Australia ended 2005 drubbing South Africa by 10 wickets at the MCG. Since their Ashes loss it has certainly been normal service resumed for the Aussies. However, as Greg Baum says, those two defeats against England (Australia's only Test losses in 2005) shaped their year and their future.

This year finished as did last for Australia, and the four before it, with a resounding win at the MCG. Then, it was the end of a year in which it had at last won in India and Sri Lanka, making it the champion of all teams and places. It was impossible to think then that it would lose the Ashes. Perhaps that was the problem.

Kersi Meher-Homji and Rajesh Kumar do some number crunching and reveal a different McGrath

Geoff Somers, who is leading a five-man team in the Antarctic, celebrated Christmas in the best possible way: by playing cricket.

THE five members of the Polar expedition team planning to recreate Captain Robert Scott’s 1912 epic trek to the South Pole spent Christmas Day at their Antarctic base camp playing cricket.

Scott Styris is set to infuriate traditionalists for the second time in a month after declaring footwork an over-rated art.

There are a veritable plethora of stories about the late Kerry Packer in the news today. Derek Pringle writes about his lasting legacy in The Telegraph; Christopher Zinn and Mike Selvey provide their obituary at The Guardian; Valerie Lawson writes of Packer and his Father's influence in the Sydney Morning Herald, and Paul Berry details his influence on business in the same paper. The Age have a gallery of his life and lifestyle.

We have a clutch of articles too. Gideon Haigh looks at the man's dynamism and prophecy; a list of tributes, and an article from the December 2002 edition of Wisden Cricket Monthly looks back at the World Series, which Packer formed in the 1970s, and its lasting legacy.

© Getty Images

It is fine when the interest in you is about cricket, and when things are being documented and commented on there. You expect that. But when you go home? Naïvely I did not expect there to to be God knows how many cameras outside me house. We were moving at the time. There were people outside both houses. There were blokes up ladders and in your garden trying to take pictures. It got me out of doing any lifting but there were times when I wanted to go out there and grab one of them. The missus was good. She just told me to go and sit down.

Alex Brown speaks to Muttiah Muralitharan at the end of a tough year.

Muralitharan usually judges himself on wickets, averages and strike-rates, but he's adopted a vastly different method of gauging his success at the end of this year: His charity group has built 220 houses for those who lost everything in the Asian tsunami. And that, more than any 10-wicket haul, is a successful outcome for Muralitharan, who is now revered as much for his charity work in Sri Lanka as his on-field deeds.

The Telegraph spoke to a Arun Lal, Ashok Malhotra, Pranab Roy and Sambaran Bannerjee about their views on Sourav and the selectors’ decision to recall him, 10 days after axing him from the Ahmedabad Test against Sri Lanka.

Rajan Bala wonders whether Raj Singh Durgapur, India's manager for the Pakistan tour, would be happy if his weighty views on the game are not taken notice of by the team management and does Raj have to be briefed so that he acts within his powers?

Ricky Ponting uses his column in The Australian to defend his decision to delay the declaration at the WACA that cost his side time in the push for victory, and he is surprised at the amount of debate it caused.

It's not as if it was the first drawn Test ever played, or one of the rare times a side has needed to bowl out the opposition on the last day and failed to get there.

Peter Roebuck picks his World XI for 2005 in the Sydney Morning Herald. Step forward Tatenda Taibu and Marcus Trescothick, who meet the usual suspects of Lara, Flintoff and Co.

Ashok Mitra asks in Calcutta’s The Telegraph who are the chauvinists in the Sourav Ganguly affair?

Bengali chauvinism, stuck in its 19th century groove, is these days perhaps more to be ridiculed than condemned. Even so, there is perhaps something more than Bengali narrow-mindedness that found expression at Calcutta’s Eden Gardens where the fourth one-day international between India and South Africa was being played on November 25.

The Surfer stumbled upon an interesting piece that talks about Brian Jerling, the South African umpire, being involved in a storm with the Dolphins side in the domestic competition.

The Jerling-centric incidents also resulted in a situation where Lance Klusener may now face a two-match ban.

Rohit Brijnath celebrates Sachin Tendulkar's consistency:

India is not what it was since Tendulkar took his initial Test stance ... It is an India unrecognisable from 1989. But he is the same. He is an adult, he is a father, he is a husband, of course, but he is still unspoilt, still honourable, still self-effacing. He is an advertisement for the best in sport.

