England Game and Shastri

England have progressed to the second round of the World Cup but their showing in the Super Eights has been ordinary at best. They fought to get past Ireland and then capitulated to Sri Lanka.

But the match against Lanka showed a few points of England cricket that must have delighted the home fans. Bopara and Nixon showed something that England cricket had lacked for a long time. A lower order that could fight. They could actually have won that match! Who would have thought that when those 2 came out ot the middle. But Bopara justified his selection into the World Cup squad in great style. Nixon has been a live wire for England behind the stumps but has seldom impressed in front of it. But this match really showed why he was held in such high regard in the county Twenty20 championship.

However, Sri Lanka have shown again why they are serious title contenders. It would have been easy for them to conceded defeat after a bad batting performance and then the Bopara-Nixon partnership. But they hung in there and came out victorious. The small margin of win shows that they are capable of holding their nerve when it matters, a sign of champions! Lasith Malinga has impressed in this World Cup with his bowling. 4 wickets in 4 balls against South Africa really was the highlight of the World cup so far. Once again Lanka showed the never say die attitude that will take the team places.

Anyway coming back to Indian cricket, Ravi Shastri has been appointed the new Indian Team Cricket Manager. A post that is akin to the coach but not the coach because the powers that be felt that the team doesn't need a coach, but just someone to come up with strategy and decisions. This is something that does impress me. Consider football. They have managers and not coaches and the principle seems to be working well over there. People in teams like this are well trained professionals and they don't need coaches. They just need someone with a wise head to help them crack the opposite team. Mayb Shastri can talk to Sir Alex Ferguson for some advice on man management and getting the best out of the players you have. Manchester United with their limited resources are going for the treble this season against the richer more talented Chelsea bunch. Something the Indian crciket team would never be able to against the Australian Team.

Well, this seems like a step in the right direction, and let us hope the man who hit six sixes in six balls can provide the Indian cricket scene with the shot in the arm it really deperately needs!