CRICKET RSS WORLD

Sorry for the absence last week. I have no excuses, apart from the lame one
that last Monday was very busy. So to make up, let me begin with one from
the previous week.

Most of you will have noticed Osman Samiuddin's return. It was business as
usual the moment he got back from his honeymoon (which, incidentally, Thai
anti-government protesters chose to make memorable by coming out on to the
streets to engage the army) and he was called on write about the ICC's
decision to remove Pakistan from the list of World Cup hosts. This he did with familiar
clarity and reason:

In such darkness, sadness is understandable, even desirable if
it brings introspection, but there should be no place for anger

It's been mostly IPL last week, and though the cricket has been mostly tepid
so far, the spicier pitches in South Africa have ensured that batsmen have
had to fall back on traditional skills. Not surprisingly, the top performers
have all been familiar names, and it gave Peter Roebuck cause to rejoice:

the first few matches of this year's IPL have reminded all and sundry that cricket is just a game played with a bat and a ball, that good cricketers will find a way, that determined and skilful players will adapt, that the leading lights in 10-day cricket are likely to prosper in 10-over cricket as well.

As promised, we've been having fun at Page 2. I highly recommend a couple of
sections. The CV has so far featured Lasith Malinga, Andrew Symonds and Kevin Pietersen. Watch out for more. And to catch cricketers talking about their lives on and
off the field, check out Quick Singles, which has featured JP Duminy. What would Harbhajan Singh grab first if his house was on fire? Find out here.

It's not just Page 2 alone. Over at Inbox, Andrew Hughes has been good form over the last week. Here's his take on the delights of sponsored commentary. Your writing can feature in Inbox, too. Use the "Submit your piece" link to send in your articles.