Meanwhile, Tendulkar opens up in a chat with Vijay Lokapally, where he says, "The 35th had to happen".

The Ganguly-Greg soap opera can still have a happy ending if Sourav scores runs once again, writes Harsha Bhogle.

Also read S Dinakar's interview with Chappell in The Sportstar.

Peter Roebuck writes in the Sydney Morning Herald how Australia missed their chance in Perth by not picking Stuart MacGill. He also targets Australian pitches which are now as different as “Granny Smiths and Golden Delicious”.

Between them, Cricket Australia and curators must ensure that Australians can resume playing in their traditional way, with bumpers, leg-breaks, hooks, gum, footwork, zinc cream, sprigs, Jim Maxwell, deaf and blind umpires, cuts and beer.

Brad Hodge prepares for the biggest day of his life on Monday – a home Test at the MCG. He can clearly recall the days when Dennis Lillee was his hero, Bay 13 still existed and he was watching from the stands. The interview appears in The Australian.

Lillee writes in his West Australian column that Australia are “not ready to mount an Ashes campaign”. After watching the first Test against South Africa, Lillee believes they came up short.

If that was the best Australia could do against a South African team minus Jaques Kallis, then I'm afraid we are going to struggle against England next summer if selectors allow things to drift in the same direction.

An Australian VI lose to a bunch of Essendon AFL players, but the match is for charity so the selectors escape further blame.

Muralidharan K explains an interesting theory on the relation between the dew, pitch and roller.

Conventional wisdom says the most number of wickets fall on the fourth and fifth days of a Test. But here at the Motera, that happened on the second and third day.

Read on.

Telford vice lets rip against Tony Grieg and Bill Lawry.

England need to address the vacancy left by bowling coach Troy Cooley, writes Mike Selvey, but looking to Darren Gough for answers may be a mistake.

Richie Benaud reckons Shane Warne could, and should, stay on playing until the 2009 Ashes series in England:

He told BBC Test Match Special: "I was talking to him the other day and said to him 'You can do this'.

"He is bowling better now than I've seen him for years and years. It's been wonderful to watch."

© Getty Images

At the moment he is finding it hard to believe the umpires always have the last word. Whether this is a commentary on his state of mind only those in his inner circle will know.

And his reluctance to use Andrew Symonds was just one of a series of decisions which drew criticism.

The situation cried out for a daring and unconventional approach and no doubt Ponting spent a good deal of his time ruing the lateness of his declaration on Monday. Whether he overrated the capacity of his bowlers in such unusual conditions for this ground, or underestimated the courage and resourcefulness of Rudolph and plucky Justin Kemp, will long be debated.

Jon Pierik in the Sydney Daily Telegraph was blunter, describing how Ponting made one of "the biggest blunders of his career." He added:

Ponting was under pressure last night to justify his decision to wait for man-of-the-match Brad Hodge to reach his maiden double-century on the cusp of tea on Monday before declaring. The Australians pride themselves on playing for the "team" but Ponting's decision smacked of arrogance.

It is the time of year when people start to reflect on the last 12 months, and what a time it has been for England. Winning in South Africa, regaining the Ashes, getting stuffed in Pakistan (Ok, so not everything went to plan). Geoff Boycott gives his take on England's 2005, and says for the team to make the next step they need a quality spinner plus more application with the bat.

If I could have one Christmas present, it would be a magic, match-winning spinner for England. But my New Year's wish is to see the same batting order producing better batting in 2006.

Mike Coward writes on a changing trend in the selection of the Australian side:

While Trevor Hohns and his colleagues will always be grateful for a player of Michael Clarke's age to emerge from the ruck, it is more likely that future Australian players will make their debuts in their late 20s or into their 30s as have Brad Hodge and Michael Hussey in recent weeks.

As Brad Hodge became the first Victorian batsman after Dean Jones to post a Test double-hundred, his proud parents watched him bathe in the glory.

Meanwhile, Alex Brown learns that back-to-back US Open titles don't quite capture the media's attention these days like a 26-year-old batsman within reach of his first Test cap for Australia.

Darren Gough has clearly not given up hope of an England recall. In fact, he has said that the 10 weeks of dancing have made him fitter than ever. However, Angus Fraser says that it is time to move on from Gough as a solution to England's one-day problems.

