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28-05-2025
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The summer of 2005 without Pietersen? Imagining World Test finals of the past
Michael Vaughan and Ricky Ponting in 2005. England and Australia would have met in the final in 2005 – but that would have been before the Ashes series. Michael Vaughan and Ricky Ponting in 2005. England and Australia would have met in the final in 2005 – but that would have been before the Ashes series. Photograph:This, dear reader, is the 1,126th edition of The Spin. For the past 23 years it has been a weekly source of news, views and automated data about the unread message count in the deleted items folder. As such it is hard to find new journalistic frontiers. But, in the face of some molten competition, this week's Spin stands alone as the nerdiest, the most anal, the one grounded furthest from reality. We say this not to boast, only to flag that it may not be for everyone, and that we feel for those unfortunates whose neurological disposition means they have precisely no interest in imagining what a World Test Championship final might have looked like in May 1989. Advertisement Yep, with South Africa facing Australia in an actual World Test Championship decider next month, we've calculated what the finals would have been had a forward-thinking International Cricket Council introduced the concept in the 20th century. We stuck as closely as possible to the current regulations, which means one-off Tests don't count, each cycle begins with the first Test of an English summer and teams need to reach a certain level of performance before they join the imaginary points table. In the Editor's Notes for this year's Wisden Almanack, Lawrence Booth – AKA Original Spin – described the WTC as 'a shambles masquerading as a showpiece'. If you're reading, Lawrence, we hope you'll agree there's no masquerade here. We went back as far as 1973-75, primarily for two reasons. In our head that's where modern cricket begins, with Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson trying to knock St George off his 'orse in 1974-75. And 50 years of counterfactuals feels like quite enough for now. Many of the findings (!) are as you'd expect. West Indies would have been in every final from 1979 to 1993, Australia from 1997 to 2009. (We'll get to 1995.) England would have made only three: 1979, AKA the Packer Years, 2005 and 2011. And they would have finished bottom twice: not in 1999, when they were unofficially the worst team in the world, but 1981 (back-to-back series against West Indies will do that to you) and 1989. In that cycle England played 18 Tests, winning only one, and even that wouldn't have counted as it was a one-off against Sri Lanka. Advertisement The 2005 final would have been played at the start of that mind-altering summer, probably without Kevin Pietersen as it was before the astonishing innings at Bristol that made the selectors forget everything they thought they knew. Whatever the result, a WTC final would have subtly altered the context of the epochal Ashes series that followed. Australia became unofficial world champions a decade earlier when they ended West Indies' 15-year unbeaten run in an even more epochal series. Yet the WTC final that year – the same month, in fact, because the series ended at the start of May – would have been between Pakistan and India. The reason was one of the WTC's biggest problems, an unequal schedule. India played only three series, two against a relatively weak Sri Lanka, and three of Pakistan's five series were against Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe. West Indies v Australia would have been the final in the two cycles prior to 1995, with the 1991 final taking place almost immediately after an extremely fractious series in the Caribbean that West Indies won 2-1. Imaginary popcorn please! It's no surprise that Australia are the most dominant team overall; they would have appeared in 15 finals from 1975-2025. No other side has reached double figures. The West Indies team of 1983-85, whose cycle included a 3-0 win in India, a 5-0 in England and a 6-1 aggregate evisceration of Australia, are the only team whose percentage of available points (75) was more than double any of the other teams. Advertisement West Indies' opponents in their decade of dominance would have been India (1981), New Zealand (1987) and Pakistan (1983, 1985, 1989). Imran Khan's side have a strong case for being the most underrated team in cricket history. Their win percentage is too low for them to be among the very best – in