Cover Points : Shoaib Akhtar

Statistical XIs

dcsiva — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 13:43:00 GMT

I really ought to be writing about the IPL. But can't it wait just a little longer? There'll be time enough for it with a game every single day just around the corner. Chrispy rounds out a World Test cricket XI:

So the Test XI of 2007-2008, as indicated by the statistics, is as follows:

Virender Sehwag (IND)
Neil McKenzie (SAF)
Kumar Sangakkara (SRL)
Mahela Jayawardene (c) (SRL)
Shivnarine Chanderpaul (WIN)
Andrew Symonds (AUS)
Kamran Akmal (wk) (PAK)
Brett Lee (AUS)
Stuart Clark (AUS)
Dale Steyn (SAF)
Muttiah Muralitharan (SRL

Q writes about the Shoaib "trial" in front of the Pakistan Senate Committee on Sport:

Enver Baig also said that "the Government should revamp the PCB set up and sack the Chairman Nasim Ashraf because he and his staff members were not professionals and they had ruined Pakistan cricket".

Considering that Enver Baig is a member of the PPP, the political party that leads the coalition Government, this demand will not fall on deaf ears. Nasim Ahraf's days are numbered.

Homer asks if Dhoni will make a good Test captain or not. And Martyd has a lovely image of Chanderpaul.

Shoaib's five year stint?

dcsiva — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 13:05:00 GMT

Shoaib will fight the five year ban in court. Dileep calls it an outrage. Jagadish examines the extent of the ban. King Cricket seems ambivalent about the ban at best. Q says it's not over, but recommends an entertainment career in India anyway.

Meanwhile, The Googly worries about the BCCI's funding of cricket in China; i3j3 previews the next Test between India and South Africa; and Jrod has more on the new Australian squad as Geetha asks Beau who?

Bans, awards and reselection

dcsiva — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 14:00:00 GMT

From the what-day-is-it? department, Tendulkar retires and Symonds defects to England.

Meanwhile, Jrod and Q celebrate David Hussey's inclusion in Australia's squad.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul wins awards from the WIPA, but leaves in the middle of an innings to collect them?

And Shoaib is now banned for five years. The IPL beckons.