Gough's stock appears to have risen, which is proof that you are perceived to be a far better player when you are not in the side than when you are in it. Gough could possibly play in the 2007 World Cup, but he is not the force he was. One only has to look at last summer's figures against Australia.

But given the number of comebacks Gough has made it is certainly too early to rule out one more.

Not everyone is a fan of the Supersub rule. However, it does have at least one supporter - Clive Lloyd. Read what he has to say here.

Shane Warne, who has retired from the one-day game, always leaves a hint of suspicion when talking about the 2007 World Cup. Robert Craddock says in The Courier-Mail it’s time for him to make a final decision.

However, in the Sydney Morning Herald Warne seems to have made up his mind.

Glenn McGrath talks about the time when he was rudely awakened to the brave new world of Australian cricket and how he longed for his friend and former team-mate, Jason Gillespie.

Also read about McGrath's first, and only, beamer.

Mike Coward hails McGrath's new-ball partner, Brett Lee, and talks about his new irresistible cricketing maturity.

Peter Roebuck on Ricky Ponting's good fortune on the third day at Perth, and how such moments can turn out to be defining in the context of the Test.

More evidence that Andrew Flintoff can seemingly do no wrong. Shaun Udal's daughter was having a rough time at school, so Flintoff phoned her from Pakistan to cheer her up:

And the surprise call from the 28-year-old England all-rounder put a smile back on her face.

Dad Shaun, 36, said: "Freddie made my daughter feel very special - and now she wants to speak to him more than to me!"

What a legend.

Sachin Tendulkar in an intimate conversation with Pradeep Magazine talks about the intense pressure he was undergoing prior to hitting the world-record 35th Test century.

In the concluding part of the interview Sachin talks about the burden of the captaincy

Mark Waugh writes in the Sun-Herald Australia’s best chance of winning the 2007 World Cup is to lure Shane Warne back. “His reason for retiring from one-day cricket was to prolong his Test career and spend more time with his family. But with his fitness and form the best it's been for many years, I see no reason why he couldn't combine both forms of the game.”

Glenn McGrath uncovers the demands new players face when they are picked for the Test team. As Australia trial a series of novices, McGrath writes in his Sunday Telegraph column about the differences between state and international level. “As Australia head through periods of change it's appropriate to point out that finding your way as a Test player is much harder than people think.”

© Glamorgan County Cricket Club

Following his appointment as deputy chief executive of the ECB this week, Hugh Morris, of Glamorgan and England, who was diagnosed with throat cancer three years ago, speaks candidly about his illness and his recovery:

'I have had four major operations and six weeks of radiotherapy and was given the all-clear last year.'

That positive attitude had previously helped Morris to almost 20,000 runs in 17 seasons with Glamorgan including 52 first-class centuries.

And he continued his progression up the administrative ranks with his high-profile appointment this week.

So while Morris never really made his name on the Test stage, he is now perfectly placed to help England become the best team in the world.

'Over the next two or three years I would like to develop our mission of creating a pathway of cricket from the playground to the Test arena,' declared Morris.

'It has been a huge year for us as far as the Ashes is concerned and we have to make sure we reap the benefits from that.

Twenty20 has brought a new audience to cricket, and even converted some die-hard traditionalists to a newer, faster and shorter game of cricket. But Australia's PM, John Howard, isn't one of them:

"It doesn't appeal to me one bit," he told The Sunday Age. "Don't expect me to go and watch Twenty20 cricket. It's too much like baseball. Not that I dislike baseball, but if you're going to watch baseball, well, go to Yankee Stadium and watch it."

The culture of our sport and our society demanded that Sourav Ganguly deserved to choose his exit; instead, his lifeline was rudely cut. Harsha Bhogle weighs in on the axing of Sourav Ganguly.

Sculptor Lou Laumen has captured something else about Ponsford a posterior for posterity, as it were. Steve Waldon on the unveiling outside the MCG of the ninth in the Parade of Champions, a series of 10 statues celebrating the sporting achievements.

Peter Roebuck feels it's about time the Indian cricket community grew up.

Australia has also been engaged by the axing of a well-loved player, a long-standing servant on the verge of breaking a record. His successor was booed when he played his first fifty over match and also on his Test debut. Hotheads demanded the chairman's resignation. Ian Healy was the dropped player. Adam Gilchrist was his replacement.