the 1987-89 cycle, for example, they drew 11 out of 16 – but they lost only two Test series in an eight-year period and consistently matched the West Indies at a time when most other teams were being smashed to smithereens. The three 1-1 draws played between 1986 and 1990 are the subject of the best cricket book never written. Pakistan's final against West Indies in 1989 is the one that stirred the most excitement in our inner child. A year on from an epic draw in the Caribbean, 18 months before another in Pakistan, except this time a draw wasn't on the table. We spent an hour working out what the teams would have been, specifically whether Pakistan's last pick would have been Shahid Saeed, Ijaz Ahmed, Mudassar Nazar, Saleem Jaffar or Naved Anjum, and what the implications were for the role of utility man Aamer Malik. In the end we went for Mudassar, with a Test debut (only a few months ahead of real life) for the 17-year-old sensation Waqar Younis. The West Indies team picked itself, with an emerging Ian Bishop completing a frightening pace attack. West Indies Gordon Greenidge, Desmond Haynes, Richie Richardson, Keith Arthurton, Viv Richards (c), Gus Logie, Jeff Dujon (wk), Malcolm Marshall, Curtly Ambrose, Ian Bishop, Courtney Walsh. Advertisement Pakistan Mudassar Nazar, Ramiz Raja, Shoaib Mohammad, Javed Miandad, Salim Malik, Imran Khan (c), Aamer Malik, Saleem Yousuf (wk), Wasim Akram, Abdul Qadir, Waqar Younis. We stopped short of replaying the game in the garden, at least for now. For those of us on the cricket spectrum, the real fun is in recalling and researching the state of each team and each player when the matches would have been played. Each final becomes a snapshot of a moment in time – in their lives and ours. In the unlikely event that you'd like to see the full list of finals, or the probable XIs for some of the games, email The Spin. New metaphor needed The selection of cricket teams needs a new metaphor. The trusty analogy of cabs off the rank, patiently waiting in line for their turn, doesn't reflect a time in which players miss international matches for myriad reasons: franchise leagues, workload management, paternity leave. While this isn't completely new – Sir Ian Botham missed half of England's New Zealand tour in 1991-92 to star in Jack and the Beanstalk at the Bournemouth Pavilion – the idea of a first XI, carved in stone, has never been more distant. Advertisement These days selection is more of a multi-lane free-for-all: horns blaring, passersby shouting which cab you should get in and why. And there has been a helluva lot of noise in the past week. When England start their Test series against India, Zak Crawley, Ollie Pope and Jacob Bethell will be competing for two places in the top three. A week ago Bethell felt nailed on to play, even if it meant he'd have to open for the first time in his first-class career. But rightly or wrongly, it feels like Crawley and Pope have overtaken him with their centuries against Zimbabwe. Bethell spent the Zimbabwe Test watching on from the sidelines at Royal Challengers Bengaluru. That's not a criticism – for a young batter, two months in a dressing room with Virat Kohli is about as powerful as osmosis gets – but it may be that, in the short term, one bit of bench-warming begets another. The palaver over Ben Stokes's pre-match comments, interpreted as confirmation that Bethell would start against India, may also work in Pope's favour. While the Bazball brains trust can be deceptively ruthless, The Spin's instinct is that most of that comes from Brendon McCullum and Rob Key, and that Stokes – though single-minded – drops long-serving players with a heavier heart. You can't be a miracle of empathy such as Stokes and turn into Michael Corleone when needed. While it feels unlikely that Crawley or Pope will miss the start of the series against India, scoring a century doesn't always guarantee selection for the next Test. Ken Barrington and Geoff Boycott were both dropped for slow scoring in the 1960s. And in consecutive years at the start of the 1980s, the New South Wales batter Dirk Wellham was left out immediately after scoring his maiden centuries in both first-class and Test cricket. It wasn't the outrage it seems: Wellham had been covering for Doug Walters and Greg Chappell respectively, so when they were available he returned to the head of the cab rank. The Spin has been smitten with Bethell since his mythical 10 on Test debut at Christchurch, but even we wouldn't put him in their company. Yet. Quote of the week I walk into this England team and I feel 10ft tall. I'm well backed in county cricket as well, but I feel like England cricket is my happy place – After months of wicketless misery, Shoaib Bashir returned to form with nine wickets in England's win over Zimbabwe. Memory lane When the Australian legspinner Arthur Mailey gave advice to England's Ian Peebles during the 1930 Ashes tour, he was criticised for helping the opposition by the Australian team manager, William Kelly. 