Even this year's Indian Premier League was a moment of falling jaws.
Aussie cricketer Chris Lin, who was present on
Tuesday, revealed the truth in the midst of a request for a charter flight to
take players out of the country at the end of this year's tournament: 'We got
vaccinated this week.
Excuse me? The safest, most secure youngsters, who are
currently playing cricket in a bio-safe environment, are joining the cause of
vaccines in a country devastated by coyotes where thousands are dying due to
lack of medical resources. Due to low jaws? Surely not?
As it moves to the next phase of India's vaccination
policy, which will be available for more than 18 years from Saturday, it will
be extended to domestic cricketers rather than just overseas cricketers who
seem to be growing fear of playing. Live while everyone around is suffering.
I understand the suggestion that the IPL can provide a
distraction to India's cricket-obsessed population at such troubled times. And
I appreciate the fact that when we came to England last summer, we were all
grateful to the West Indies, Pakistan, and Australia for the high rate of
Covid.
But it looks very different. Lin's comments were
censored and in a country where millions of people are being denied access to
medical care where their lives could be saved, there is a lack of awareness of
the futility of cricket's richest competition. Û”
The sport has played a big part in helping us deal
with many people over the past year. But it is increasingly felt that it would
be morally wrong for the IPL show to continue.
The county is still a big hit
English cricket is forever a lucrative decision to
gamble the future of a 'new' audience and domestic game on Hundred, an
unnecessary new format.
Still, at the start of an important season of the
game, the current cricket fans get real satisfaction.
The County Championship is a form that will not be
invented in today's restless world. But the first three rounds of the great old
lady of the game have been excellent. Indeed, they have provided everything
cricket fans - new and old - could possibly want.
Despite the dry, cold weather, the April weather
produced better pitches than usual at this time of year, and well, ah, even bat
and ball competition. And the extra points in the draw have helped encourage
disciplined batting, which has strengthened the four-day fair competition.
The conference system brought in for this season has
proved that it is possible to stay here with an immovable county like
Gloucestershire, and the promising batsman for the England team at James Bracey,
Provides an opportunity to show that he can survive. Big boys
But what stands out so far is the success of the spin,
the discipline is often frozen from the start of the red ball in the early home
game - and it reveals England's biggest weakness in India 3 After losing by -1,
you have to lose the test. This winter.
Most importantly, Matt Parkinson's leg-spin has had an
impact, with his three-month influence with England in the winter being limited
to the tweets of Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni from their teens. With 15 wickets in
just two matches to dismiss Mike Gatting in 1993 and a carbon copy of Shane
Warren's 'Ball of the Century', he is now making a much more positive
impression when he bowls Adam Rossington of the Northeast. Û” And it was at Old
Trafford.
There are five more rounds of the championship ahead
of the first Test against New Zealand on June 2. It all starts on Thursday so
that supporters can get their heads around the usual amazing schedule for once.
This is truly the first treatment of the season and next month when spectators
are allowed they can see the extraordinarily full county field.
Parkinson's in Heaven
Matt Parkinson's second-innings figures of 126-7 in
Kent were the best ever by a spinner in the 2021 Championship.
Only Sussex fast bowler Oli Robinson, 9-78 in
Glamorgan, is better than him.
The last tour was to talk about money
A major crisis was averted this week when Cricket
South Africa's member council finally agreed with its interim board to adopt a
new administration that would include a majority independent board.
At least so far, South Africa's real threat of
disappearing from world cricket. And an important reminder of how important an
incomplete tour of England was to the hosts before Christmas.
Perhaps it is unfortunate that the England players did
not show as much determination in South Africa as they did in the IPL. Indian
bio-safe bubbles are said to be tougher than Cape Town.
Not according to Adam Zampa, one of the Australians
who made the decision and went home from the IPL last weekend.
"We've been in some bubbles now and it's probably
the weakest," Zampa said Tuesday.
England players may not be able to agree - although it
seems to be money again.
One player who will not be on the show this week is Jimmy Anderson, 38, will miss the Lancashire match against Sussex as he returns from a torn calf.
To further improve his fitness before the summer of
the seven Tests, G will leave him with only two matches - against Glamorgan and
Northants.
But if one can hardly turn to England with any
preparation and still succeed, that's Anderson.
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