CSK All-Time XI, let us start with the obvious. MS Dhoni and Suresh Raina – the twin retirements that shook the world. Now that international cricket is off their mind, who knows they might play even better!
In the All-Time CSK XI, Thala and chinna thala are the two pillars of CSK, but who else is a guarantee?
Even after the two year exodus, CSK has come back with the ‘Dad’s Army’ and won it in style. How long can do they with these old stars? Only time will tell.
CSK has ALWAYS made it to the playoffs—they are just that good. When the odds are in their favor, they win. When the odds are not in their favor, they definitely win.
Anyway, VOTE BELOW AND SHARE WITH YOUR FRIENDS!
Meanwhile, here is our All-Time CSK XI.
*Note: CSK were banned between 2016-2017, so these players played for other teams then.
The Catch
In slow turning Chennai pitches, Ashwin, Jadeja, Jakati, and Harbhajan have all played monumental roles – can you fit all four of them in?
At the top of the order, it seems CSK have a revolving door of Australians – Matthew Hayden made way for Mike Hussey, who was eventually replaced by Shane Watson (there is a Faf in the mix too). Who do you pick?
Let us continue the IPL Party with SRH All-Time XI!
Ever since Deccan Chargers became SRH, they have been ultra consistent. With the likes of Shikhar Dhawan, David Warner, and Kane Williamson, their top order has been in safe hands.
Their most unique characteristic, though, is their bowling. Regularly in slow Hyderabad pitches, they have defended scores between 140-150. Most Indian fast bowling internationals have been acquired by SRH at some point or another – Irfan Pathan, Ishant Sharma, Ashish Nehra, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar as well as the up and coming Siddharth Kaul, Barinder Sran, Khaleel Ahmed, and Basil Thampi.
With so many choices available, who makes it in YOUR SRH All-Time XI? VOTE BELOW AND SHARE YOUR XI WITH YOUR FRIENDS!
*Note: We are NOT including players from Deccan Chargers since SRH has been pretty successful since 2013 (even though players like Rohit Sharma, Andrew Symonds, Adam Gilchrist, and RP Singh were instrumental in their 2009 win).
The Catch
As mentioned above, great top order, foreign players, and fast bowlers – but what about the Indian batsmen? Manish Pandey/Vijay Shankar/Yusuf Pathan maybe?
Warner, Williamson, Bairstow? Shakib, Nabi, Rashid Khan, and the Fizz? All great international players. Pick 4 now. The struggle SRH still faces—the problem of plenty.
Image Courtesy: Bhuvneshvar Kumar – Dee03 / CC BY-SA 3.0; Kane Williamson – Mark Lockett / CC BY-SA 2.0; Jonny Bairstow – Mcadge / CC BY-SA 4.0; David Warner – Original photograph: NAPARAZZICrop: Ham105 / CC BY-SA 2.0
Today, Glenn Maxwell and Alex Carey forged a remarkable partnership to seal a memorable win for Australia, resulting in England’s team first ODI loss at home in 4 years.
Guess what? Maxwell will be representing Kings XI Punjab this season, while Carey will be playing for the Delhi Capitals, so let us talk about them today.
KXIP and DC – Who Are They?
DC and KXIP – these teams are an enigma. They have some of the best players but never manage to go far in the tournament barring a season here or there.
Delhi Capitals, formerly the Delhi Daredevils have had players like ABD, Dilshan, David Warner, even Andre Russell and Gautam Gambhir, Dinesh Karthik from the Indian contingent. For some reason, they performed well afterthey were released by Delhi.
Alright, Ready for the VOTING?Tip: Both teams have bought great players on paper in the past, but can you remember if they actually performed well with KXIP or DC?
The Catch:
Amla, Sangakkara, and Jayawardene all had good records at KXIP but did they play enough?
Virender Sehwag and Irfan Pathan are present in both lists, will you pick them in either? Does Yuvi even make it for Punjab?
Chris Gayle was a star for RCB, but has he done enough for KXIP?
Kings XI Punjab
Highlights: 2014 (Runners-Up), 2008 (3rd)
Audience Poll – KXIP – All Time XI
Pick 11 players from the list – with 4 foreign players maximum. You need to have a wicketkeeper and at least 5 bowling options.
My Kings XI Punjab – All Time XI
Well, here is our All-Time XI for KXIP. We have highlighted the 4 foreign players in our XI.
