarded for his commitment to wildlife and forest protection.

A wildlife enthusiast like many cricketers, Dravid had the cozy gathering eating out of his hands with a masterclass narrative that both kids and parents lapped up. That he is himself a father of two young lads yet to hit their teens, and has spent a large part of the last three years with the cream of India’s Under-19 talent, means the former India skipper is closely connected to modern trends and developments. When he spoke of how his cricket-playing sons, Samit and Anvay, wore the Tiger Cup cap with pride even at home, several parents nodded knowingly, while the boys themselves grinned sheepishly, feeling an instant connect with Rahul Dravid’s children. Almost intuitively, Dravid touched the right chords, talking to as an equal rather than talking down to the packed hall.

Right at the get-go, Dravid stuck a cautionary note. “In all these years since India started playing international cricket,” he pointed out, “less than 600 players have represented the country. Less than 600. Of the millions that play the sport, and that aspire to become a superstar. I am not trying to discourage or demoralise anyone, all I am doing is being realistic, and asking everyone here to be realistic. The odds are very daunting; if even one kid in this room goes on to play for India, all of us can be very proud.”

Obviously, he was leading up to something, characteristically carefully building his innings. “It is important to play the sport for the right reasons,” he went on. “Of course one has to be ambitious, but we must not lose sight of why we started playing cricket. Being selected for India is the ultimate honour, but sport teaches us a lot of other things – bonding, camaraderie, team spirit, looking out for each other, knowing right from wrong.

“If the only reason for playing the sport is to represent the country, and if that doesn’t happen, then we might start feeling bitter at a very early age. That will be sad, if the game that you loved so much contributed to making you a bitter person. That’s why I repeatedly stress that it is essential to keep the larger picture in mind.”

Switching tracks only marginally, Dravid’s next focus was education. “No matter how much you throw yourself into sport, you cannot afford to ignore education. The shelf-life of every sportsperson is limited, no matter how talented and successful. Education prepares you for life’s various challenges, as well as for a life after sport,” he reasoned, then stressed the need for versatility. “You must participate in a lot of other sports. I have had the privilege of working with the best Under-19 players in India for a few years now, and they all have other interests too. Yes, focus on cricket, but don’t restrict yourself to cricket. Sachin Tendulkar was an excellent table tennis player, Sourav Ganguly was a very good footballer. I used to play a lot of hockey in school. I see lots of young boys and girls here, I urge you to try your hand at other disciplines too.”

During his formative years, Dravid was fortunate to have supportive but undemanding parents. Leaning on his experiences, he urged the fathers and the mothers to allow their children to blossom by themselves, not expect them to live out their own dreams. “I have heard of kids going to two or three different camps a day – practice at one camp in the morning, go to another in the afternoon, a third one in the evening. At 13 and 14, you must allow them to enjoy themselves. There will come a time when they must practice long hours, but that is not now. Do you want your child to be a superstar at 16 and 18, and then burn out by the time they reach their 20s?”

This was all gold dust. I am not sure what the kids and their moms and dads expected when they arrived at the Karnataka State Billiards Association for the event. Maybe a shake of the famous Dravid right hand, maybe the unavoidable if intrusive selfie. They might not have bargained for 15 minutes of wisdom and erudition from a man who has been there, and done it all. Dravid didn’t let out any state secrets, he merely reiterated the most fundamental elements. But then again, that has always been Dravid, hasn’t it? Steeped in basics, grounded in reality. Hopefully, the kids also took home several learnings, not merely medals, certificates and photographs with Indian cricket’s man for all seasons.

#India U-19 Joseph Hoover Rahul Dravid Tiger Cup

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wisdenindia-blog · 6 years

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Hyderabad favourites, but we’ve got home advantage: Streak

“Russell is a match-winner with the bat and with the ball, so we are very fortunate as it gives us balance.” – Heath Streak. © BCCI

Heath Streak talks a good talk. The former Zimbabwe captain, recently sacked as the head coach of the country’s national team, has every reason to be delighted with the stirring campaign Kolkata Knight Riders have mounted. Four wins on the trot have put the two-time former champions in prime position to make the final, Sunrisers Hyderabad looming as their opponents in Qualifier 2 at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Friday (May 25).

Hyderabad, who have lost four on the bounce after stacking up nine wins in their first 11 matches, have a formidable bowling attack and nearly defended 139 against Chennai Super Kings in Qualifier 1. Streak acknowledged the opposition bowling group’s expertise, but refused to talk them up.

“You don’t play cricket on paper,” the Kolkata bowling coach said on Thursday evening. “They are a very strong side with good players – they wouldn’t have finished at the top of the table if they weren’t. But we’re coming good at the right time. The balance, form — those are all important factors in cricket. At the end of the day, you can only play one ball at a time, whether you’re facing it or bowling. We’re really trying to focus on not the names we are playing against. We know they’re a good side and we know they’re probably favourites – but we’ve also got the home advantage and home support, which has been unbelievable.”

Streak laid the credit for Kolkata’s revival after an iffy middle at the doorstep of a rejuvenated bowling attack. “I’ve been really pleased, especially with our bowlers, how they’ve put it together,” he insisted. “If we are honest with ourselves, we were probably a little bit disjointed and under-par in the bowling department early on. The batting came to our rescue. So very good to go in with that confidence of having four wins.

“Prasidh (Krishna, the tall paceman) has been outstanding. He’s brought in a new dimension, not just with his pace but his height. For me, the most pleasing thing to see is how much of a thinking cricketer he is. He’s really been smart, he’s using his options and variations well, he’s using the double-bluffs and not allowing the batsman to look at the field and know what ball’s coming next. But of course, even with all of that, you still have to execute your skill, which he’s done and I think his confidence is growing and he’s been fantastic. Yesterday (in the Eliminator against Rajasthan Royals), the 18th over was world-class. It reminded me of guys like Jasprit Bumrah, who came on the scene doing exactly what he (Prasidh) has. He’s really making a name of himself this IPL and he’s just another one of those names that IPL has unearthed and really brought to the fore.”

Kolkata have a mix of the old and the new, and the two have come together almost seamlessly in the last few games. “We’ve got a good mix of youth and experience,” Streak agreed. “Obviously, having the likes of Sunil Narine in the spin department, Kuldeep (Yadav) is an emerging player in the Indian side and very confident at the moment. And then we’ve got the youngsters like (Shivam) Mavi and Prasidh who have a point to prove and want to stake a claim going forward. It’s been an enjoyable blend, and the guys are really hungry to succeed. Obviously we had the big blow of Mitchell Starc not being able to come, and it’s hard to replace someone of that calibre. But I think the guys have stood up brilliantly. If you look at our bowlers, there’s no one who’s the same, which is really nice and has also been an added plus for us.

On Dinesh Karthik the captain:

“You have seen how professional he is, he has that never-say-die attitude. He demands that fight and that never-give-up attitude which has been really good. He is passionate. You can see by every boundary and every run we concede, you can see him thinking — the passion that he brings and the support that he gives to the bowlers and the energy. It is his first stint in the IPL as captain, so he also wants to make an impression and he is starting to find his feet and understand the players and what gets the best out of each and every individual player because everyone is an individual in their own right. DK’s been fantastic and hopefully he can continue that for another two games.”