'Spin bowling is an art, Mr Kelly,' said Mailey, 'and art is international.' Advertisement Wrist-spin and wicketkeeping are among cricket's greatest arts. At the end of the 1990-91 Ashes – the 'fart competing with thunder' series that Australia won 3-0 – Jack Russell and Ian Healy found a quiet corner of a dressing room to talk about their art. Both were less than three years into their Test careers but would become recognised as two of the world's best keepers throughout the 1990s – in Russell's case even when he couldn't get in the England side. In the third Test at Sydney, Russell – standing up to the seamer Gladstone Small – dismissed Dean Jones with a remarkable legside stumping. At this stage most of Healy's work was done standing back to the seamers, but within a year he would keep to Shane Warne for the first time. Their partnership was career-defining for Healy, who enhanced Warne's greatness with his soft-handed brilliance – and occasionally his mouth. In 2015, they reunited for a delightful masterclass on Sky Sports, another reminder that, in cricket, art will always be international. Still want more? Roland Butcher, Barbados-born England batter of the 1980s, talks to Simon Burnton about being jettisoned as a West Indies selector, the risks of their new cricket structure and his thwarted football dreams. Advertisement Sir Jimmy Anderson got out of bed in instalments after his return to action with Lancashire. But, as he tells Andy Bull, he can't wait to do it again. Nottinghamshire lead Division One of the County Championship going into the mid-season break. Gary Naylor reviews another cracking round of fixtures. Contact The Spin … … by writing to In? 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Campaign ME
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Campaign ME
looks like we all make mistakes
Over the past month, The Spin received a score of submissions from around the world. As always, April 1 was particularly interesting, with several brands investing in a good laugh. However, not all of them got it right. Some humorous ads such as the Dyson Airbrow, 'Subwhey' Protein Shakes and Whisker's cat litter-scented candles were extremely on-brand and well received, while a few others, including such a certain iced tea team's 'Rest in Peach' creative didn't turn out peachy. Firstly, the 'Rest in Peach' post was timed a tad early, released on March 31. Secondly s, consumers stated that they didn't see the follow-up post on their feeds, which clarified that the first was a prank. A certain UK-based competitor was quick to pick up on the gaffe and trolled the comments section. Meanwhile, a consumer of a regional clothing brand sent the The Spin a wonderfully shot Ramadan ad featuring a Lebanese actor and singer, whose song in the campaign video states that she chooses to wear only the brand's clothes. The irony? She doesn't don a single branded product throughout the ad spot, although the backup dancers do. Clearly, a groovy tune, excellent videography, a great set and a celeb endorsement can all fall flat if the strategy isn't sound. Another ardent follower of The Spin sent in a photograph of a billboard at a hotel with unnecessarily punny copy on it: 'Whichever floor you're on, you'll find our service on another level.' Turns out, the service on the top floor of the establishment wasn't great. The Spin's inbox also welcomed some interesting online and offline ads, including one selling 'crackpots' instead of crock-pots while another offered a 'sale' on Kroger pineapples with no discounted pricing. In the age of AI, clearly human involvement is still required. The Spin came across a huge real estate billboard with an obviously AI-generated creative displaying funny fingers, while another digital ad displays a service expert drilling into a television. That said, it does look like humans could do with an AI copy editor, as well, if they have downsized their human one. Case in point: a recently released news article touts the launch of a 'big' 5mm billboard; an outdoor salon ad misspells 'ordinary'; and an ad which claims is 'making brands look good since 2019' has a typo so small that it's hard to spot on the first take.