Shaun Marsh (2008-2017)
KL Rahul (2018-2019)
Glenn Maxwell (2014-2017)
George Bailey (2014-2015) – Captain
David Miller (2012-2019)
Wriddhiman Saha (2014-2017) – WK
Axar Patel (2014-2018)
Ravichandran Ashwin (2018-2019)
Piyush Chawla (2008-2013)
Parvinder Awana (2012-2014)
Sandeep Sharma (2013-2017)
Honorable Mentions: Kumar Sangakkara (2008-2010), Adam Gilchrist (2011-2013), Praveen Kumar (2011-2013), Andrew Tye (2018-2019)
Audience Poll Results
KL Rahul
Virender Sehwag
Shaun Marsh
George Bailey– Captain
Glenn Maxwell
Yuvraj Singh
Wriddhiman Saha – WK
Axar Patel
Sandeep Sharma
Andrew Tye/ Mitchell Johnson (Tie)
Piyush Chawla
Some Votes:Adam Gilchrist, Manan Vohra, Irfan Pathan, Ravichandran Ashwin
Less than 2 Votes: Kumar Sangakkara, Mandeep Singh, Paul Valthaty, Parvinder Awana, Praveen Kumar
Audience Poll – DC
Highlights: 2009, 2012, 2019 (3rd), 2008 (4th)
My DD/DC – All Time XI
Virender Sehwag (2008-2013) – Captain
David Warner (2009-2013)
Sanju Samson (2016-2017)
Shreyas Iyer (2015-2019)
Rishabh Pant (2016-2019) – WK
JP Duminy (2014-2016)
Chris Morris (2016-2019)
Amit Mishra (2008-2019)
Umesh Yadav (2010-2013)
Morne Morkel (2011-2013)
Shahbaz Nadeem (2011-2018)
Honorable Mentions: Kagiso Rabada (2017-2019), Mohammad Shami (2014-2018), Kedar Jadhav (2010-2015), Quinton de Kock (2014-2016)
DC XI – Audience Poll
David Warner
Virender Sehwag – Captain
Shikhar Dhawan/ Prithvi Shaw (Tie)
Ab De Villiers/ Kevin Pietersen (Tie)
Shreyas Iyer – Wicketkeeper
Rishabh Pant
JP Duminy/ Chris Morris/Morne Morkel (Tie)
Amit Mishra
Kagiso Rabada
Umesh Yadav/Irfan Pathan (Tie)
Shahbaz Nadeem
Less than 2 Votes:TM Dilshan, Mahela Jayawardene, Gautam Gambhir, Quinton de Kock, Dinesh Karthik, Sanju Samson, Kedar Jadhav, Ashish Nehra, Dirk Nannes
COMMENT BELOW to share your XI or if we missed a player you would have liked. Share, subscribe to the blog, and enjoy!
And visit this post if you missed our All-time XI with RR and KKR and RCB.
Well, well, well, the IPL is here. It is that time of the year. Okay not quite, 2020 is weird. Anyway, six months delayed, but IPL-13 is finally here.
Cricket has restarted and England has done their part in hosting West Indies, Pakistan, and Australia. Now it is time to jump ship across to the U.A.E. for the Indian Premier League.
ESPNCricinfo recently did a series on all-time IPL XI teams. Although we agree on some players, I have a different take on most teams. So for the next few days, we will be doing IPL All-Time XI, 2 teams each day.
Why not start with the teams that inspired the IPL craze? Yes, I am talking about the winners of the 1st IPL, Rajasthan Royals, and Kolkata Knight Riders for whom Brendon McCullum blazed 158 in the first game of the IPL.
All-Time XI – Rules
First, we will first give you a chance to vote on who you think should be in the All-Time XI and then display our All-Time XI.
Limit to 11 players per team (you can play around with the balance of the team)
Maximum of 4 foreign players in the XI
Needs to be able to field a team (a wicket-keeper and 5 bowling options at least)
Note, with major auctions every three years, several players may be in multiple All-Time XI teams.
We will continue our theme of Broken Dreams this week with a list of unfortunate or unlucky cricketers.
We present our list of Unlucky World XI belowand let us know who you think have been the unluckiest of them all.
Some of these careers were ruined by inconsistency or career-ending-injury, others by controversy and politics, and while the rest suffered plain old bad-luck—the fact that they could not break it into the golden generations.
Today’s Twist – Unlucky Cricketers XI
Create a World XI with the following constraints:
Played within the last 25 years
Should have debuted (various first class legends like Alan Jones (Eng) and Amol Muzumdar (Ind) did not even make their international team)
The team can field an actual playing XI in a match (so we are looking for balance, with wicket-keepers necessary and at least 5 bowling options).
Each country can have a maximum of only 2 players per category.
The Catch
Australia’s squad of the 2000s had so many greats that several careers did not see the light of day. For example, Adam Gilchrist played 96 tests without missing one. Does anyone even remember who the back-up keeper during Australia’s early 2000 era was?
Similarly, with India’s recent growth, one could name players like Vinod Kambli, Subramanian Badrinath, Manoj Tiwary, Irfan Pathan, and even someone like Ambati Rayudu more recently. If you can only choose two from each country, who would it be?
Comment below on who you think are some of the unluckiest cricketers?
ODI – Faded XI
Alex Hales: (Behavior issues)
Catalyst of England’s ODI batting culture change, individually scored 171 within 36 overs (highest English score at that time), dropped before the 2019 World Cup because of failed drug test, ‘loss of trust’ with team, and strained relationship with captain Eoin Morgan.
2. Lendl Simmons: (Inconsistency)
If you saw the recent CPL 2020, Simmons was in some top-notch form including the final. Watching his innings’ like the one against India in the 2016 WT20 semi-final and you wonder sometimes, what could have been had he been more consistent. 15 year career, just 8 tests and 68 ODIs is a poor reflection of his abilities.
3. Mohammad Ashraful: (Match-Fixing)
A bright star for Bangladesh. Youngest Test centurion at 17, century that upset the Aussies in 2005, but a career that was marred by inconsistency and will be forever remembered by spot-fixing in the BPL. Could have been among the Fab Five generation for Bangladesh.