“It is well documented that the teams for whom the domestic Indian players perform well are generally also the ones that perform consistently. The franchise took a position to invest in some young guys. For me, the rewarding this is that guys like Shubman (Gill) and Mavi are probably playing beyond their years in terms of experience that they are showing. If you consider Shubman Gill’s innings last night, he didn’t look as if he was perplexed by the situation. He came in at a very tough time. He was very controlled, very composed and he has done that a few times for us. For a 19, 20-year-old to do that… Shivam Mavi as well has come in. He hasn’t been intimidated, he has bowled some serious deliveries to get rid of some top players. He is going to grow. To know that you have got a youngster like that for the next couple of years is brilliant. Prasidh is a touch older than those guys and he has a bit more experience at the domestic level but he has really stepped up and he has used that experience brilliantly. I have been very happy. And of course obviously our spin trio has been consistently good and that’s a huge advantage for us. It’s brought us back into many games.”

The spin trio of Narine, Kuldeep and Piyush Chawla will have their work cut out against Kane Williamson, the Hyderabad captain and the leading run-getter in the IPL so far. “Kane’s played well at the moment. Sometimes people forget to just bowl good balls at him,” Streak, himself a leading quick bowler in his pomp, said. “He’s one of those players who respects good balls. So it’s about not being intimidated and go away from the plan. He’s like any other good player, but if you bowl enough in the right area you will create chances. At the moment he’s picking length and line really well, so your margins for error are very tight. But our bowlers are executing their skills a bit better. I still feel that in the first 10 overs we can improve, and I think if we can do that in tomorrow’s game while continuing what we’ve been doing in the middle and back end, we can really put them under pressure.”

One of Kolkata’s standout performers has been Andre Russell. The big Jamaican has smashed 313 bruising runs at a strike-rate of 190.85, but also held his own with the ball, working up serious pace on his way to 13 wickets at an acceptable economy of 9.39 for an attacking wicket-taker. “We’ve seen Andre, he has come out and changed the game for us a few times, example that game against Kings (XI Punjab) where he came in and on a pretty good wicket in Indore and on a pretty small ground he turned the game around.

“Andre is like that,” Streak remarked. “There might be days where he might be a little bit expensive but he is also a match-winner, with the bat and with the ball, and that is priceless. To have someone who in their own right could make the side in one department but he is a match-winner with the bat and with the ball, so we are very fortunate, it gives us balance. It gives us the opportunity to be able to have an extra bowler, one extra batter for the skipper to be able to use, so we are very lucky to have someone of his caliber.”

Kolkata have a line-up of heavy-hitters, but they also bat deep and therefore can tide over early collapses, like they did against Rajasthan when they lost their top three inside the Power Play. “That’s something that you have to have and you have to have power at the back-end, not just at the top,” Streak said. “The other night was a good example when CSK pulled off that win (against Hyderabad). Often, if you get to needing 10 runs an over, you still need guys with the ability to clear the rope, that’s been a massive advantage for us. But I also think that for us, one of the good things is that we haven’t tapered off in the middle in terms of our scoring rate.

“We have been consistent throughout the innings. We don’t taper off so much from overs seven to fourteen. We continue to score at a consistent scoring rate. That makes a difference and luckily we have got a good balance of power hitters. The likes of Lynns, Uthappas and Russells and also your more conventional players like (Nitish) Rana, DK (Dinesh Karthik), Shubman Gill and obviously of late we have brought in Javon Searles. Although at No. 8 he doesn’t get to face a lot of balls, he gives the top seven a bit of a cushion knowing that they have got guys behind and that if you need someone who can come in and if you need a 20 off 10 ball type innings, he can do that and often that does happen in T20 cricket.”

#Andre Russell Heath Streak IPL 2018 Kolkata Knight Riders Kuldeep Yadav Piyush Chawla Prasidh Krishna Shivam Mavi Shubman Gill

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wisdenindia-blog · 6 years

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Thanks for the memories, AB

Wednesday (May 23) seemed like a pretty ordinary day at first with some still recovering from Chennai Super Kings’ stunning win over Sunrisers Hyderabad and a few others looking forward to Kolkata Knight Riders’ Eliminator contest against Rajasthan Royals. Little did anyone know that at exactly 4:46 pm all semblance of the ordinary was going to be thrown out the window.

AB de Villiers announced his retirement from international cricket and broke the internet.

I’ve made a big decision today

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Former and current players couldn’t come to terms with it but thanked him for the memories.

One of the world's finest and most versatile batsmen, retires today. He's played brilliantly till now and the world will surely miss seeing him on the field. @ABdeVilliers17

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Like your on-field game, may you have 360-degree success off the field as well. You will definitely be missed, @ABdeVilliers17. My best wishes to you!

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Congratulations @ABdeVilliers17 , the most loved cricketer in the world, on a wonderful career. International cricket will be poorer without you, but you will continue to be celebrated by cricket fans around the world

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Champion batsman! I always enjoyed seeing you bat, the innovations that you brought to the game were a joy to watch esp the sweep shot off fast bowlers. Always respected your enormous talent, a true great of cricket. Stay Blessed.

One of my most cherished wickets! :) Most of the times it was a massive challenge getting you out. Congratulations on a wonderful career @ABdeVilliers17

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One of my most cherished wickets! :) Most of the times it was a massive challenge getting you out. Congratulations on a wonderful career @ABdeVilliers17

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One of the best! Wish you all the best AB amazing player but above all that great guy...

I’ve made a big decision today

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The biggest entertainer in the last decade has bid goodbye to International cricket...your absence will be felt, AB. Cricket will be poorer. Wish you all the best for your future endeavours. Go well @ABdeVilliers17

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True legend. Finishing on top and allowing next generation to step up. The way AB found innovative ways to dominate bowling attacks was an inspiration #ABdeVilliers #AB

I’ve made a big decision today

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Wow! Didn’t see that coming!! All the best with whatever’s next AB.#whataplayer #freak

I’ve made a big decision today

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I’ve made a big decision today

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Sad day for @OfficialCSA and cricket in general, he will be missed!! #ABD

I’ve made a big decision today

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Such a shame for international cricket @ABdeVilliers17 ... But he has been an unbelievable advert to how I would have loved to have played all 3 formats .. GREAT GREAT Player ... Top 3 that I have ever seen .. #AB

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I’ve made a big decision today pic.twitter.com/In0jyquPOK

Enjoy retirement you will be miss for all the great things you have done for this noble game

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Gutted to hear the news!! Surely going to miss your 360 degree game, @ABdevilliers17. All the best buddy!

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One of the best batsmen I ever saw. Blessed to have witnessed.

I’ve made a big decision today

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Watta player watta man @ABdeVilliers17 congratulation on ur great career n wish u all the luck for future endeavours #ABRetires #legend

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What a player. Respect!

I’ve made a big decision today

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The superman of cricket! Best of luck ABD in all your future endeavours. You have been a splendid performer with outstanding records @ABdeVilliers17. Your absence will be noticed.