Cricket statistician Ross Dundas has brought to light the remarkable fact that batsmen in this year's Ashes Tests scored half as fast again on average as batsmen in the 1972 Ashes series - 3.79 runs per six balls faced compared with a dreary 2.51 then.

Andrew Ramsey feels that so frighteningly efficient is the modern-day cricket bat that greatest danger lurks for the bowler whose momentum and follow-through renders him a virtually defenceless target from a distance of less than 20metres.

The game's capacity for contradiction has been disturbingly on show recently, says Tim Lane

It seems every club (and their uncle) is trying to buy their grounds these days. While Yorkshire's purchase is less than certain (again), a rather smaller club - Henley in Oxfordshire - have raised the required £462,000 to buy theirs:

Pub company, Brakspear, which owned the ground, finally agreed to sell it last year and both sides exchanged contracts on Monday.

More than 130 private and local business donors generated £60,000, South Oxfordshire District Council donated £48,000, Henley Town Council and Brakspear donated £25,000 each and club fund-raising activities generated a further £100,000. The town council also signed over a £200,000 loan to the club last week to help it buy the ground.

Greg Baum in the Melbourne Age on pre-match blithering, which traditionally lacks spontaneity and grace. So why, he ponmders, has the ICC given it credence:

The "war of words" is predictable, well rehearsed, lame and boring. It is a ritual, a cliche. It serves no purpose other than to while away the hours until the series begins. It is hard to know why the ICC bothered. Its crackdown has invested it with a gravity it is not due.

He concluded:

The war of words is a phoney. With exceptions, sportsfolk get along well enough most of the time. Spats happen, as they must, but they are superseded by events. The war of words is pseudo, a fake, an exercise in marketing. Call it off and let the real game begin.

And an editorial in South Africa's Business Day is thankful that criticism is aimed in another direction:

It’s nice to see a torrent of Australian abuse (sledging) being directed at someone other than SA for a change — and a collective someone who truly deserves it. That someone I allude to is, of course, the International Cricket Council, or ICC as most of us know that bunch of distracted disconnected people now sitting in Dubai rather than London.

But Peter Roebuck praises the ICC for stepping in:

The only body with the guts to call a halt has been that most derided of institutions, the ICC. Everyone else has been busily fanning the flames in the manner of men — it is usually men — unaware of their responsibilities.

One of the outstanding aspects of England's tour of Pakistan has been watching The Rawalpindi Express - Shoaib Akhtar - get back on the rails after a tough period. His bowling was painful for the England batsmen, but his resurgence is great for international cricket. Here he talks to David Hopps about how a remark from Andrew Flintoff spurred him on.

Sourav Ganguly's exculsion from the Test squad for the third Test against Sri Lanka has evoked several strong responses;

The man who guided Indian cricket's destiny with a passion like none, left Delhi crestfallen at the shocking ill-treatment by five men on a well-crafted mission, writes Vijay Lokapally in The Hindu

Immediately after Rahul Dravid named Sourav Ganguly, among others, as one of the contributors in India’s victory over Sri Lanka on Wednesday, the selectors announced the latter’s axing from the team, writes Pradeep Magazine on htcricket.com.

"I am shocked. I don't think he should have been treated like this. He performed quite well in the Delhi Test (against Sri Lanka). Dropping him from the third Test defies logic. He has served Indian cricket for years. You can't treat such a cricketer so shabbily. They should have given him the opportunity to call it a day. That would have looked better. He should have been allowed to leave the game on his own. This is the least that he deserved." - EAS Prasanna

Click here for more reactions reported on indiatimes.com

Ricky Ponting writes in The Australian about adjusting from one-day games to Tests and also deals with the unique aspects of the Perth pitch. “The bounce is still really good and it's still different to any other wicket you will play on in Australia, but I don't think it's as quick as it was once renowned for being.”

The pitch helped Jeff Thomson’s speed and he continues to deliver uncomfortable bursts at cricket administrators. Today’s spray in The Daily Telegraph revolves around “super coaches” and the appointment of Troy Cooley as Australia’s bowling mentor. “I just wonder sometimes how they walk into these jobs. What's up with Bruce Reid? Didn't we have a bloke before who's probably the best bowler we've ever seen in Dennis Lillee? "

Greg Baum wonders why the ICC stepped in with its edict on verbal banter. “The war of words is pseudo, a fake, an exercise in marketing. Call it off and let the real game begin.”