4. Brad Hodge: (Sorry, Out of Luck)
17,000 first class runs, 80 centuries in first class/list-A, 6 Tests, 203* best, 55.88 average, and one of the first T20 league superstars. Obstacles: Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke, Damien Martyn, Andrew Symonds.
5. James Taylor: (Heart Condition)
Debut at 22. Retirement at 26 due to heart condition. Was an upcoming England Talent – 1-100, 7 50s, 42.23 average. Now an English selector.
6. Robin Uthappa: (Inconsistency)
If you saw Uthappa’s 86 against England, or in the World T20 2007, or walking and hitting sixes to Mitchell Johnson, you would have thought he would have a long career. Yet another victim to inconsistency, came back in 2014-15 after a great domestic season but not given enough chances. Still a KKR and RCB star in the IPL.
7. Hansie Cronje: (Match-Fixing)
Great captain from South Africa and decent all-rounder, match-fixing killed his career in the 2000 Ind-SA series when he was at the peak of his powers. Passed away in 2002 due to a plane crash. RIP.
8. Neil Johnson: (Politics)
If you saw Neil Johnson in the 1999 World Cup, you knew he was bound for greatness. 3 Man-of-Match trophies in that world cup, dispute with Zimbabwe Cricket resulted in premature retirement as he moved back to South Africa.
9. Brad Hogg: (Sorry, Out of Luck)
Just like Hodge, another victim of Australia’s great era. In an international career lasting 12 years, only played 7 tests and 123 ODIs. Inspirational comeback later with T20 cricket and leagues such as IPL and the Big Bash, he played his last professional match almost till he was 47.
10. S. Sreesanth: (Match-Fixing)
Although known for off-field issues, he was a marvelous fast bowler for India. His delivery that made that great Jacques Kallis jump is one to remember. However, he was banned after the 2013 IPL spot-fixing controversy with Rajasthan. Made a comeback with…reality TV show, Bigg Boss.
11. Shane Bond: (Injuries)
You often hear Shoaib Akhtar vs Brett Lee, but another name that should have been added was Shane Bond. Fast and accurate, 147 wickets at 20.88 in ODIs and 87 wickets at 22.09 in Tests. Played only 82 ODIs and 18 Tests, but never comprised his speed despite the injuries.
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Test – Washed Out XI
Marcus Trescothick: (Mental Illness)
First open victim of mental illness in cricket. More than 10,000 runs and 26 centuries across formats, he played his last game at the age of 30, only 6 years in international cricket. Was a stalwart at Somerset till 43 with overall record of 38000 runs and 94 centuries. Paved way for Alastair Cook, otherwise would have been the all-time best England opener himself.
Mark Ramprakash: (Inconsistency)
Similar story, different reason. Over 52 test matches and 11 years, could not cement his place in the England team. Retired with 35,659 first class runs along with 114 centuries. Wow.
3. Mohammad Kaif: (Inconsistency and Politics)
Forever remember for his fielding and 88* Natwest chase that gave India a belief of winning and chasing overseas, his career never took off. First U-19 winning captain to play for India, he made his highest test score 148* in the West Indies in his second to last test, which came at the age of 26. Dropped as a result of chopping and changing under Greg Chappell right before the 2007 World Cup.
4. Adam Voges: (Sorry, Out of Luck)
Same scenario as Hodge and Hogg, but with a better ending. Finally debuted at the age of 35, and ended with 5 hundreds and a record-breaking average of 61.87.
5. Fawad Alam: (Politics)
Well well well, we are finally here. Made a memorable 168 on debut, yet only featured in 3 tests. Mohammad Amir is a career some would regret about, but by the time Amir had his great spell in 2010, the spot-fixing scandal, the 5-year ban, the comeback, the Champions Trophy 2017 performance, and test retirement at the age of 27, Fawad Alam had added exactly 0 Tests from 2009.
After toiling in first class cricket with 34 centuries and average of 56.35 and after numerous selection committees, he finally got a recall after 10 years, only to be given out by DRS due to 2 umpire-calls. Add to that English rain, which limited his chances in the next two tests. How unlucky can one get?
6. Prasanna Jayawardene: (Sorry, Out of Luck)
Thilan Samaraweera stated recently in his Sri Lanka XI that “Prasanna was the best wicketkeeper Sri Lanka ever produced,” and he did play 58 Test matches. So why is he here? Well, his career was always a stop-gap measure due to Sangakkara. Even cricinfo reads that his career was ‘marginalised since the rocket-fuelled arrival’ of Sangakkara.
Self-acclaimed ‘best off-spinner in the world,’ he regularly employees his service for Essex, forgoing his chance to play for South Africa again (at least until we know how Brexit impacts Kolpak). Has taken 636 wickets at 27.17 with 37 5-fors and 7 10-fors. Not too bad.
8. Mohammad Amir: (Match-Fixing)
See Fawad Alam (5).
*Note: (Honorable Mention) Could also have added Mohammad Asif for the same reason here. One of the best swing bowlers of all-time.
9. Stuart McGill: (Sorry, out of luck)
Same reason as the rest of the Aussies here with the additional fact that he also played under the shadow of the great Shane Warne. Still managed to play 44 Tests and took 208 wickets at a strike rate of 54.0. Cricinfo said it best, “Stuart MacGill had the best strike-rate and worst luck of any modern spin bowler.”
