The main cricket news of the week has been the retirement from International Limited Overs (50 over and T20) of Kevin Pietersen. I looked forward to writing a blog about this, looking at the distinct phases of KP's time as a limited overs player. The whirlwind start, the poor to middle middle, and of course the explosive end...then I found out that Madhusudhan Ramakrishnan at Cricinfo had already covered it. And in much more flowing terms than I am capable of. The git.
For the record, his offering can be viewed at http://www.espncricinfo.com/england/content/current/story/566823.html
and I strongly recommend you do so, if you like your numbers.
For my own part, I shall simply say that Pietersen has clearly decided that the current ODI format (50 overs) is not for him. He wished to concentrate on the two forms of the game best suited to his uinque talents, Test and T20. However, the mandarins at the ECB, obviously not a Turkey that votes for Christmas, would prefer KP to be available all summer long, especially to headline a meaningless and unnecessary FIVE MATCH ODI series against Australia. Australia are England's premier opponents, and every match v the old enemy should be crucial. BUT...next year is Ashes year. This preposterous dilution has been arranged, taking five days out of the International calender that could have been used to stage a 4th test match between England and South Africa, a fixture I'm sure many more people would prefer to watch. Now, with no KP against the Aussies, straight away this "diet Ashes" series has lost a considerable amount of fizz. I believe that, for the second time in his International career, the ECB and Pietersen have been guilty of bluffing each other (the first time was the messy end to his captaincy). Pietersen will have asked to miss the ODIs so he could be fit for the Tests v South Africa and the World T20 in Sri Lanka. The ECB will have said "You don't pick and choose, play all or none at all." KP will have said "Fine, none at all.", and so ends the limited overs career of one of our greatest South African imports.
CRONJE
On Wednesday night, BBC 5 Live aired a documentary about disgraced former South African captain Hansie Cronje, who died ten years ago today (June 1st) when the light aircraft he was flying on crashed into mountains near his home. The documentary looked back on his life, the aftermath of his death, and most strongly on the issues that he will forever be linked, his associations with bookmakers and his confessions that finally opened the worlds eyes to the level of corruption in the game.
For those who may not remember (he last played an international match in March 2000), Cronje WAS South African cricket. He was captain of the Test and ODI side from 1994 to the time of his "capture" in 2000, and was seen by no less than Nelson Mandela as the figure head for the game for his country, ravaged by years of violence, racial segregation and that most hated for words, apartheid. On the field, his team lost only 11 out of 53 Tests, including one at Centurion in 2000 that would go some way towards sealing his fate. South Africa also won 99 (and tied one) of the 138 ODI's he was at the helm for. He was, it must be said, a slightly negative tactician, setting very heavy off side fields and instructing his bowlers (Allan Donald and Shaun Pollock amongst them) to bowl very wide of the off stump, hoping the batsman would make a mistake out of sheer frustration. Himself, he was a phenomenal player of spin bowling, and is one of the few batsmen in world cricket to have fully imposed himself upon Muttiah Muralitharan. He loved cricket. But he had another deeper, more encompassing love. He worshipped money.
The documentary featured an interview with Henry Williams. His is a name that many have forgotten when it comes to international cricket, yet he has a key part in the Cronje story. Williams and Herschelle Gibbs were two players that Cronje approached in a match v India in 1996 and asked them to under perform, for which they would receive a "consideration". Gibbs, an enigmatic opening batsman with a flair for the dramatic, was to get out before he reached 20, and Williams, a bowler, was to concede more than fifty from his alloted overs. It didn't happen, as Gibbs (who claims he "forgot about the deal") scored 74 and Williams was forced to end his spell prematurely after conceding 11 runs and taking a wicket from his less than two overs work. But the sad fact of the matter is that Cronje, this icon of his country and sport, and deliberately picked two "coloured" (neither black nor white, by the still disgraceful terminology used to define these players) young players to cheat, all so Cronje could pocket a "little something".
The Test at Centurion was covered by Messrs Chapman and Agnew at some length, this weird match whereby Cronje offered to set England a chaseable target so a result was still possible after three days had been lost by rain, if England Captain Nasser Hussain would agree to forfeit an innings. At the time, Cronje was applauded by many (including Hussain himself) for his gesture, ensuring a meaningful days cricket. But some involved in the match were never truly happy. Mike Atherton has always had his doubts re the game, not surprising given Athers extensive knowledge of gambling, that it was "too easy". The documentary reveals, through Alec Stewart (who scored 73 in the run chase) that senior South African players like Marc Boucher, Shaun Pollock and Jacques Kallis were not happy after the game, thinking something had maybe happened that shouldnt have. It had. Cronje had been given 50,000 Rand and a lather jacket to ensure that there was a positive result.
The programme is available as podcast, and I implore you to download it. It offers a great insight into one of the games most tragic figures, and hopefully jogs the authorities into ensuring that scenes like Cronje's tearful final confession at the end of the King Commission are never repeated again.
The Truth will always, always, set us free.
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