Ahmedabad

The PCB did not like it but agreed to us leaving some of their centres out of the schedule. I dont see why the BCCI cannot, equally, just accept their take on it and not go rushing to the GOI.

Then there is this, the best invitation:
"Pakistan is scared of losing at Ahmedabad"

What utter nonsense. If you want to make them feel welcome, this is hardly the best way, no?
Sheesh...

KP

It has been a fantastic time for Kevin Pietersen on the world stage, hasn't it. I have not seen him play at all, but his performances seem impressive right now, even if his patriotism doesn't.
Oh, and he also seems to be immune to taunts, boos and the like.
Yesterday's ODI sounds like an absolutely thrilling match, of which I did not catch even one ball.

Great if it happens!

Narain Karthikeyan No.1 driver for Jordan?
This will be awesome if it actually happens...am waiting for the press Conference...

politeness and Englishmen

This her Neil Manthorp has done this before.
Precise, factual, interesting and touching- all in this one article from The Observer on the Successful England Team and their 'polite captain'.

BCCI woes

"Deadlines don't worry us. As long as we make good money everything will be fine."

I can't believe that a BCCI official actually said this- and I am sure he thought it was a smart thing to say. While Cricinfo does not make clear who said this or in what context and when, I can't see how this could make sense. Months after a ridiculous election took place, infighting ensued, the courts got involved, and the matter then (supposedly) got resolved, we still do not know anything about Mahedra Singh's agenda, his vision or his plans to ensure Indian cricket flourishes. (and no, I don't mean financially).
The Pakistan tour is still getting finalised less than a month from its commencement, players have not received bonuses, and the telecast rights issue remains in limbo.
Ugh.

Constraint, Mr Lloyd

So Clive Lloyd seems to have got into a bit of trouble, shooting off his mouth the way he dud about the whole Michael Vaughan controversy. To be fair to him, there might well be truth in his allegations of Vaughan's rude behaviour; a claim that apparently does not go down too well with the writer of this report.
"Vaughan had been politely but openly criticial of their decision to go off for bad light. "
And just what exactly makes him so sure that Vaughan was polite?

However, Lloyd does seem to be a little churlish in these matters, and if it is not ok for players to clarify their positions on controversies in the media, then it is not ok for Referees to do so either. As usual, one has to wonder where the Code of Conduct is for match officials, given that Phe players' Code has been so detailed, and so hyped.
There was also this quote of Clive Lloyd's I saw just after Saurav Ganguly had been cleared of the ban imposed on him by the Referee. I remember wondering why this never got any coverage, but Lloyd made a public statement (at an unrelated -awards?-function, if I am not mistaken) saying
"This guy thinks he is above the law..."

Now why does Mr Lloyd have the freedom to say such things when a player cannot even celebrate without the umpire's consent?