Another casualty of the Kolpak. What makes this worse is his brilliant start to international cricket. Played just 10 tests, 48 wickets, 3 5-fors and a player of the series award with 24 wickets. Then he left South Africa. Also had replaced Kyle Abbott, who had also signed Kolpak deal. Rub salt in the wound there.
11. Simon Jones: (Injury)
We have all heard this one. The 2005 Ashes Series was made memorable by some bowling spells by Simon Jones. At the end of the series, suffered an ankle injury, never to make an international comeback.
Honorable Mention: Lasith Malinga (great limited overs bowler but had to cut his Test career short).
3 centuries in Tests and an-up-and-coming opener for Australia, a bouncer in a domestic game took Hughes’ life. Shock to the cricketing world, brought about a revolution on concussion and brain-injuries.
RIP Phil Hughes.
Well, these were our list of unlucky cricket teams. What is yours?
COMMENT below on who you think we missed out! Do not forget to SUBSCRIBE, SHARE, AND FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA!
This week, we did our first interview at Broken Cricket Dreams, where Avinash shared his dreams lived of playing cricket.
This inspired us to do another article in our segment, Twitter Specials. #DreamsLived is also a response our first article in this segment, #BrokenDreams, where we shared several fans’ stories of their broken sports dreams.
We asked our viewers to respond with #DreamsLived in one of two ways:
If your dream of playing cricket (at any level) was realized, describe your story.
If not, what else did you do with your time? Did you pick up a new skill? A different sport? Maybe contributed as a fan or analyst?
Let us get started with a quote from the interview.
In our Broken Dreams section, we asked Avinash (@avinashvicky), “Any final thoughts on your dream lived?” and he responded with
“I could not imagine what I have done had I not played cricket all these years. My master’s would be something else, a completely different experience.”
Now to the tweets that was inspired by this interview:
“I playing in school and with local clubs in recent times. Apart from that watching cricket and discussing about it gives me as much joy. I too have played cricket games. My fav are ea cricket 2007 and now big ant studios playing in career mode which gives a fake sense of reality.”
“Being born in Virat Kohli’s era is a dream come true.”
That is just great! This is exactly the kind of stuff we are looking for.
Comment below on your #DreamsLived and share ahead. We would love to hear more such stories. Also, please SUBSCRIBE so you do not miss any articles!
What Can We Learn?
There are over a billion cricket fans in this world. At one point or another, each one has dreamt of hitting that winning shot, enjoying ecstatic moments in the winning huddles, or just playing the sport professionally.
Sometimes life does not go as planned, but “When one door closes, another opens.”
There is more than one way to live the dream. We can play cricket with our local club, at our universities, or the best form of the game—backyard gully cricket.
Nothing better than just spreading the love of the game in whatever way that is possible.
Today we will be doing our first cricket interview at Broken Cricket Dreams!
We have with us here Avinash, who is fulfilling his own broken cricket dream in the United States.
Avinash grew up playing cricket in his hometown of Hyderabad at various levels up till the undergraduate level, where he pursued a degree in aeronautical engineering. He then moved to the United States of America for his master’s degree. Even though he is far away from his home in India, he is one of many who have continued their passion for cricket in the U.S. He has since represented Iowa State University and the DSM Vikings Cricket Club and competed in tournaments such as the American College Cricket League, Heartland Cricket League, and Iowa Premier League. He has been playing in the American club circuit for ten years now.
Let us get to know the person and his journey of playing cricket.
The Who– Avinash
Batting Style: Right Hand Batsman
Batting Position: Top-Order
Bowling Style: Right Arm Medium-Fast, Right Arm Off-Spin
Fielding Position: Point, Long-Off/Long-On
Major Teams: Iowa State University (ISU) Cyclones, DSM Vikings Cricket Club, Young Guns
Nickname(s): Avi
Favorites
Favorite Sportsperson: Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli (Cricket), David Montgomery (NFL), Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney (soccer), Carlos Sainz Jr., Michael Schumacher (F1), Sania Mirza (Tennis)
Favorite Shot: “Straight Drive and Leg-Glance. I can play the leg-glance with my eyes closed.”
Favorite fielding play:“Love to pick the ball one-handed and throw.”
T20 Heartland Cricket Club (HCL) Champions: DSM Vikings (2019)
T30 Heartland Cricket Club (HCL) Runner-Up: DSM Vikings (2018)
Stats At A Glance
221 Matches, 2845 Runs, 64 Wickets
Avinash is enjoying a purple patch with the bat in the 2024 T30 season of the Heartland Cricket League. Currently, he has scored 197 runs at a wonderful average of 49.25 and a SR of 86.78 with 3 fifties. There are still five more games to go in the season!
In the last couple of years, he has had several player of the match performances and shouldered the responsibility as a captain for a couple of seasons.
Q1. What was your first memory of playing cricket?
“My cousin was a Division A player in the Hyderabad domestic circuit. Whenever we visited his house, there were cricket kits, bats, and pads all around their house. As a kid, I liked to wear the cricket kit and shadow playing cricket shots.
I have watched several of his matches, and it inspired me to pick up the sport.”