Gary Gilmour, the former Australia allrounder, is recovering from a life-saving liver transplant and should be back home in Newcastle for Christmas. His story appears in The Daily Telegraph and his player page is here.

Mini Kapoor, writing in the Indian Express, celebrates Sachin Tendulkar's 35th hundred and says, thirty five centuries later, we still haven’t figured out what we did to him.

Also read Trevor Chesterfield's take on the landmark, where he writes how Tendulkar's horizon has expanded beyond our field of vision.

The ICC’s plea to tone down verbals is dismissed by The Australian’s Malcolm Conn as a in extremely strong terms:

The International Cricket Council has slumped to a new low in hypocrisy and irrelevance. How can the game's governing body possibly complain about what is essential promotion of the game when it is standing idly by as Test countries self destruct?

Despite Malcolm Speed’s request the chat continues with Fanie de Villiers and Kepler Wessels voicing their thoughts in The Age.

Two pieces on Freddie Flintoff after he was named BBC Sports Personality of the Year:

Donald McRae writes on a maverick manager who made Freddie a star.

Simon Hughes speaks to Flintoff as he looks back on annus mirabilis.

Australia’s reserve bowling stocks came under heavy inspection following the loss to New Zealand and The Daily Telegraph’s Robert Craddock worries that after being spoilt rotten by slick baton changes the team may be in for a bumpy ride. “They may not be able to quietly learn their craft in the shadows of a team carried by a great spearhead.”

Dennis Lillee is concerned the WACA pitch has lost some of its pace. "It seems slower,” he says in The Australian. “It's certainly something that has come to my attention.”

There are a few things that stir India as much as Sachin Tendulkar and his record 35th Test hundred provided journalists across the country celebrate a momentous ocassion.

Mumbai Mirror gives a comprehensive package on a special occasion, including an interview with Tendulkar where he talks about all the people who have made him the phenomenon he is.

Tendulkar speaks to Ayaz Memon in an exclusive interview.

Sunil Gavaskar doffs his hat to a man who beat his world record.

Nirmal Shekar writes in The Hindu about India's sporting colossus, a sportsman beyond compare.

Graham Gooch tells Lokendra Pratap Sahi what he saw in young Tendulkar on a wintry Manchester morning in 1990.

Wasim Akram is clearly not happy with the ICC. He believes more former players from the subcontinent should have a role in running the game.

My objection is that why players like Imran Khan and Kapil Dev do not get the top job in ICC?

The downmarket tabloid the Daily Telegraph runs with the backpage headline “BRETT LEE WILL KILL SOMEONE”. Adam Parore is pointing the finger at Lee after he delivered another beamer during Wednesday’s Chappell-Hadlee match. "If he was unlucky, there is a very real possibility he could kill someone ... I am bloody sure he wouldn't want to live with that."

The paper also compares Lee’s 18-run 49th over to Bruce Reid’s blowout against Allan Lamb in 1986-87. "After I went for that 18 I didn't bowl at the death much again in my career, certainly not for Australia,” Reid says.

Australia have two new bowlers in New Zealand so it’s time to get to know them. Mick Lewis has already won his debut one-day game with a cool final over and a run out, and he is featured in The Australian and The Sydney Morning Herald.

Mitchell Johnson was yesterday called up to replace Brett Lee and he was the lead sports story in The Courier-Mail.

It is not unheard of for Andrew Flintoff to have the odd late night occasionally when celebrating a win (or not even go to bed if it's after winning the Ashes). However, being up until the early hours is probably not the best way to prepare for a one-day international. But when you are odds-on to be crowned BBC Sports Personality it has to be done. With the winner due to be named at 10pm UK time, he will have to be ready to collect his prize at 3am in Pakistan. More coffee, please.

The Guardian reports on how cricket books are taking the Christmas market by storm. Read about it here.

Michael Vaughan's withdrawal from the England one-day captaincy because of injury begs the question as to whether he should even be in the side, says Mike Selvey.

The slanging matches have started ahead of the Australia v South Africa Test series. Shane Warne (645 Test wickets) has hit back at comments from Pat Symcox (37 Test wickets) about how it is time the South Africans took the attack to Warne. After South Africa's innings defeat against Western Australian - during which the unhearlded wrist-spin of Beau Casson took eight wickets - Warne must be licking his lips.

