What, Really, Is the Role of the Cricket Pundit?
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Wednesday 3rd August, 2011 13 occasional One-day International in Durham. U-23 Div-II Cricket In that particular regard, he is simi- lar to Nasser Hussain, the man he suc- ceeded as England captain. What, really, is the role Hussain, a regular figure on the UK’s Mendis guides Navy live televised cricket coverage on Sky Sports, is also doing stints for ESPN dur- their Under-23 Division-II Tournament ing this series, thus bringing himself BY ROSHEN STEELMAN match which concluded at Katunayake, into contact with Indian viewers. It so happened that he was in ESPN’s Spinner Dulanjana Mendis captured on Sunday. of the cricket pundit? a match-bag of nine wickets to guide studio when Harbhajan Singh became the second victim of Stuart Broad’s hat- Navy CC to an innings and 65-run victo- Scores: Seeduwa Raddoluwa 314 all out in 87.3 overs trick, lbw despite a big inside edge which ry over Galle CC in their Under-23 Division-II Tournament match played at and 167 for 7 in 27.5 overs dec. (Shehan Hirudika was hard to detect in real time, but 52, Hiran Wickramasekara 19, Anuk de Alwis 18; patently obvious on the close-up slow- Welisara on Sunday. Kasun Bandara 3/57, Amaranath Wanninayake motion. 2/49) Because of the half-baked use of the Scores: Kurunegala SC 117 all out in 41.3 overs decision review system (DRS), no bats- Navy SC all out 185 in 44.4 overs (Rasanjana Jayaratne 26, Amaranath man can ask for a reprieve from an lbw Galle CC 51 all out in 24 overs (Yeshan Kumara Wanninanayake 33, Sudira Maduranga 33, verdict in this series, and Hussain was 5/21, Dulanjana Mendis 5/22) and 69 all out in 32.1 Lakshitha de Silva 4/28, Hemantha Jayasundara quick to put the boot in. He reminded his overs (Dulanjana Mendis 4/30, Malith Cooray 3/11, 3/20, Hemaka Ariyaratne 2/39) and 62 for 3 wkts in 15 overs (Pasanjana Jayaratne 32, Sudira audience that it was the Indian board Yeshan Kumara 2/09) which had objected to that element of Maduranga 18 n.o.) the DRS process in the first place, so the First innings win for Kalutara Chamod scores half century for players could hardly complain of bad Kalutara TC registered a first Panadura CC luck. innings victory over Wennappuwa CC, Yashith Chamod scored a half cen- Another ESPN pundit, Ravi Shastri, in their Under-23 Youth Division-II tury to guide Panadura CC to a first was less than happy about the position taken by Hussain, saying there was “jeal- Tournament match played at Kalutara, innings victory over Singhe SC, in ousy” about India’s progress to becom- on Sunday. their Under-23 Youth Division II ing the best side in the world, and that Tournament match which concluded at Scores: the decision taken by the Indian board Ratgama, on Sunday. Wennappuwa CC 188 all out in 57.1 overs and on DRS was its business alone. 109 for 42 overs (Chirath Mapatuna 19, Krishan The argument continued to simmer, Scores: with Hussain telling readers of his Daily Gigiripura 2/18, Dilshan Kadawathaarchchi 2/12) Singhe SC 167 all out in 63 overs and 186 all out Mail column on Monday: “If I am being Kalutara TC 229 all out in 72 .3 overs (Dilshan in 58.3 overs (Nalinda Ranasinghe 61, Yohan de Silva 33, Savith Priyan 4/55, Rachindra Gayashan paid to give my opinions by ESPN, that is Perera 39, Dananjaya Madusanka 64, S.K. Silva 67; Nalin Perera 5/15, Chirath Mapatuna 2/70) 4/41) exactly what I will do. I played 96 Tests Panadura CC 227 for 9 wkts in 69.5 overs and I have every right to say what I feel (Yashith Chamod 54, Sanjaya Chathuranga 44, Former English skippers Michael Vaughan (L) and Nasser Hussain enjoy stoking the fires of contro- about India’s refusal to use the DRS, Jayasuriya, Premasinghe capture Malith Chathuranga 38, Kavin Tharidu 24; Yohan versy as they did during the second Test at Trent Bridge. whatever audience I was addressing.” 