Q2. What were your favorite memories of watching cricket in your childhood?
“I just remember waking up at 5 AM for any cricket game in my childhood. There were several memorable games, but the 2003 India vs Pakistan game was one of the best.
“I was present when Tendulkar hit 175* at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium but unfortunately had to leave before the ending. Other than that, I have watched a couple of test matches there against New Zealand and Australia along with a few IPL games.
My favorite IPL memories was witnessing the pace of Brett Lee at the Somerset vs KKR 2011 CLT20 game and watching Rahul Dravid in the RR vs SRH game.”
The When – Early Days
Q4. When did you start playing cricket?
“I first started playing cricket for around 2nd or 3rd grade, but the real practice I had when I played everyday with two of my friends on the terrace of my house. It helped to develop my ground shots and playing in the V.
It was fun, there was a lot of banter, and whoever would win would be treated to pani-puris to top it off.“
Q5. When did you start believing your ability could meet your passion?
“From 10th grade. It was the first time I was playing in a leather ball match and went to open in a 15-over game. I stayed there till the end and got out as the 9th batsman in the 12th over. After that, the next couple of years, I played a lot of cricket, especially tennis-ball cricket.
In my bachelor’s years, I would play with people who would come from across the city every Sunday 7 AM-noon. There were so many people, we had to create 12-13 member teams.
My parents used to say that I had a hard time waking up for my classes, but to play cricket, I would wake up anytime—even at 6 AM on a Sunday morning.”
Q6. How was the college cricket scene at your university?
“In the last couple of years of my bachelor’s, the matches were really competitive and fun. From February-April, it was basically a cricket fest out there.“
“Our aerospace department had a very good team, and the highlight was winning the Intra-College championships in my 3rd and 4th year.“
Q7. Do you have any stories from playing during your college days?
“Actually, the final match of the 3rd year championship was very interesting. There was sledging throughout the match but after we won, the situation got out of control. The opposition team broke our winning huddle with a full-on fight.
Next year, we were prepared and brought officials to the game, but this time, the other team had learned the lesson and walked off quietly after losing.”
Q8. Best performance?
“The 3rd-4th year, I had some really good matches. In the 4th year final, I came to bat early and stayed till the end. When the final ball was bowled, I ran three and was completely exhausted.
I did not realize this but my teammates started cheering from the pavilion that I had just made 50. My career in India ended with an unbeaten 50, so that was nice.”
The What – College Cricket in America
Before we get into Avinash’s own cricket journey in the U.S., let us learn some things about the cricket structure in America in his words.
Q9. At what levels have you played cricket in the U.S.?
“I played at the university level at Iowa State University (ISU) between 2014-18, and played for the DSM Vikings Club for couple of years after that. I am now playing again for ISU (2021-24).
The Iowa State team was one of the most diverse teams I have ever played in. There were people from India, England, Bangladesh, South Africa, Pakistan, Australia, Sri Lanka, and Nepal.“
Q10. How many different types of tournaments are at the college and club level?
“Tape-Tennis (Indoor), Tennis-ball cricket (Outside), Leather-Ball cricket: T20, T30, T40. My favorite is T30. Gives me time to settle down and score.
In 2024, we started to play the 100-ball format as well.”
Q11. What are some tournaments you have participated in college cricket?
“Iowa State Premier League (ISPL), Midwest League and the American College Cricket League in Florida with ISU and Heartland Cricket League with Vikings club.”
American College Cricket League is a national tournament with about 32-36 teams that compete in Florida. I competed in this league for a couple of years, and we even got to play at the Ft. Lauderdale stadium, where West Indies have played some international games.
The ISPL was also pretty interesting. There were 8 teams made of 5 ISU students, 1 professors XI, and 2 guest teams. For the 5 student teams, team selection was based on virtual bidding.“
The Now – The Journey in America
Q12. First Match in the U.S.?
“First official match in U.S. was Iowa State in a leather ball game – ISU Cyclones vs Cedar Rapids Kings at Seminole Valley Park. Scored 14 runs and ran-out my teammate.”
Q13. Best Moments?
“With Iowa State, I was a part of a team that won 3 back-to-back championships 2015-2017. In that team, I had to bat lower down the order since everyone was just so good.After 2017, I moved to the middle order, and the last two years, I have been playing 1 Down with the Vikings.
A fun moment was in 2015, when I was fielding in the slips, and we did ‘proper dignified sledging’ to the opposing captain, who was batting then. A few balls later, he did a ‘well left’ and got clean bowled.
Personally, the 2018 T20 Challenger’s cup and the 2019 T20 season was my best. Given my gameplay, I am not someone who is expected to hit six sixes, but in one match I hit a fast bowler 6,6,2,4,1 that season.”
Q14. Lowest Moments?
“Lowest moments are always when I get out, especially when I am playing well.
But exactly a year ago today, September 7, 2019, I suffered a finger injury in the final of the tournament and could not bat for the team.
Earlier in the season, our team won the T20 league. We won all the games convincingly and hardly anyone below 2-down had a chance to bat. In the T30 tournament, I was one of the more experienced batsman in the team, being the 3rd most capped in leather ball cricket.
Finger injury ruled me out of the rest of the game, and our team fell short of 30 runs.“
Q15. Any other activities you were involved with cricket?