I’ve made a big decision today

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Really gutted to hear this. But you only deserve to go out on your terms,what you've given to the world as a player and a person is second to none. One of the best EVER. Thank you Champion! @ABdeVilliers17

I’ve made a big decision today

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One of the all time greats of the game, many congratulations #ABDevilliers on an outstanding career. The Federer of Cricket, the most loved cricketer on the planet. Wish you the best for your future endeavours.

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Enjoy your retirement legend, helped to revolutionize modern day batting, you will be missed #MR360

I’ve made a big decision today

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His South African team-mates were at loss for words too.

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I remember this young guy on his 1st day out for Proteas... What an inspiration, person and player he turned out to be. Thank you for everything you have done and been for your country, teammates and fans @ABdeVilliers17 #legend

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So shocked to here @ABdeVilliers17 has decided to call time on his international career. But that’s just life and he feels it’s time to move on. Thank you great man for your amazing Match winning Performances, Skill Captaincy and most of all your Humility.

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Everyone knows when their time has arrived,abbas is no different. Congrats on a wonderful career @ABdeVilliers17

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One of the best players to have EVER PLAYED THE GAME! Thank you for all the advice and lessons... all the best for your future endeavours @ABdeVilliers17 #Salute #BestEver

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Speaking of memories…

World Cup apps 100s 50s runs * high score . average Happy retirement, @ABdeVilliers17!

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66 balls 17 fours 8 sixes 162 not out!@ABDeVilliers17's finest innings?#ABRetires

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Thank you for all the memories @ABDevilliers17 #ABRetires

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There’s more to de Villiers than numbers, but numbers maketh a man in this game.

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AB de Villiers has announced his retirement from international cricket 8,765 Test runs, averaging over 50 9,577 ODI runs, averaging over 50 1,672 T20 runs 47 centuries 109 half-centuries World's fastest ODI 50, 100 & 150 Fastest Test century by a South African One of the greats

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AB de Villiers leaves international cricket as the first cricketer to retire with an average of over 50 and a strike rate of over 100 in ODIs #Cricket

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It wasn’t just the players who felt the loss.

AB de Villiers has announced his retirement from all forms of international cricket with immediate effect. De Villiers bows out of international cricket as one of the greatest players to have represented South Africa, having played 114 Tests, 228 ODIs and 78 T20Is #Cricket

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@ABdeVilliers17 retirement is massive blow to SA's prospects in 2019 World Cup...

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AB de Villiers has committed 876 days to playing for South Africa - I reckon that's fair enough if he wants to do other things.

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Coming soon to a county ground near you...

Breaking: AB de Villiers announces his retirement from all forms of international cricket

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In my opinion, @ABdeVilliers17 was world's best batsman across formats in past 7-8 years. Wish he had played more Tests! #deVilliersRetires

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In my experience, only four overseas cricketers have enjoyed -- perhaps even exceed -- the mass popularity and admiration of Indian superstars: Sir Gary Sobers, Viv Richards, Imran Khan and @ABdeVilliers17. Because of the IPL, India had become ABD's second home

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Something about this ABD retirement just seems off. He's still just 34, a supreme athlete, (arguably still in his athletic prime or certainly not far out of it) and in incredible form. To retire just one year away from a World Cup and say he's 'tired' - didn't see that coming.

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AB de Villiers destroyed Aust earlier this year and at times played as well as I've ever seen any batsman do so. The fact he's retiring without taking a crack at the 2019 World Cup is disappointing

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Please let this be a rumour. Please.

BREAKING: @ABdeVilliers17 has announced his retirement from international cricket More to follow...

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AB de Villiers, the best all format batsman of his generation, retiring from international cricket a year before 2019 WC is a huge blow - maybe biggest yet - to primacy of international cricket.

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I guess it had to happen some day but that day was always going to be too soon.

I’ve made a big decision today

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Must admit to being a bit shocked by @ABdeVilliers17 decision to quit all international cricket. We knew it was coming but I thought he would give the World Cup another shot.

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Um...what the...just land in Singapore to see this news. The world of cricket will miss your skill on the field, your passion towards the game and he humbleness you showed. All the best for the future. #ABDevilliers

I’ve made a big decision today

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Even some big associations couldn’t hold back.

Well played, #ABdeVilliers.

I’ve made a big decision today

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As the Proteas legend @ABdeVilliers17 calls it a day on his international career, we at BCCI would like to wish him all the very best for his future endeavours #ABRetires

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Dear Abraham Benjamin de Villiers, you class act, the #ProteaFire will not be the same without you! Take a bow! #WhistlePodu @ABdeVilliers17

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While you come to terms with that, you could look back on a fine contest between Chennai and Hyderabad on Tuesday night to take a break. In short: Faf du Plessis won the game for Chennai and now MS Dhoni’s men are in the final.

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Thanx so much to everyone for the kind messages.. Can’t believe that we won that game last night. Special to be there at the end. Looking forward to the final on Sunday

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Congrats to my entire team @ChennaiIPL and @faf1307 well done tonight bro... finals here we come #rundworld

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IndianPremierLeague ��@IPL

When #Champiom does what he is second best at! #WhistlePodu #Yellove https://www.iplt20.com/video/143032/bravo-when-dj-turned-vj … via @ipl

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Holla Lions! Here's cheering up your Wednesday with Champion @DJBravo47's #RunDWorld scenes with the Lions last night! #WhistlePodu @ImRaina @imjadeja @faf1307 @ShaneRWatson33 @david_willey @ImranTahirSA @RayuduAmbati @itsmadhu @Sanjay_lives @lakshuakku

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Watching @faf1307 bat like that was a blessing to see under pressure the man kept his cool just beautiful to watch...

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It’s another one we are winning #everyeherewegoeverywhereewegowearechennaiboys

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Well played @ChennaiIPL ! What a game. Awesome to watch the comeback

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WOW!!!!!! Another unbelievable win... @faf1307 ! @ChennaiIPL @IPL Final time something seriously special about this franchise! #whistlepodu

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What a beauty @faf1307 #whistlepoduforanotherfinal

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#WhistlePodu Winning #Selfi

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Nail biting finish! @faf1307 you beauty! @ChennaiIPL back to where we belong. The finals of the @IPL. Can’t wait for Sunday. #IPL2018

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Indeed! @faf1307 - thank you for a glorious evening! That was a most thrilling 46 runs off 18 balls! At 64/6 Couldn’t have imagined this win against @SunRisers

The fafulous show! #WhistlePodu #Yellove #Qualifier1 #SRHvCSK

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The #yellove #orange cameraderie post a thriller of a match! #WhistlePodu #yellove #SRHvCSK #Qualifier1

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Post-match endearment! #WhistlePodu

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So, it’s Eliminator time in the IPL, and that means Kolkata are all geared up to host Rajasthan. Fun times these!

#TeamKKR - proud of what u hv accomplished so far. Hoping for nothing but the best tonight! #KKRHaiTaiyaar #PlayUnited @NokiamobileIN

The big win is near and the team needs your support. Send us your own creative cheer using #PlayUnited and tagging @NokiamobileIN, to show your love for @KKRiders Stand a chance to win 10 brand new Nokia devices and signed KKR merchandise.