10 wickets de silva 3/48, Charith Sudaraka 2/30, Ramesh As someone who works in the British He asked his 160,000 Twitter follow- Kavindu Jayasuriya and J. Mendis 2/45) and 75 for 1 wicket in 6 overs media, I understand Hussain’s position. (Hashan Wanigaratne 56 n.o.) BY OLIVER BRETT ers: “Has Vaseline on the outside edge Premasinghe shared 10 wickets between It was always going to be difficult to sym- saved the day for Laxman?” them to guide Kandy CC to a first pathise with an Indian batsman let down Negombo beat Kandy YCC on first London: What, precisely, is the role of By simply posing the question, innings victory over Saracens SC, in by a bad decision when the DRS was not innings the cricket pundit? Must he simply Vaughan had unwittingly waded into their Under-23 Youth Division II being fully implemented at the instance observe, report and analyse? Or must treacherous waters. Laxman is a hero to Tournament match which concluded at Negombo SC recorded a first of India itself. there be a critical edge to his voice many Indians, the scorer of an almost With Vaughan, on the other hand, it’s Asgiriya, on Sunday. innings victory over Kandy YCC, in which distinguishes him from others? mythically brilliant 281 to douse probably a case of a lesson learned. He their Under-23 youth Division-II More importantly, just how contentious Australia’s fire at Eden Gardens in 2001 would find it easy to dish out and receive Scores: Tournament match which concluded at or controversial should he be, and at and set up a remarkable win. Kandy CC 396 in 9 wkts in 98.5 overs dec. and “banter” from Australian fans in the Kadirana, on Sunday. what point is a line transgressed that Ten years later, he is still revered, the 141 for 7 wkts in 39 overs (Kavindu Jayasuriya 33, same situation, but he perhaps should makes those views unfairly and danger- elegant shot-making continues and Kanishka Ekanayake 58 n.o., Kavindu Abeysiri have respected that the English sense of Scores: ously biased? above all else, his disciplinary record is 3/18, Eranga Ratnayake 3/30) humour does not always translate easily Negombo CC 174 all out 66.3 overs and 180 for None of these concerns will be spotless. Vaughan had not directly Saracens SC 158 all out in 48.3 overs (Eranga across borders. 8 wkts in 55.4 overs dec. (Sanjaya Silva 68, addressed within the English media as accused Laxman of cheating, but he had Ratnayake 54, Mohammad Aslam 52; J. Kalnath Sineth 41, Thanushka Praveen 21, Graeme Swann, for example, chose to they reflect on a significant and heavy suggested the possibility and that was Premasinghe 5/61, Kavindu Jayasuriya 4/18) Suneth Hettiarchchi 3/34, belittle the big Sunday talking-point — Test victory over India which puts the the problem. Kandy YCC 148 all out in 53 .4 overs (Monoj the run-out and subsequent reprieve of national side on course to take over the When Vaughan woke up on Sunday Seeduwa on first innings Sarathchandra 70 n.o., Suneth Hettiarchchi 21; Ian Bell – by making one of his Twitter number one mantle for the first time. morning, he found a barrage of criticism Seeduwa Raddoluwa recorded a first Malshan Gunasinghe 4/17, Kasyapa Rodrigo jokes that endears him to his home sup- England are also just one draw away directed at his Twitter account from innings victory over Kurunegala SC, in 2/36, Ramesh Lakmal 4/39). porters, but runs the risk of alienating from registering their first Test series ordinary Indians, much of it foul in the him from Indian cricket fans. win over India since 1996. extreme, whether in Hindi or English. “The big issue about ‘the run out that And yet, if there is something that Some of it might have been prompted wasn’t’ hasn’t been mentioned yet. I had ever so slightly sours the sweet taste of by this separate tweet: “If I was them already started a cheese sandwich so it AmCham Bowling success for Andrew Strauss’ sides, then (India’s bowlers) I would get the jelly was definitely tea,” tweeted Swann. it comes in the heavy-handedness of beans out and get the ball swinging.” It Apart from producing a few lusty some of the comments from the home was a cheeky reference to an unpalatable blows with the bat on day one, Swann C’ship on Friday side’s best-known media figures. moment in the 2007 series between the had a match to forget, picking up a hand Take Michael Vaughan, Ashes-win- two sides. The American Chamber of The teams will be competing for the injury, failing to take a single wicket and ning captain in 2005 and now a fully Vaughan, who is making a decent liv- Commerce in Sri Lanka (AmCham) will AmCham Champions Trophy, 1st kicking the stumps in frustration at one paid-up member of the ex-players-in-the- ing out of working for the BBC, the Daily hold their Bowling Tournament for the Runner-up and 2nd Runner-up trophies point on day two. press-box club. Telegraph, Betfair and Channel Five, 2nd successive year on Friday, August 5, respectively. Many of his teammates at Trent When totally unsubstantiated rather enjoys stoking the fires of contro- from 5.30 p.m.