“I was involved as the Secretary in our Cricket Committee at Iowa State and got the experience to publicize cricket through various events like ClubFest at Iowa State University.”
The Wow – Reflection
Q16. Reflection on Cricket in the U.S.?
“The quality of cricket here is way better than expected where cricket is still an evolving sport, especially universities. Every city you will find at least 100 such people like me who want to play professional cricket.
Also, there is a lot of diversity in the cricketers here. Apart from the subcontinent, I have played with people from England, South Africa, the Caribbean islands and Nepal, Bhutan, and Afghanistan to name a few.”
Q17. How has cricket helped you?
“Cricket has helped me both professionally and personally. My circle has increased because of it, and there are several networking opportunities.
As I mentioned earlier, cricket has helped me culturally, meeting people with various backgrounds. I have also got to travel to several places like Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, Michigan, Omaha, and at the Central Boulevard Park (Ft. Lauderdale).”
Q18. What have you learned from cricket?
“I have learned to stay calm. When you are calm, you have a lot of ideas. When you become aggressive, you run out ideas.”
“You get lots of suggestion coming around when you are on the field. You have to choose what to pick. It is easier to comment than to execute.”
Q19. Cricketing heroes and what you have learned from them?
“Ganguly – captaincy/leadership, Dravid – concentration/patience, Tendulkar – champion – there is nobody like him”
The Zow – Broken Cricket Dream?
Q20. What is your broken cricket dream?
“I was never coached. If I would have been coached, it would have taken things to another level. If I were in India, I would also have continued.”
Q21. Broken Cricket Dream as a fan?
“As an Indian cricket fan, 2003, 2007, and 2019 World Cups along with the 2017 Champions Trophy. The 2003 Final was so one-sided after such a great run.”
Q22. Any final thoughts on your dream lived?
“I could not imagine what I have done had I not played cricket all these years. My master’s would be something else, a completely different experience.”
What Does The Future Look Like?
Q23. How long will you continue to play cricket?
“As long as possible. Several 44-45 year olds play in the leagues here, so still have at least 15-16 years.”
Q24. Any advice for budding cricketers in the U.S.?
“If you want to pursue full-time, stay in warmer states so can play year-long. There are indoor facilities in some of the bigger cities like Chicago, but playing year-long outdoors is always better.”
Q25. Final question—Favorite IPL Team for 2020?
“SRH and RCB.”
Well, let us thank Avinash for doing this interview and sharing his journey with us. Please share, subscribe, and comment below on your own cricket dreams and experiences.
Also, to learn more about cricket in the U.S., check out the sources linked below! We will leave you with some more pictures of Avinash’s cricket journey.
Test match portrait (far left), Ellyse Perry bowling (center-left), playing soccer for Canberra United (center-right), and philanthropy work (far-right)
Ellyse Perry is an Australian cricketer and footballer, who also has a passion for writing and philanthropy on the side. Already being called one of the greatest all-rounders and players of all-time, Perry is just 29.
Her contribution to women’s cricket has already been immense.
The Memorable Debut
Ellyse Perry became the youngest Australian to play cricket at the age of 16 when she debuted against New Zealand, picking up 2-37 as well as 19 runs, batting at #9.
Only 15 days later, she would debut in her first international football match against Hong Kong, scoring a goal in the 2nd minute of the match.
2nd minute. Her primary playing position is supposed to be defender…Digest that for a minute.
It was her Player of the Match performance in the T20 debut a few months later, though, that caught the cricketing world’s attention. Quickfire 29* (25), including a huge six at the MCG, a 4-wicket haul, and even a run-out on follow through.
When the commentator asked, “Is there anything you tried that did not come off?—you had sixes, runs, wickets, back-flick runouts,” she responded by saying, “There were a couple of wides in there, so definitely some room for improvement there.”
The T20 debut was only a sign of things to come. Although she started as a fast-bowler who was a handy lower-order batter, her batting has risen through the years, most notably with the 213* in the 2017 Ashes.
Here is just a glimpse of her brilliant career so far:
Batting
Tests: 8 Matches, 624 runs, best of 213*, 78.00average, 100s-2/ 50s-2
ODIs: 112 Matches, 3022 runs, best of 112*, 52.00 average, 100s-2/ 50s-27
T20Is: 120 Matches, 1218 runs, best of 60*, average 28.32, 50s-4
Bowling
Tests: 8 Matches, 31 wickets, 18.19 average, Best Innings – 6/32,Best Match – 9/70
A World Cup is the greatest stage to perform in. It is the dream stage for any sportsperson. The Final of a World Cup is an even better platform. That is exactly where Ellyse Perry would shine.
2010 Women’s T20 World Cup in the West Indies, New Zealand versus Australia in the final. Australia were restricted to a meager 106/8. At the highest pressure, her bowling figures were 3-0-8-3. She was given the responsibility of defending the final over. 7 needed off 2, and she kept her nerve to seal Australia their maiden T20 World Cup in a thrilling encounter.
Another day, another Player of the Match performance by Ellyse Perry.
Achievements
The Moment of Glory – Part II, III, IV, V, and VI
Being part of one World Cup team is a memorable accomplishment. Playing an integral role in six World Cup winning campaigns is just superhuman.