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Captaincy of @DineshKarthik @KKRiders and the resilience of @ajinkyarahane88 @Rajasthanroyals promises to be an exciting match @IPL #Eliminator#Wednesdaywisdom Every Champion was once a contender that refused to give up.

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#Eliminator – #KKRvRR: #RR are without Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes. #KKR are with a home advantage. Rajasthan Royals last beat the Knight Riders in Kolkata over 10 years ago, in 2008. Who do you think will play #SRH in #Qualifier2? @CareerLauncher #AakashVani Preview. #IPL2018

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Reporting live from #Kolkata It’s Nice & DRY Hope it stays this way #IPL #KKRvRR

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In case you forgot, the Women’s T20 Challenge was a big deal, even a day after the game.

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Women's T20 challenge match in Mumbai was a career highlight for @EllysePerry, who said a #WomensIPL would be a 'missing piece of the puzzle'.http://bit.ly/WIPLReaction

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Top afternoon spent at the Wankhede.. Great initiative by @BCCI @BCCIWomen to have this women’s game ahead of the first qualifier. Now warming up for #KentCricketLIVE at five! #CSKvSRH - There’ll be a lot of yellow around I’m guessing .. @rpsingh

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Supernova’s vs Trailblazer’s, nerves of steel & a great game of cricket. International stars of Women’s cricket put up a great show of sporting sprit and skill. Enjoyed every bit of the experience yesterday. With my teammates @ahealy77 #LeaTahuhu. Thank you #IPLwomen #BCCI

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Whirlwind trip to India but wow what an experience playing in #IPLWomen. Hopefully the start of something special in the future! Enjoyed playing with and against some legends!!

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Cannot leave India without a selfie! Great to get to know all these guys a little better. Hopefully see you all again soon @IPL

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How cool was that?! Humbled to play with and against so many fantastic cricketers in what will hopefully be the start of something massive for the women’s game. #IPLWomen #supernovas #trailblazers

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We don’t quite know what’s going on here. Want to try and guess?

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The @englandcricket players play their part in preparation for tomorrow by carrying the Long Room chairs back to the Pavilion!#LoveLords

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Not awkward at all @chriswoakes! See more on @allstarscricket’s Insta Story: http://ms.spr.ly/6015r25Y5

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wisdenindia-blog · 6 years

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AB’s era-defining career

AB de Villiers left an indelible mark on the game, and one day after the announcement of his retirement from the international game, the sheer extent of the impact he made became apparent. For a second day in succession, on Thursday (May 24), glowing tributes poured in for the South African legend.

Congrats to @ABdeVilliers17 on an era defining career. A wonderful advert for how glorious athleticism and cricketing skill can be at their highest levels. And More importantly a good man, humble and gentle. Good luck with all you do.

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Straight up, icon of the game! Farewell Abbas. @ABdeVilliers17 is definitely high amongst the #GOAT. Who’s your favorite, batter/player of all time ?

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Congrats to @ABdeVilliers17 for a career that changed the way the game was played. Inspiration to so many and an example of a true champion. Privilege to have played with you Abbas. #ABDevilliers #Legend

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Well done @ABdeVilliers17 on a fantastic career, one of my favourite players to watch go about their skill. Wish you every success with you and your family.

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Well done on such an incredible career @ABdeVilliers17 You’re a true gentleman of the game and it was such a pleasure to play against you. wishing you all the best in stage two of your life!

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@ABdeVilliers17 Congrats bro. The next stage will be as great as the last. What a player and what a bloke.

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Congratulations to @ABdeVilliers17 on a stellar international career. Amazing player and great man. Was always glad I didn’t have to bowl to him! All the best for your next chapter.

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All the best @ABdeVilliers17 on ur new chapter.What a player,what a man!Truly an honour to have watched & fortunate to have been in ur team

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Congrats @ABdeVilliers17 for an international career that people only ever dream of. One of my favourite players to play against and most certainly one of my most favourite team mates I have ever played with. You will be missed mate. #respect

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Nothing but love @ABdeVilliers17 it’s been an absolute privilege

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Just seen that @ABdeVilliers17 retired. Congrats on an unreal career buddy! Life gets better now with family and friends!

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Congrats on an awesome career @ABdeVilliers17 Enjoy retirement and the extra time with your family. Was a pleasure watching you as a youngster and then becoming one of the best in the world.

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It’s always sad to bid farewell to such a a classy player! @ABdeVilliers17 cricket will surely miss a legend like you, u have been a source of inspiration for many young guns out there. Best for luck for all ur future endeavours

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Congratulations on a wonderful career @ABdeVilliers17! One of the all time greats... Enjoy some well earned family time mate!

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It was always a pleasure playing with you and even against you. Wish you the best, @ABdeVilliers17.

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I’ve made a big decision today pic.twitter.com/In0jyquPOK

Congrats on an outstanding career. You deserve all the accolades but most importantly, time now to enjoy with your family and friends. Always the toughest to play against

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Most definitely a G.O.A.T in my book. Truly an honour to have shared some memorable moments on and off the field with you champion. Congrats on an outstanding international career. Wishing you all the best in the next chapter my friend. Good well Braampie @abdevilliers17 #GOAT

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Respect to a class act @ABdeVilliers17

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I’ve made a big decision today pic.twitter.com/In0jyquPOK

all the best @ABdeVilliers17 - love watching you play and an SA side taking the field without you just won’t be the same. #Mr360 #GOAT

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It's been an absolute pleasure mate watching you do your stuff as a teammate, opponent, and as fan. All the best mate.

I’ve made a big decision today

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The most complete modern day cricketer and an epic smasher of the cricket ball. Congrats on your fantastic International Cricket career, you will be missed truly @ABdeVilliers17

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Ed Joyce, a champion in his own right, decided to call it a day too.

NEWS: Ireland cricket legend Ed Joyce (@edjoyce24) has announced his retirement from cricket today. He will take up a new role overseeing leadership development and as a batting coach in the Irish performance system. Read more: http://www.cricketireland.ie/news/article/ed-joyce-announces-retirement-from-all-forms-of-cricket … #BackingGreen

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Congrats @edjoyce24! What a great servant to @Irelandcricket. All the best in the new role. Get that shoulder warmed up! #slinger #TDs #juice

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Congrats @edjoyce24 on a wonderful career. One of the best championship batters I ever seen & been fortunate to play with. Thank you for protecting me from that new hard seaming swinging new ball for so many years. Loved our time on and off the field together. Enjoy retirement x

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The World Cup dream will remain unfulfilled for de Villiers, but he’ll still be targetting that IPL title. Ask Virat Kohli, who has promised to come back hard.

I really believe in the concept of, "you either win or you learn". We fought hard and gave it our all but one thing is for sure, next season we definitely will bounce back stronger than ever with our learnings from this season. Take care. @RCBTweets #RCB #IPL2018

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In some rather disheartening news for the Indian skipper though, he was ruled out of his county stint with Surrey.

