Is 7 ODI's too many ?
Surely 4 or 5 would be quite sufficent.

Will 7 games be an overdose for all involved especially TV fans ?

For those of us who can't afford Sky, who are the Test Match Special equivalents of Botham and Lloyd please?

Haha wonderful stuff from Mike. The lack of seriousness in this article makes me think that you're still in Standford party mood.

@Christopher

Ordinarily, I would suggest Henry Blofeld as the resident idiot, but I doubt he'll be going to India. So you may score for any observation of the relevant gaffe by any member of the TMS team.

@Roger

7 ODIs are far too many, especially when there are only to be two Tests. However, I have been informed that there is a little-known clause in the ICC playing conditions for ODIs which states that all ODI series in India must end with a 4-3 result.

@Gizza

Thanks, although it is more because I find it difficult to take ODIs seriously than a hangover from Stanford.

Nice one, Mike.

As for 7 ODIs being two too many, the ECB and the BCCI have had a 3-test 7-odi deal for the past 5-6 years now, right from the 2001/02 series. Surely you don't expect the BCCI to agree to the ECB milking the ODIs for what they're worth when India tours and not expect the same in return! The ECB and the BCCI could have always worked on better scheduling so that this wasn't sandwiched between series against Australia and Pakistan. That's what has resulted in the 2 test series, since England's players wanted to go home for Christmas.

Jagadish,

India in England is 3/4 Tests and 5 ODIs. The deal isn't quite reciprocal.

The basic difficulty with a 7-game series is that it's all too likely that one side dominates and it just gets repetitive.

Mike, the deal has typically been a 3 test 7 odi series. See the Google cache of the ECB media release - "The ECB and the Board of Control for Cricket in India have had a long-standing agreement that India’s tour to the UK would directly reciprocate the three Test matches and seven one-day internationals played by the England team in India earlier this year."

This time, I guess the BCCI told the ECB that the only slot available was between the Aus and Pak series. I don't think anyone needs to defend which one of the 3 is the least important as far as the BCCI and Indian cricket is concerned.

The two boards are basically doing the same thing. The ECB also wants to maximize the revenue it gets from the Indian team. In the case of the BCCI, everyone has a mindset that they're out to kill test cricket.

Jagadish,

If the BCCI continue to insist on so many repetitive ODI's, even the Indian fans will eventually get tired of them and they actually risk killing the concept off.

I was impressed by Ravi Bopara - what an inning! Too bad he is late down the batting order.

Also too many sixes, so bopara making good contribution and umpire dislocating shoulder signalling sixes - predictions are in right direction

So hilarious..I laughed my butt off.
I am counting my points already.

Ha ha ha. Loved your list. It surely lightened my mood at office!!! My favorite ones are the Yuvraj and Broad ones along with the shoulder dislocation and patel taking patel's wicket. Looking forward reading good stuff from you again in future. - from an indian who should be working instead of posting here ;-)