Ellyse Perry has accomplished so much already that we had to create a separate section devoted just for her remarkable achievements. From representing Australia in international cricket to the Sydney Sixers in the Big Bash, she has played a starring role everywhere.
Youngest Australian to play cricket – at the age of 16 (2008)
Only Australian to play both the FIFA and ICC World Cups
Only Australian to play over 100 T20I matches
Player of the Match in the Final – (2010 Women’s World T20)
2010, 2012, 2014, 2018, 2020 – T20 World Cup winner, 2013 – ODI World Cup winner
Player of the Series – The Ashes (2014, 2015)
ICC Women Cricketer of the Year (2017)
3rd Bowler to 150 wickets in WODIs
Belinda Clark Award, Australia’s highest award for women cricketers (2016, 2018)
Player of the Tournament – Women’s Big Bash League (2018-19)
The Legacy
Speaking of Big Bash, against the Melbourne Renegades, she opened the batting, steadied a collapse and carried the bat with an unbeaten fifty, opened the bowling, impacted run-outs, took a catch, and sealed the match with a six in a Super Over.
Once again, what can Ellyse Perry not do?
She is a captain’s dream to have in the team. She is Australia’s opening bowler, death bowler, a fielder that can turn matches around, a batter who can at steadily and safeguard from collapse, or a finisher who can hit quick runs at the back-end of the innings.
Still in the prime of her career, Ellyse Perry has several years of cricket left in her. She has the potential to break records in all departments, but she has already created a legacy for herself. A renowned athlete and a star, she has also made a name for herself as a media personality by appearing on numerous radio shows, interviews, and book launches.
Four out of her five books are children’s books, Rocket Pocket, Magic Feet, Winning The Touch, and Double Time,in addition to her autobiography, Perspective. The children’s series is one of the ways she has been inspiring the next generation of young girls to take up sport and climb new heights.
In an interview with Jaymie Hooper at Body+Soul, she said,”I know how much sport has given me and I think if kids can turn on the TV and see other girls playing cricket and decide they want to do it, too, then I’ve served my purpose.”
What Can We Learn From Ellyse Perry?
She had to give up professional soccer in 2015, having last playing internationally in 2013. She ended up with 3 goals, including that World Cup goal against Sweden. Yet, just by pursuing two different sports and excelling at both of them consistently for half a decade itself sets a new benchmark for Australian sport and athletes around the world.
“There is actually she cannot do….She is probably one of the hardest workers I have ever seen” – Nicola Carey
“What makes her so good is she can bowl 10 overs, then go out and make a 100…[It takes] stamina, concentration, work ethic to be able to do that” – Nicole Bolton
“She is continuing to get better….Adding something new to her game….Always improving” – Meg Lanning
Ellyse Perry’s journey shows that by working hard, continuing improving different skill sets, always having a team first attitude, and by dreaming big—nothing is impossible.
What Does the Future Hold?
Ellyse Perry’s biggest influence might well be on the next generation of female athletes.
Following the 2017 Women’s ODI World Cup, the popularity of the women’s game grew exponentially. The movement to grow women’s cricket culminated with the 2020 T20 World Cup Final in Australia, which was held during the International Women’s Day- March 8, 2020.
A record 86,174 people attended it. Watch this video to relive the importance of the day. The only bittersweet part of it – Ellyse Perry was injured a few games ago and could not make the final team. Nevertheless, she has been a major part in popularizing the game and has taken women’s cricket to new heights.
That was the last game of women’s cricket before the pandemic hit.
Fingers crossed that the game can recover from COVID-19. We can just hope that the Australia-New Zealand series, due to begin September 26, will go smoothly with players safety in place, cricket can resume back in Australia, and we can watch what Ellyse Perry achieves next.
World Test Championship III: Implementing the Proposed Points Table
After the conclusion of the England-Pakistan Test series, we decided to update the World Test Championship Table based on our new proposed system in Part II of the segment, WTC: Good Structure But Needs Structural Improvement.
Earlier in Part I, How can the World Test Championship improve?, we described how the Big 3 is creating an imbalance in the World Test Championship via ‘marquee’ series’ like The Ashes and what can be done to improve it.
World Test Championship: Current System
Let us recall why we are discussing changing the World Test Championship (WTC) Table in the first place. Here are some of the flaws that WTC possesses today:
Number of Tests Played is uneven: England play 22, while Pakistan/Sri Lanka play 13 each.
Currently no distinction is made for Home/Away advantage: So far, England have played 11/4 (H/A), while New Zealand have played 2/5 (H/A).
Number of points fluctuate depending on # of games per series: Unfair to shorter series, and hence, discriminating against lower-ranked (and less financially stable) teams.
All-or-Nothing System:Test matches occur over 5 days or a max-of-15 sessions. One session can have a huge impact on the series, as the First Test of Eng-Pak exhibited. Yet, the points are awarded on an all-or-nothing basis.