Peter Roebuck meets Merv Hughes, a former fast bowler and national selector who talks about the game with passion and intelligence.

R Mohan celebrates the virtues that make Virender Sehwag such an exquisite batsman to watch.

Inzy has said he wants to play county cricket:

I would like to play once in county cricket, that is something I have not done as yet. Last year there was an offer from a county but I was not in a position to accept it," he told Reuters on Monday.

Steve Waugh says it's time to strip Zimbabwe of international status. Read what he has to say here.

“Curses” as the evil Mojo Jojo of Powerpuff Girls fame no doubt said when he and a team led by Mark Waugh were beaten by a side which included Bob the Builder. Click here if you’re still bewildered, or if you want to know more.

Glamorgan have honoured some of their cricketing greats to have represented the club, including:

The inductees included eight members of the county's Championship winning squad from 1948 - Emrys Davies, Haydn Davies, Arnold Dyson, Johnnie Clay, Len Muncer, Willie Jones, Phil Clift and Allan Watkins.

Four members from the squad that won the Championship title again in 1969 were also inducted - Tony Cordle, David Evans, Malcolm Nash and Ossie Wheatley - along with two members - Tony Cottey and Colin Metson - of the Glamorgan team that won the 1993 Sunday League title, by beating Kent at Canterbury.

The future of Hamish Marshall playing for New Zealand is in doubt, so says Dylan Cleaver:

A couple of nice pushes through the covers off Bracken nudged Marshall's total to five but at the other end, against Lee, he looked lost. Stuck on the crease, he just managed to fend off a Lee ball zeroing in on his heart. Two deliveries later, Marshall, again entrenched on the crease-line, played a feeble push and chopped on to his stumps.

Shoaib Ahmed celebrates Brian Lara's ascent to the top of the run-scoring mountain and traces the progression of the record down the years.

Xan Rice of the Observer Sports Monthly meets Duncan Fletcher and tries to get into the mind of a man who has changed his country, his profession, as well as the fortunes of English cricket.

Also check out John Stern's interview with Fletcher in Cricinfo.

Laurie Clancy reviews three books on the historic Ashes series.

Neil Manthorp introduces the four new faces in the South African side, currently touring Australia:

A former prison warder, a guitar-playing songwriter, a farmer's boy fined for smoking marijuana in Antigua and the man who did most to officially end race quotas in domestic cricket - these four head the new faces in Graeme Smith's South African squad that landed in Perth yesterday.

Brett Lee's destructive bowling wasn't appreciated by a partisan New Zealand crowd - who are fairly famous for their behavior, especially towards the Australian cricket team.

Lee was pummeled with fruit - chiefly, apples - and he's understandably peeved:

"I am a pretty big fan of fruit but not past the old head," Lee said. "You don't really appreciate 10 or so pieces of fruit being thrown at your head.

"I don't mind being sledged or anything. A bit of fun with the crowd is part of it, it happens in every stadium, it happens in Australia. Apples being thrown at your head is something we don't want to happen in cricket."

OK, so the feel-good factor over the Ashes is slipping away faster than a Shoaib Akhtar yorker. However, at least some of the youngsters who caught the cricket bug last summer are not turning their backs on it just because of the odd collapse, or two, or three...

It is hardly surprising that Andrew Flintoff didn't manage to lay a bat on Danish Kaneria's stunning googly on the final day at Lahore. He was knackered. 'Super Fred' is never one to give less than 100% but as he pounded in during Pakistan's 636 for 8 you could hear the cries of that's enough, save some for another day. As David Hopps points out there were other options for Michael Vaughan.

Vaughan did not have good options, but he had options nevertheless. Not Liam Plunkett perhaps, because a young bowler in his first Test needs some protection, but bowl Paul Collingwood, bowl Ian Bell, bowl anyone, even bowl Shaun Udal.

Australia's elite cricketers of the 1970s share an intimacy and popularity perhaps unparalleled in Australian sport, writes Mike Coward, and appreciates the manner in which they came together to rally behind Gary Gilmour.

Matthew Ricketson writes on the various books released on the epic Ashes series:

It is interesting to see how various authors deal with what many thought the defining moment of the Ashes series — the thrilling finish to the second Test, at Edgbaston, that Australia lost by two runs.