Probably got neck ache from carrying RCB throughout the IPL. Massive shame! Get well soon Kohli

CONFIRMED: @imVkohli will not play for Surrey after suffering a neck injury playing for RCB. He will undertake a fitness Test on 15th June, and is expected to be fit for India's tours of Ireland and England.

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In the meantime, Kolkata advanced to Qualifier 2 in the Indian Premier League 2018.

Ajinkya did well as a captain in this #ipl with what team he had but same time Dinesh k handled the players well,specially tonight the way he made change in bowling at crucial times in the game.Great game again. Well tried #RR Goodluck #kkr for the next game #kkrvsrr

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Huuuuge character shown by the @KKRiders boys tonight. T20 cricket is a funny game and momentum can swing at any stage! See you Friday night again at Eden Gardens Well done lads

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But from the shadows of the IPL, Test cricket is re-emerging to claim its place in the sun.

The 1st Test of the summer is always an exciting time. Good luck to all involved. Looking forward to watching #ENGvPAK

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Not much has changed for England though.

Start of the Test summer .. Lovely to be back .. Nothing has changed .. England 43 for 3 .. #OnOn

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There was some time for some inter-rival fraternising.

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Couple of decent @englandcricket wicketkeeper-batsman, and some fairly quick @TheRealPCB bowlers paying a visit to the @bbc5live box at @HomeOfCricket. #EngvsPak

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It’s a special day for Kevin Pietersen, as his little one takes the cricket field for the first time.

Today is going to be one of the greatest days of my life. I’m off to watch Dylan play in a cricket game for the very first time. I am beyond excited!

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The fitness challenge is really making waves. When Kohli sent him an invite, the Indian Prime Minister got on board too.

Challenge accepted, Virat! I will be sharing my own #FitnessChallenge video soon. @imVkohli #HumFitTohIndiaFit

I have accepted the #FitnessChallenge by @ra_THORe sir. Now I would like to challenge my wife @AnushkaSharma , our PM @narendramodi ji and @msdhoni Bhai for the same. #HumFitTohIndiaFit #ComeOutAndPlay

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Suresh Raina has taken it up as well.

This is pure motivation sir @Ra_THORe. Fitness is the way of life & I hope everyone starts putting an effort in the right direction. I accept your challenge & further nominate honourable minister Mr @JPNadda, @harbhajan_singh & @sonamakapoor #HumFitTohIndiaFit #fitnesschallange

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Finally, it’s been a tough two months for the Warners, but in a heart-warming image, they were enjoying family time.

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AB – superhuman or spiderman?

As with any feat of brilliance or simply anything that AB de Villiers does, social media and the cricketing world on Friday (May 18) were amazed by the South African’s inhuman fielding effort that helped Royal Challengers Bangalore secure a thrilling win over Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Just AB being AB, we guess.

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Saw #SpiderMan Live today! @abdevilliers17#RCBvsSRH #IPL2018

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Incredible. But then it’s @ABdeVilliers17

Saw #SpiderMan Live today! @abdevilliers17#RCBvsSRH #IPL2018

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Saw #SpiderMan Live today! @abdevilliers17#RCBvsSRH #IPL2018 pic.twitter.com/mUuGVKuTn4

Unreal scenes

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Saw #SpiderMan Live today! @abdevilliers17#RCBvsSRH #IPL2018 pic.twitter.com/mUuGVKuTn4

Ridiculous behaviour!!!

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Ffffruurrpppoiewhuyergfuiewbfdkhjbv. Sorry about that, have just been sick all over the keyboard. That was a nauseatingly-superb grab from AB. Bravo, sir. #IPL2018 #RCBvSRH #RCB

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What have I just seen.....

Ffffruurrpppoiewhuyergfuiewbfdkhjbv. Sorry about that, have just been sick all over the keyboard. That was a nauseatingly-superb grab from AB. Bravo, sir. #IPL2018 #RCBvSRH #RCB

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#insane #ABD #whatacatch @ABdeVilliers17

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Just seen the replay of that catch; What the Duck was that @vikramsathaye @ABdeVilliers17

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Can’t keep ABD out of the game... wow!

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AB is really good

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Other notable mentions in the classic encounter at the Chinnaswamy were Moeen Ali, Rashid Khan and of course, Kane Williamson.

Another classic game last night, unfortunate to have fallen short !!! Batting of the highest Quality from both teams & to top it off Blinders by SuperMan @ABdeVilliers17 & our very own Magician @rashidkhan_19

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Sample that for a stunner from @rashidkhan_19 #VIVOIPL #RCBvSRH

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T20 cricket isn’t just about power, it’s also about being smart and playing to your strengths and Williamson is doing exactly that

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Always been a fan of Kane Williamson, the test batsman and captain. But to see him raise his game in T20 through this #IPL has been an experience to watch

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Still don’t think the #IPL teams realise how good many of England’s players are at the White ball game these days ... RR took along time to Open with @josbuttler ... RCB took forever to get Mo Ali in the team ... Many more could have a huge impact ... #JustSaying

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The best catch ever? There might be some dispute over that.

YouTube ‎@YouTube

The de Villiers catch is great, but it was let down by the lack of Bill Lawry going ballistic on commentary like this one from Adam Dale.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lO2Y1vkpyNc …

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And we thank the stars, the universe and everything for this every day!

Said it before, will say it again: thank god AB chose cricket over the countless other sports he could have excelled at. I have never seen a more gifted, purer athlete in the men's cricket circuit. Hand-eye coordination, balance, strength, agility, brains. Complete. #RCBvSRH

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Putting Bangalore’s qualification hopes in another light.

So at 4pm tomorrow both B S Yeddyurappa & Virat Kohli have to face knockout situations

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Kumar Sangakkara ended up running into Sathish Sivalingam, the Indian CWG weightlifting gold medalist.

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It was a pleasure meeting to you sir @KumarSanga2 wen we interact together, you told me i knew u sathish though the social media thats moments really i loved

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It was a pleasure meeting to you sir @KumarSanga2 wen we interact together, you told me i knew u sathish though the social media thats moments really i loved

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Anil Kumble is spoiling us with his photography skills and this view!

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Beautiful Circle of Life! Depicts this city. #Mumbai #sealink

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Birthday wishes go out to David Wiese and Sandeep Sharma.

Many many happy returns of the day, @sandeep25a. God bless you

Team Circle of Cricket wishes a very Happy Birthday to our star, @sandeep25a. Have a great year on and off the field.

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Happy birthday @sandeep25a! Re-live his 4/54 in the #U19CWC final in 2012 against Australia that helped India to their third title!

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Happy birthday to the sandy @sandeep25a! Great to see you doing so well for your team, keep the ball swinging... God bless you.

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Happy Birthday DW! ...such a champion! @David_Wiese #HappyBirthday #SuitUp #AllSmiles

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High fives all round! Happy Birthday, @David_Wiese! Have a good one! #gosbts

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Kudos also poured in for Shelley Nitschke, who was named the assistant coach of the Australian women’s team.