Table I: Current World Test Championship Table
Team
Series
Tests
Points
P
W
L
D
P
W
L
D
T
India
4
3
1
0
9
7
2
0
0
360/480
Australia
3
2
0
1
10
7
2
1
0
296/360
England
4
3
0
1
15
8
4
3
0
292/480
New Zealand
3
1
1
1
7
3
4
0
0
180/360
Pakistan
4*
1
2
0
8
2
3
3
0
166/420
Sri Lanka
2
0
1
1
4
1
2
1
0
80/240
West Indies
2
0
2
0
5
1
4
0
0
40/240
South Africa
2
0
2
0
7
1
6
0
0
24/240
Bangladesh
2*
0
1
0
3
0
3
0
0
0/180
World Test Championship Table: Current System
*Note: Bangladesh tour of Pakistan was postponed after 1 Test match (out of a 2-Test series) due to COVID. Points are calculated as if the 2-match series will be completed eventually.
Brief Review – WTC Points Table Proposed System
Recall, our points distribution proposal is a two-tiered system, based on (1) session by session data and (2) Home/Away respectively.
In our proposed system, each team plays 12 Home/12 Away tests for a total of 24 matches over 2 and a half years, where the total points possible for each team is 1200 points, for an average of 50 points per match. The criteria is as follows:
In the last article, we displayed the process for computing the session by session and overall total score for the West Indies-England series.
After the completion of the England-Pakistan series, we went back and similarly computed session by session points for every Test match in the WTC thus far…by hand.
After analyzing the 34 Test matches completed so far (with maximum of 510 sessions), we came up with the following summary:
Table II: (New) Series and Session Summary
Teams
Matches
Sessions
Played (H/A)
Won (H/A)
Lost (H/A)
Drawn (H/A)
Won
Drawn
WO/BL
Sessions Left
India
9 (5/4)
7 (5/2)
2 (0/2)
0 (0/0)
56
19
3
30
Australia
10 (5/5)
7 (5/2)
2 (0/2)
1 (0/1)
68
18
9
15
England
15 (11/4)
8 (5/3)
4 (3/1)
3 (3/0)
77
45
32
16
Pakistan
8 (3/5)
2 (2/0)
3 (0/3)
3 (1/2)
26
17
20
7
New Zealand
7 (2/5)
3 (2/1)
4 (0/4)
0 (0/0)
26
14
7
12
Sri Lanka
4 (1/3)
1 (1/0)
2 (1/1)
1 (0/1)
11
11
14
2
West Indies
5 (2/3)
1 (0/1)
4 (2/2)
0 (0/0)
7
21
8
0
South Africa
7 (4/3)
1 (1/0)
6 (3/3)
0 (0/0)
20
13
4
4
Bangladesh
3 (0/3)
0 (0/0)
3 (0/3)
0 (0/0)
2
5
0
0
Proposed World Test Championship Table: Session Points
*WO/BL – Wash out/Bad Light
II. Updated Points System – Total Points Based on H/A
After computing the (I.) total session points, we add the (II.) base Home and Away score. Hence, the updated World Test Championship Table looks as follows:
Table III: New Points Table
I.Session Points (H/A)
II.Points (Home)
II.Points (Away)
Points Total
%
Rank (By %)
Rank (By Total)
Rank by Session (without H/A)
India
194 (130/64)
210/230
112/216
322/446
72.19%
1
3
2
Australia
193 (118/75)
198/230
135/270
333/500
66.6%
2
2
3
England
267 (196/71)
284/506
143/216
427/702
60.83%
3
1
1
Pakistan
127 (63/64)
103/138
78/270
181/408
44.36%
4
4
4
New Zealand
97 (49/48)
80/92
73/270
153/362
42.27%
5
5
5
Sri Lanka
51 (29/22)
45/92
34/108
79/200
39.5%
6
7
7
West Indies
43 (8/35)
8/92
59/162
67/254
26.37%
7
8
8
South Africa
65 (49/16)
65/184
16/162
81/346
23.4%
8
6
6
Bangladesh
9 (-/9)
N/A
9/162
9/162
5.55%
9
9
9
Proposed World Test Championship Table: Session Points – Based on Home and Away
Observations
We went ahead with percentage (%) of points won for the time being, since each team has not (and will not) play the same number of Test matches.
Pakistan and New Zealand switch positions as compared to Table I (4/5).
The most recent series, Eng-Pak actually received 66-26 points. According to our method, the scores would have been 82-62, which is a much better reflection of the series (and given that Pakistan was the away team).
If we had utilized Rank (By Total) as in the current system, we would have England #1, Australia #2, India #3, and South Africa up to #6, who have not had a good WTC so far.
Australia has one extra Test match drawn away from home compared to India. Hence, they are rewarded and are ahead based on total points. If we disregard H/A, India would be #2.
*Fun Fact: 32 sessions involving England (both home and away) were impacted by wash-outs or rained out, which is more than 2 Test matches or almost 11 days.
Conclusion
Note, at this point in time, the Proposed Table and the Actual Table look quite similar, but we attribute it to the small sample size, especially for teams ranked below 5.
We conjecture that as teams play similar amount of matches, our table will benefit the lower ranked teams and hence make the championship more competitive.
We will continue to update this table as more WTC matches are played.
In the meanwhile, let us know what suggestions you have to improve this table. Comment below, and we will see if it is possible to implement the idea!
Anyway, share, subscribe, and follow us on social media!
Source: Sincere Thanks to Vandit for helping in analyzing session by session data and computing overall points.
Image Courtesy: South Africa vs England, at Newlands, Cape Town Jan 2005, Test Day 3 Louis Rossouw /CC via 2.0