© Cricinfo

He needs to grow up. I needed to give him brotherly advice because I thought some of the decisions he was making needed guidance. Unfortunately there was an exchange of words. Contrary to what some people think, he's an arrogant boy. Money and fame have gone to his head and he has failed to manage it.

For more on this man, it's worth Googling his name. Sift through the results - they don't make for pleasant reading. It's easy to see why Taibu went into hiding.

As England fall apart in front of our very eyes at Lahore - "It's been a tough tour mentally," Duncan Fletcher admitted last night. "We've been stuck in hotels and mentally it's got to the team a little bit" - Martin Johnson in the Daily Telegraph says that while touring isn't nearly as arduous as is once was, it still poses problems:

You don't have to be in Pakistan all that long before the sardonic dressing room humour ("right lads, what's it to be tonight? A trip to the theatre or back to the nightclub?") begins to pall. Hallucinations are not uncommon, alternating between a log fire, a bacon sandwich, and a pint of Theakston's Old Peculier.

The entertaining Martin Johnson in the Daily Telegraph writes about the delights of Lahore:

If you were to compile a list of adjectives to describe Lahore the word romantic would not be among them, and if you spot anyone having a candlelit dinner for two, the chances are that they're not so much holding hands as sitting through a power cut.

But he also has more serious points to make about the endless and punishing schedule imposed on umpire by the ICC:

You have to say that if cricketers around the world are justifiably pointing to the ICC's determination to cram quarts into pint pots, then the umpires have even more reason to grumble at the increasingly cluttered calendar. There are only seven of them on the elite panel, and while Billy Bowden - who flew straight from Pakistan v England in Multan to Australia v West Indies in Adelaide - probably didn't have to be dragged kicking and screaming to the airport, it would be a miracle if today's Test umpires didn't occasionally succumb to battle fatigue.

Peter Roebuck writes that Adam Gilchrist must consider retiring from 50-over cricket.

Gilchrist has not been batting or keeping as well in recent Tests. His failures have been a reminder of how much the team had depended on him ... Here was a cricketer in need of a spell in the paddock.

Gilchrist, though, tells Trevor Marshallsea that he would like to carry on till the World Cup in 2007 and doesn't find it hard at all.

Richard Boock details the pessimist's guide to beating the Aussies, ahead of Australia's tour of New Zealand:

1: Lull them into a false sense of security. This shouldn't be overly difficult, given New Zealand's 5-zip loss to Ricky Ponting's men last summer, and their 4-0 drubbing at the hands of South Africa last month. Add the absence of skipper Stephen Fleming, the total loss of form from some of the top-order batsmen, and news of the team psychologist being called in already, and it looks like New Zealand have them exactly where they want them.

A whitewash is on the cards, then...

Kent might be selling their most famous cricket painting, Albert Chevallier Tayler's painting of Kent v Lancashire in 1906:

The oil on canvas work by Albert Chevallier Tayler, which depicts Kent’s title-winning side fielding during their Canterbury Week match with Lancashire, looks set to change hands 100 years after it was commissioned by the club.

For the past seven years the painting has been on loan to the Marylebone Cricket Club at Lord’s, but Kent believe the time has come to cash in on their most valuable piece of cricketing memorabilia with a potential £500,000 price tag.

The resting of Glenn McGrath for the Chappell-Hadlee series smacks of arrogance once again and just might be the opening the Black Caps need.

Richardson branded Shane Warne a master manipulator of umpires and Adam Gilchrist "a burglar", highlighting his record of the time at never being given out lbw in 37 home Tests and only twice in 77 one-day games in Australia, claiming the statistics were "astonishing".

You see the way Gilly throws the ball in the air. He tends to play on his walking, his honesty, but he still tries to burgle anyone and everyone.

The unease among many surrounding the ECB's deal with BSkyB just won;t go away. Despite sports minister Richard Caborn's virtual refusal to consider reviewing the contract on Tuesday, now the government is coming under pressure to explain conversations between Tessa Jowell, the culture secretary, and James Murdoch, the head of BSkyB and son of billionaire media maganate and Blair supporter, Rupert:

Extracts from the confidential minutes of the meeting were released to the Guardian under a Freedom of Information Act request, but details of the discussion about the broadcasting rights were withheld. The minutes of the meeting held on November 23 2004 marked "restricted" reveal that Murdoch "said he would like to discuss sports, the ECB [England and Wales Cricket Board] and the broadcast of Test cricket matches"