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You little ripper. So happy for Shelley Nitschke, assistant coach of @SouthernStars. Loved playing with her in Aussie colours and know she will bring that same passion, drive & skill to the players. Perfect appointment @CricketAus

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Congrats Shelley! Great cricketer, great person, no doubt Shell will thrive in this new role. I hope she will still have time to go surfing with me?!! #cricket #WomenInSport

The great Shelley Nitschke has been appointed full-time Australia assistant coach for the next two years! Congrats, Shell: https://www.cricket.com.au/news/shelley-nitschke-australia-women-assistant-coach-southern-stars-matthew-mott/2018-05-18 …

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Watched how she went about things in the recent India tour, heard how the players talked about her and know how she played the game. Brilliant appointment which will help the @SouthernStars build on their successful legacy.

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Australian cricket can only benefit from Shelley’s knowledge and passion. Great appointment #gowellshell

Super proud of Scorps and Australian cricket legend Shelley Nitschke, who has been appointed @SouthernStars Assistant Coach! More http://bit.ly/2wS7nTN

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Huge congrats to former player and current Strikers @WBBL Assistant Coach Shelley Nitschke, who has been appointed @SouthernStars Assistant Coach! : http://bit.ly/2rXdxN1 #strikeforce

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#AB – superhuman or spiderman?

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wisdenindia-blog · 6 years

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De Villiers quits international cricket

After the fantastic series wins against India and Australia, now feels like the right time to step aside,” explained de Villiers. © BCCI

AB de Villiers, the charismatic South African batsman, announced his retirement from all forms of international cricket on Wednesday (May 23) in a video released via social media.

Having recently returned home from the Indian Premier League campaign where he represented Royal Challengers Bangalore who finished sixth in the league table, de Villiers indicated in the video he shared on Twitter that he does not have any plans to play overseas currently, though he would try and play in the domestic level for Titans.

I’ve made a big decision today

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Following a 14-year career that spanned 114 Tests, 228 One-Day Internationals, and 78 Twenty20 Internationals, de Villiers said the time was right for others to have a chance and that if he chose to wear the green and gold, it had to be for all formats or nothing.

“This is a tough decision, I have thought long and hard about it and I’d like to retire while still playing decent cricket. After the fantastic series wins against India and Australia, now feels like the right time to step aside,” explained de Villiers.

The announcement came as a surprise considering the 34-year old committed himself to the Proteas when he gave up his One-Day International captaincy in order to reduce his burden and make himself available in all three formats. Before the series against India, de Villiers had gone on an extended break from the longest format of the game that was also forced due to a recurring elbow injury.

In the video, de Villiers is refreshingly honest about the true reasons for the sudden decision to call it quits.

“After 114 Test matches, 228 ODI’s and 78 T20 Internationals, it is time for others to take over. I have had my turn, and to be honest, I am tired. It’s not about earning more somewhere else, it’s about running out of gas and feeling that it is the right time to move on. Everything comes to an end.”

It has been a long road for Mr. 360, as de Villiers was nicknamed for his versatile style of batting that saw him amass over 20,000 runs across all three formats in international cricket, representing South Africa – 8765 runs in Tests (average: 50.66), 9577 runs in ODIs (average: 53.50) and 1672 runs in T20Is (average: 26.12).

Aside from this, he holds the record for the fastest 50 (16), 100 (31) and 150 (64) in ODIs and finishes his career ranked No.2 in the batting rankings in ODIs as well. He holds the second highest individual score in Tests among South African batsmen (278* against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi, 2010) and is the fourth highest-run getter in South Africa in Tests.

He began his career alongside Dale Steyn, making his debut in the first Test against England in December 2004 in Port Elizabeth and soon went on to become one of South Africa’s mainstays in all three formats, with the bat and the gloves when Mark Boucher was forced into retirement following a horrific eye injury in 2012. Soon after, Graeme Smith stepped down from the captaincy in ODIs and T20Is, handing it over to de Villiers who then passed on the T20I captaincy to Faf du Plessis. But a chronic back injury forced him to give up the keeping responsibilities to Quinton de Kock and by 2014, he had handed it over to de Kock in Tests as well.

The Test captaincy eluded him after Hashim Amla was appointed Smith’s successor in 2014 but Amla giving up the captaincy mid-war during the series away in England saw de Villiers take over the reigns on a temporary basis and become permanent in January 2016 before giving it up to du Plessis the same year. He remained ODI captain until 2017 which saw his reign include a heart-breaking semifinal exit at the hands of New Zealand in the 2015 World Cup and a group stage exit in the 2017 Champions Trophy which prompted him to give up the ODI captaincy, to du Plessis again.

Both Chris Nenzani, the Cricket South Africa President, and Thabang Moore, Acting Chief Executive, were full of praise for the contributions made by de Villiers to South African cricket and intimated that the game, both in South Africa and around the world, would definitely miss him.

“AB is one of the all-time greats of South African cricket who has thrilled spectators around the world with his sheer brilliance, coupled to his ability to innovate and take modern day batting in all three formats but particularly in the white ball ones to new levels,” said Nenzani, with Moore adding that his ability to play shots around the field, earning him the 360 degree moniker will remain unforgettable.

“What is probably more important is the inspiration he has been to his team mates whether playing at international or domestic level and the wonderful role model he has been to all our aspiring youngsters. It goes without saying that he is going to be greatly missed wherever international cricket is played,”

#AB de Villiers IPL 2018 Royal Challengers Bangalore South Africa AB De Villiers quits international cricket

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Catch all the latest Cricket matches live scores and updates at Wisden India. Stay tuned for the latest matches updates

#WisdenIndia IPL 2018 Live Cricket Score IPL 2018 Cricket Score IPL 2018 Live Match Score Live Cricket Score Cricket Score Live Match Score l

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LaunchMyICO uses our ICO expertise to empower the next wave of blockchain entrepreneurs. We help innovative blockchain companies like yours by handling the complex details of organizing your ICO, so you can focus on developing your core business.

#ICO services ICO Expert ICO Strategy Security Audits Smart Contract Audits ICO Launch Tokenization Services Strategic Partnerships ICO Marke

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Ball-tampering scandal a tornado of hysteria: Warne

Shane Warne branded reaction to the Australian ball-tampering scandal a “tornado of hysteria” on Wednesday (March 28) and said the punishments meted out to Steven Smith and David Warner do not fit the crime.

Smith and Warner have been banned from representing their country for a year over the cheating incident during the third Test in South Africa, while Cameron Bancroft has been suspended for nine months.

“We are all so hurt and angry and maybe we weren’t so sure how to react,” Warne wrote on Facebook. “We’d just never seen it before.

“But the jump to hysteria is something that has elevated the offence beyond what they actually did, and maybe we’re at a point where the punishment just might not fit the crime.”

The former legspinner — second on the overall list of Test wicket-takers — said Australia’s enemies had taken the opportunity to put the boot in.

“There are those countries that don’t like Australia, don’t like individuals in the team, and there has been a build-up of hate which has exploded and created this tornado of hysteria,” he wrote.

“But what are the players guilty of? Cheating via ball-tampering and bringing the game into disrepute.

“Their opposing captain in this series, South Africa’s Faf du Plessis, has been charged with the offence twice and opening bowler Vernon Philander once.

“The list of players who have been charged with ball-tampering is long and contains some of the biggest names in the game.”

Warne also questioned the idea of pre-meditated cheating.

