6 Cover photograph Arko Datta/Reuters contents This page Adnan Abidi/Reuters Apr 2006 2006 Apr volume 1, issue 4 • April 2006

Cricinfo www.cricinfomagazine.com cover story Five for 500 Harbhajan Singh, , Inzamam-ul- Haq, and Mukul Kesavan salute India’s greatest match-winner p32

features

38 England in India Scyld Berry’s tour diary. Dileep Premachandran on the fall of India’s once- mighty

50 Fast track The rise, fall and rise of Munaf Patel. By Siddhartha Vaidyanathan

54 The world’s most valuable opening bowler Who is it? The stats tell the story

60 Holding talking In conversation with the great West Indian

66 Spending it Ashok Malik on how best the BCCI should use its new-gotten wealth

68 Stars of the season The five men who made India’s first-class circuit buzz in 05-06 Bradley Kanaris (McGrath), Nick Wilson (Pollock)/Getty Images; Empics (Lillee) 24 24 20 26 the long room 14 the score 25

Five Questions The Log Vijay Merchant isn’t : the Englisman who in the movies Warne Back to the desert The bat brouhaha Mohammad Asif and Sivaramakrishnan, , Talking debuts: Alastair Cook, L Gideon Haigh John Arlott’s Jai Arjun Singh Thank god for Thommo on talking to Shane for Herschelle Gibbs classic evocation of Paul Coupar reflects on 16

88 86 pavilion 44 replay 95 94 84 74 80 82

Indian women overseas Bangladesh v : two Tests England in India: three Tests South Africa v Australia: fifth ODI, first Test Tests v West Indies: firsttwo My Favourite Cricketer Mike Marqusee’s Dennis Amiss’s Memory; My Favourite Cricket Hero’s hero I Was There Marcus Berkmann on Derek Randall Story Narendra Hirwani 28 with Dilip Sardesai L’affaire Lever Photographic Golden Pairs;

48 90 22 10 8 3 regulars 18 columns 30 97 92 98

Suresh Menon new South Africa Peter Roebuck Incoming Editorial Sanjay Manjrekar Gleanings Shots of the Month Ask Steven, Contests On Cricinfo.com of the exit Andy Flower Lillee? Answers History for captains All included in the Pollock? McGrath? bowler of all time? valuable new-ball Ganguly and the art Who is the most on run-gluts p54 96

Mark is dead now; he won’t write –not for Indian papers Cricinfo Apr 2006 7