The Guardian
06-05-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
South Africa's Rabada cleared to play Australia in World Test Championship
South Africa's pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada has been cleared to face Australia in the final of the World Test Championship at Lord's next month. The 29-year-old had been under a provisional suspension since 1 April after testing positive for a recreational drug during a South African T20 match on 21 January. The South African Institute of Drug-free Sport announced on Monday the bowler had accepted responsibility for the offence and served a one-month period of ineligibility, making him free to resume playing. Rabada may be back in action as soon as Tuesday, for Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League. Sign up to The Spin Subscribe to our cricket newsletter for our writers' thoughts on the biggest stories and a review of the week's action after newsletter promotion 'He will take his lessons from this and we're just looking forward to having him back part of our group, having him back in practice. He's served his time,' said Vikram Solanki, Titans' director of cricket. Rabada also completed two sessions of a substance abuse treatment programme. 'Moving forward, this moment will not define me,' he said when the offence was confirmed last week. The punishment is in line with the World Anti-Doping Agency's punishment for use of a recreational drug. Rabada became the quickest player to reach 300 Test wickets in October last year and was South Africa's leading wicket-taker in the 2023-2025 WTC cycle claiming 47 dismissals at an average of 19.97. He now has 327 Test wickets at an average of 22. In 10 Tests against Australia he has taken 49 wickets at 23 but struggled in the last series, in Australia in 2022-23, snaring 11 at 32 apiece.
The Guardian
03-05-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
South Africa's Kagiso Rabada banned after failing recreational drug test
The South Africa fast bowler Kagiso Rabada has revealed he is serving a provisional suspension after testing positive for a recreational drug. Rabada, who sits second in the International Cricket Council Test bowling rankings, returned home after playing just two matches with Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League last month. The Titans said at the time he had done so to tend to an 'important personal matter' and the 29-year-old disclosed this was due to returning an adverse analytical finding for a recreational substance. Rabada, who is due to lead South Africa's attack in the World Test Championship final at Lord's next month, expressed his regret at his actions and is already looking at drawing a line under the incident although it is unclear when he will be able to resume his career. 'I am deeply sorry to all those that I have let down,' he said in a statement released by the South African Cricketers' Association, the country's players' union. 'I will never take the privilege of playing cricket for granted. This privilege is much larger than me. It goes beyond my personal aspirations. I am serving a provisional suspension and I am looking forward to returning to the game I love playing. 'This moment will not define me. I will keep doing what I have always done, continuously working hard and playing with passion and devotion to my craft.' Rabada underlined his status as South Africa's pace spearhead and one of the world's finest bowlers when he became the quickest to reach 300 Test wickets in terms of balls bowled in October last year. He briefly shot back up to the top of the ICC's Test bowling standings, having first gone to the summit in January 2018, but he has since been leapfrogged by India's Jasprit Bumrah. Rabada has taken 327 wickets at an average of 22 from just 70 Tests while he has amassed a further 168 dismissals in 108 ODIs and 71 in 65 T20 internationals. Sign up to The Spin Subscribe to our cricket newsletter for our writers' thoughts on the biggest stories and a review of the week's action after newsletter promotion CSA and SACA have been contacted by PA Media for further comment.
The Guardian
28-04-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
Vaibhav Suryavanshi, 14, makes history with 35-ball IPL century for Rajasthan
Fourteen-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi became the youngest centurion in men's Twenty20 cricket on Monday as he guided Rajasthan Royals to an eight-wicket victory over Gujarat Titans in an Indian Premier League match. Suryavanshi doled out severe punishment to Gujarat's bowling attack, hitting 11 sixes and seven fours in his 101 off 38 balls, as the hosts chased down a 210-run target in 15.5 overs. The left-hander reached his 100 in 35 balls to register the second-fastest century in IPL history. 'Incredible innings, one of the best I've seen. Hope he'll keep doing it for us for a long time,' said the Rajasthan batter Yashasvi Jaiswal, who combined with Suryavanshi for a 166-run opening partnership. 'He was incredible today. He just played amazing shots. He works hard in the nets, we can see that. He has the game, he has the temperament and mentality.' Suryavanshi grabbed headlines when he became the youngest player to earn a contract in the lucrative IPL at the age of 13, before making his debut this month and announcing himself in style with a six off the first ball he faced. Sign up to The Spin Subscribe to our cricket newsletter for our writers' thoughts on the biggest stories and a review of the week's action after newsletter promotion He played in the domestic Ranji Trophy red-ball competition aged 12 last year and has represented India's Under-19 side against Australia, scoring a 58-ball century. Suryavanshi also made a triple hundred in a local tournament in his home state of Bihar.