“Are there levels of ball tampering, or is it just ball tampering? Is putting a mint in your pocket so you can shine a ball on the field pre-meditated cheating, or just ball-tampering? What about putting sunscreen on the ball? You either ball tamper or you don’t.”

Warne said Smith, the top-ranked Test batsman in the world, was guilty of a “severe error of judgement”.

“I am still trying to wrestle with what I think the punishment should be,” he said. “They have to be harsh, but if they are rubbed out for a year, the punishment does not fit the crime.”

#Australia Ball tampering 2018 SA vs Aus 2017-18 Shane Warne

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wisdenindia-blog · 6 years

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Sutherland gives clean chit to Lehmann

James Sutherland defended the Cricket Australia investigation team’s finding that Darren Lehmann, the head coach, had no role to play in the ball-tampering scandal – allegedly planned by Steven Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft – in the Cape Town Test against South Africa.

Many from the cricket fraternity have found it hard to believe that Lehmann knew nothing about the ploy, especially after he was seen talking to Peter Handscomb, the substitute, over a walkie-talkie few seconds after the incident was shown on the big screen. Handscomb then went onto the field and said something to Bancroft, after which the opening batsman hid the sandpaper inside his trousers.

Sutherland, the CA chief executive, divulged on Wednesday (March 28), that Lehmann was as shocked as the entire community.

“I don’t want to get too involved in the specific comments or findings of the review, but I do, in Darren’s defence, want to clarify that specific matter,” he told reporters in Johannesburg.

“I want to say that he sent a message to say ‘What in the hell is going on?’ he didn’t use hell, he used another word. He brought everyone into the room when the next break was. He basically went through everyone and went ‘what is going on?’ That was found to be, through Iain Roy’s (the body’s head of integrity) investigation, a fact. I want to make that point very clearly that Darren made those comments and Iain was certainly satisfied that Darren wasn’t involved and didn’t know anything about the plan.”

While Smith and Warner were banned from playing domestic and international cricket for their country for 12 months, Bancroft too was handed over a nine-month suspension. Both Smith and Bancroft will now not be considered for leadership positions for two years, while Warner, who has been charged with developing the entire plan, will not be considered to lead Australia at all in the future.

Sutherland also revealed that the investigation team found no other evidence that proved this team has been involved in any similar incidents in the past. “I don’t think that there’s any evidence that we’ve seen or heard during the investigation,” he claimed.

“Clearly, the primary focus of his investigation was very much about the events of Cape Town, but also a part of his discussions and responsibilities was to ask questions more broadly. If there are credible allegations or suggestions to the contrary, we have a responsibility to instigate. It doesn’t necessarily stop here, but at the same time through the investigations that far that it does appear to be an isolated incident.”

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wisdenindia-blog · 6 years

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Smith, Warner barred from IPL 2018

Even before Cricket Australia officially announced sanctions against Steven Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft for their part in the ball-tampering episode in Cape Town last weekend, the Board of Control for Cricket in India moved swiftly by banning Smith and Warner from IPL 2018.

With CA set to hand out 12-month bans from international cricket for Smith, the captain, and Warner, his deputy, their participation in the IPL had always been in doubt. Those doubts were cleared initially by Rajeev Shukla, the chairman of the IPL who told reporters, “The players that they have banned, we are also barring those two players from this season. The franchises will get replacement for the players.”

A little while later, the BCCI sent out a press release which said the Committee of Administrators appointed by the Supreme Court arrived at this decision in consultation with top BCCI officials, adding that the CoA had taken congnisance of the developments in the incident involving the three Australians.

“The CoA, in consultation with BCCI Acting President Mr CK Khanna, IPL Chairman Mr Rajeev Shukla and BCCI Acting Hon. Secretary Mr Amitabh Choudhary, has decided to ban Mr Smith and Mr Warner with immediate effect from participation in IPL 2018,” the release said.

It added, “The BCCI hopes that the cricketers participating in the IPL hold the highest regard for the Spirit of Cricket and Code of Conduct for Players and Match Officials. The concerned IPL franchises will be allowed replacement players.”

Smith had stepped down as captain of Rajasthan Royals on Monday, following which the franchise named Ajinkya Rahane, the Indian Test vice-captain, as their leader for this year’s campaign. Warner quit as Sunrisers Hyderabad captain on Wednesday afternoon. The franchise is yet to name a replacement skipper, though it is learnt that Kane Williamson, the New Zealand skipper, has emerged the frontrunner. Others in the fray could be Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Shikhar Dhawan.

Both Rajasthan and Hyderabad have a host of players from which to pick replacements for the two top-order batsmen. Among them are Martin Guptill, Joe Root, Alex Hales, Colin Ingram, Jonny Bairstow as well as Luke Ronchi, the player of the tournament in the recently concluded Pakistan Super League.

Smith and Warner were retained by the respective franchises for Rs 12 crore each ahead of the January IPL auctions.

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wisdenindia-blog · 6 years

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Warner: From ‘reverend’ to ‘unwanted’

Damned as the chief plotter in the Australian ball-tampering scandal, David Warner has been sunk by sparking one controversy too many.

The man who made headlines in 2009 by becoming the first player in 130 years to represent Australia without having featured in a first-class match was heading home from South Africa in disgrace on Wednesday (March 28), friendless and with his reputation, already bruised by numerous run-ins, shattered.

Along with skipper Steven Smith, the 31-year-old Warner was banned for a year by Cricket Australia for his part in the third Test scandal in Cape Town that saw Cameron Bancroft use sandpaper to illegally scuff up the ball before a laughingly crude attempt to conceal the evidence down his trousers.

“He (Warner) spoke with Cameron (Bancroft) in the change room while Smith was otherwise engaged, seemingly with a lot on his mind,” a Cricket Australia source told AFP, recalling Saturday’s events at Newlands.

“I believe Smith knew something was going on, but did not try to find out exactly what.”

For many in the game, Warner’s involvement as the instigator of the lunchtime plot is hardly a surprise.

“David Warner is a hard man to keep quiet. If his bat isn’t doing the talking his mouth probably is, and either way you can expect an assertive approach,” is how ESPNcricinfo opens its biography of the opening batsman.

In June 2013, Warner was suspended and fined for punching England’s Joe Root in a Birmingham bar on the eve of the Ashes.

“I’m extremely remorseful. I have let my team-mates, Cricket Australia, the fans, myself and my family down,” said Warner at the time.

Two months earlier, he was similarly contrite after an ugly Twitter spat with two Australian journalists.

“I could have chosen my words better and I apologise for any offence that my language may have caused,” wrote Warner.

But his trademark combative nature never dimmed.

Last year, he was the team’s unofficial shop steward as Australian players and governing body Cricket Australia found themselves at loggerheads over a pay dispute.

The row, played out in the public arena, even briefly put the Ashes in doubt.

Warner defended his style, which even then hinted at an ability to shout louder than the boyish-looking Smith, who preferred quiet diplomacy.

“The way he (Smith) went about it (talks between the players and CA) was how he wanted to play it and I was always going to come out and be vocal and sticking up for the players,” Warner told Australian media.

Hardly surprising then that Warner, who was vice-captain to Smith with the national team, has been nicknamed ‘The Reverend’.

Not that there was any indication of anything holy about him as he led Australia’s assault on the current, doomed South African tour.

In the opening Test in Durban, he and home wicket-keeper Quinton de Kock squared up.

Warner claimed De Kock had made “vile and disgusting” remarks about his wife Candice.

Warner was fined 75 percent of his match fee and De Kock 25 percent.

The Cape Town scandal has already brought Warner financial misery, his $1.8 million deal with Hyderabad Sunrisers in the IPL cancelled.

When his ban ends, his dream of captaining Australia will also have died.

Whether or not he will be considered too toxic to add to his 74 Test appearances and 6,000-plus runs will be a factor weighed against him.

‘The Reverend’, it appears, has become ‘The Unwanted’.

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wisdenindia-blog · 6 years

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Ball-tampering incident a reality check: Amla

Hashim Amla, the South African batsman, said Wednesday (March 28) that the controversy over ball-tampering in the third Test against Australia “gives every team in the world a reality check”.

Amla was responding to the bans imposed on Australia’s Steven Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft.

He said that the events of Cape Town should lead cricketers to ask:

“What kind of cricket do you want to play? It has probably given the ICC a lot more headaches and the opportunity now is for the governing bodies to show us, where is this line?”

He was referring to frequent comments by Australian cricketers about the limits of acceptable behaviour and “not crossing the line”.

Amla said South Africa’s focus, ahead of Friday’s fourth and final Test, was on preparing to clinch a Test series which they lead 2-1.

“With all the distractions, there is not much we can do from our perspective,” he said.

“I am grateful that we are sitting in the South African change room without the shadows hanging over us. For us it is about the cricket. You’ve got to keep your focus as professional sportsmen.”

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Mob rule – pandering to the gallery

Steven Smith and David Warner have been banned from playing domestic and international cricket for their country for 12 months. © Getty Images

The three men were ushered into the public square, black hoods covering their faces. Their hands and feet had been chained, as befitting the perpetrators of great crimes. The mob that had gathered some time before and grown steadily angrier. It fed on its own anger to become even more furious.

“Punish them.”

“Hurt them.”

“We want vengeance.”

The authorities knew this was their chance to look good. The three had transgressed under their watch. How better to deflect any criticism of those doing the managing than by serving up those caught for public justice? Let the vultures of shrill outrage feed on the carcass of immediate action, fairness be damned. And protect the money coming in, at all costs. The bottom line was… the bottom line.

Three men had been determined guilty, their crime angered the public, there was fear that this anger could have negative consequences for the overall brand, once the public was angry it fed on its own fury to demand blood, authorities the world over were only too happy to satiate that demand. Pile on the punishment until the outrage is satisfied, the crime be damned, and the penalty matching the crime be doubly damned.

Today was to be the day of the sentencing. There was the blonde one, the stocky one, and the rookie.

The rookie had done the deed, the stocky one had planned it, the blonde one had allowed it to happen. Their crime was trying to cheat to win an unfair advantage in a game. Their punishment had nothing to do with the crime. The punishment was for how people reacted to them being caught doing it.

The three men looked like they had been space-rocketed to an alien civilisation because their lives suddenly didn’t seem to make sense anymore. They played a sport that had wink-wink-nudge-nudge allowed the sort of cheating they attempted for decades. They just did it very ineptly, and got caught. A significant part of the backlash they faced was because they had come to be regarded as ‘bullies’. But not just bullies, sanctimonious bullies who were happy to lecture other teams on appropriate behaviour. That backlash was understandable, and even to be expected.

What threw the three men off was the unrelenting nature of the hostility and its scale. It didn’t stop, and it wouldn’t stop. Its volume meant somebody had to not just do something, but be seen to be doing something. And that something had to be aimed at satisfying those who were going to fork out money, now and in the near future.

Among the baying public who each wanted their pound of flesh, there were two people who stood a little apart. One had a bored look on his face, the other had a puzzled one. The Cynic, for it was he who had the uninterested look, was merely watching dispassionately to record the event since it was of historic significance. The Cricketer was the one who looked confused.

“This is how it is,” the Cynic offered, trying to enlighten the Cricketer. “It’s not pretty and it’s not nice. It might not even seem fair. But when the proverbial waste hits the fan, it sticks more to some than others.”

The Cricketer was grateful for the wisdom, and decided to ask the Cynic about some more incongruous bits about the case that were troubling him. “This is a case of ball-tampering, yes? And all of these three men are batsmen?”

The Cynic nodded.

“Then how is that only these three were found guilty? Were they tampering the ball without the knowledge of the bowlers? If so, wouldn’t the bowlers have realised immediately that something was off when trying to bowl?”

The Cynic allowed himself a smile. “My boy, when there is a train rushing at full speed and you spot some people on the tracks, you have to make a split-second decision on whether you can save everyone or not. If you can’t, you best get those who you can extricate most easily out. The train will hit those left, but their chances of survival were slim anyway.”

“Just my luck,” thought the Cricketer. “I get one guy who looks like he could clear stuff up for me and he likes to use philosophical metaphors to explain things.”

Nevertheless, he persevered. “Alright, so even though it stretches belief that the bowlers didn’t know what was going on, they haven’t been caught or implicated in any manner and can thus escape. So why not do that. I get that. What about the coach?”

The Cynic almost laughed this time. “What about him?”

“Well, he was shown speaking on a walkie-talkie to the twelfth man immediately after the ball tampering footage was shown on screen, and the twelfth man then went into the field and had a word with the Rookie, who panicked and stuffed sandpaper down his trousers. So it looks like the coach had a say in the matter. How is he not punished?

“I know what you’ll say,” the Cricketer went on. “Maybe he didn’t know and after seeing the footage his natural response was to ask those in the dugout just what was going on. That is possible. But then it would mean the coach’s finger is so far off the pulse of his team that he could as well stick his fingers in his ears. If he knew about it, he needs the same punishment. If he didn’t know about it, is he really the coach you want?”

The Cynic did laugh then. “I will be very interested in what the suits offer as explanation for that one. If there is an explanation.”

The Cricketer seemed disturbed. “But that’s not fair then is it. Is this an exercise aimed at finding out the truth and setting an example so that no one cheats, or is it an exercise in ‘let’s mark down the culprits who couldn’t get away and throw the kitchen sink at them? People have tampered with the ball from grade cricket upwards since the game has been played. I know these guys got caught with their hands down their pants as it were, but they could have still barefaced their way out of this with lies. At least they owned up, which some legends of the game never did.”

The Cynic was amused. “It would seem to have been better for them if they had not owned up wouldn’t it? They might have saved themselves a lot of public pain. And certainly, if the public reaction had been more muted, there is no way the authorities would have come down as hard on them as they have.”

The Cricketer looked despondent. “I thought it was about cleaning the game up. I thought this was about making cricket a better sport. I thought it was about proving that the adage ‘it’s just not cricket’ still holds good.”

The Cynic turned. There was genuine bafflement on his face as he addressed the Cricketer. “What’s cricket got to do with a mob lynching?”

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