A selection of tributes from Jacques Kallis’ team-mates and coaches after he decided the Durban Test will be the final one of a glorious career

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Dec-20130:00

Cullinan: Sudden end to one of the great careers

Hashim Amla says Kallis is “arguably South Africa’s greatest sportsman”•Getty Images”And the test cricketing world says goodbye to another legend,if not the greatest…Cheers Woogie! U will be missed.”
Mark Boucher
“It’s been emotional few days knowing JK retiring.all I can say what a privilege to have played with the great man!”
Graeme Smith
“140 characters just won’t be enough to do u justice, so in short then, Jacques Henry Kallis, we salute you. #legend #KingKallis”
AB de Villiers
“An amazin career from arguably South Africa’s greatest sportsman.Lookin forward to 1 last game in whites with this legend @jacqueskallis75.”
Hashim Amla
“And so after the boxing day test, come to end a test career of the #greatestcricketer the world has ever seen #certainlyinmyeyes #JHKallis.”
Alviro Petersen
“Been an honour to share a changeroom with 1 of the gr8’s of the game,may we giv u the send off u thoroughly deserve @jacqueskallis75 #legend.”
JP Duminy
“What an honour sharing a changeroom with the greatest cricketer of all time @jacqueskallis75 .u will be missed.#kingKallis #legend”
Faf du Plessis
“Congrats @jacqueskallis75 ’95 seems like just the other day! Thx for the memories & friendship! All the best with your last Test! #Respect”
Shaun Pollock
“Greatest cricketer SA has produced has retired.It was a privilege being part of a WP & Protea setup with him,@jacqueskallis75 enjoy the golf.”
Head of the high performance program and former national bowling coach Vincent Barnes
“Was an honour and privilege to work with the greatest all round cricketer of all time @jacqueskallis75, farewell to the king!! #GOAT.”
Former SA fitness and fielding coach and current Titans coach Rob Walter

The circumstances in which the pair have scored their fifties bodes well not only for their franchises but for South Africa as well

Firdose Moonda01-May-2014South Africa’s batsmen have often borne the blame for the ICC tournament failings, usually as a collective. Sometimes it is a simple case of them not putting on enough on the board (think Champions Trophy semi-final 2013); other times there are criticisms over the way they were composed, which dominated the aftermath of this year’s World T20. An aspect there has always been consensus on is that, individually, the people picked to represent South Africa are of fine fettle, and one need not look further than a foreign-based T20 league for proof of that.Keep in mind that the quality of bowling is inferior to what it would be at the international level, the boundaries could be smaller and the conditions different but it is still difficult not to notice the performances of JP Duminy and David Miller, in particular, and the circumstances in which they have scored their runs.Duminy has blossomed in the shortest format since making a return from a snapped Achilles’ tendon, sustained on South Africa’s 2013 tour to Australia, last June. In 13 T20s between August 2013 and April this year , he scored 390 runs, averaged 55.71 (compared with 37.27 overall) and scored three half-centuries. Add to that the seven wickets he has taken and it is hardly a surprise South Africa’s coach Russell Domingo calls him “our best T20 player at the moment,” and Gary Kirsten wanted him in his Delhi Daredevils side.His two fifties have come at opportune times for the team, rescuing them from 17 for 3 in their first match, which they lost to Royal Challengers Bangalore, and then helping them chase 167 against Kolkata Knight Riders in the second game.Miller’s role in Kings XI Punjab’s successes was less expected and more notable because of the context in which it happened. Miller has been batting at No.5, higher than he would be at international cricket but in the same position he plays at for his domestic franchise, the Dolphins. In that spot, Miller has the perfect mix of time to settle in but not too much time so he still experiences the pressure associated with being tasked with accelerating the innings.In the first match, Miller was at the crease in the sixth over and batted through the innings as Kings XI chased a massive 206. In the second game, Miller was playing more of the role he has been earmarked for with South Africa – finishing. He was called upon in the 14th over with Kings XI needing 66 off 37 balls and he was asked to take them over the line.With 51 off 19 balls, Miller was at his blazing best and performed in a way he has often promised to at national level but has yet to actually do. Miller has not yet scored a fifty for South Africa in a T20 but he has also not had the right mix of opportunity and circumstance to do so.Perhaps he has also not had the support. Glenn Maxwell has overshadowed Miller, and everyone else, in the bigger picture and he has provided the spark which has produced enough light for Miller to shine too.The tournament is still in its early stages and all of this could become little more than a footnote once the competition is over. But the early signs are that South African stocks are rising and the resources they have at their disposal, especially Miller, when properly used, are an asset. And that’s before even mentioning Jacques Kallis.Although he is no longer available to play international T20s, Kallis wants to get as much game time in limited-overs’ formats as possible before the 2015 World Cup, which he still has ambitions to play in. After scoring a half-century in Knight Riders’ opener, Kallis has not crossed that mark again but he has done more than his fair share of bowling to prove his match fitness and commitment, which he will hope will earn him that World Cup spot.

Murali Kartik was a complete bowler for every format and should have ended up with more than 300 Test wickets

VVS Laxman14-Jun-2014One of my favourite stories about Murali Kartik concerns his name. My wife would always address him as Murali. His response, delivered in that soft yet firm tone, would be: “Murali is my father’s name. My name is Kartik.”Kartik has this knack of getting close to certain people. I do not really know when and how we became such close friends. I guess a lot has to do with the common interests we share. Both of us are spiritual and religious. Both are devotees of Satya Sai Baba; Kartik’s father, in fact, does voluntary service at the Satya Sai Baba Trust in Puttaparthi. Over the years, from the time he made his Test debut in 2000, we have shared a good rapport.One big reason for me to open up to him and like him was that Kartik is a genuine person. He speaks his mind, not only on the cricket field but off it also. When that happens, you feel comfortable with a person. This feeling was mutual, as evidenced by this lovely tribute from him when I retired.Over the years, as we started getting closer, I saw that Kartik was a very likeable character who would do anything for his friends. He was one of the few people I would call for his opinion on various issues. He is a knowledgeable guy – not only about cricket – and that is why I always pick his brains to get inputs or a different perspective.Considering our relationship extends to over 15 years now, it is inevitable that we have shared several ups and downs. I remember the time in 2002-03 he was dropped for the ODI series in New Zealand. I cajoled him and asked him not to get disappointed. Soon afterwards, I found myself not picked for the 2003 World Cup!Both of us were obviously disappointed when we found ourselves on the India A tour to the Caribbean. I was the captain and we had a nightmare of a series. I told him I was never going to cajole him any more, since it was landing me in trouble too!As a player, my first impression of Kartik was how talented and skilful he was. This was in 1997, when we played against each other in successive tournaments – the Karnataka State Cricket Association tournament in Bangalore and then the Buchi Babu Memorial tournament in Chennai, with Kartik playing for India Cements and me representing Indian Airlines.His most outstanding characteristic is his confidence. From the first day I saw him till his last match his body language and his never-say-die attitude never changed. That is a great quality to have for any cricketer to succeed at any level. It becomes much more important for a spinner because the way the modern game has progressed, it is getting tougher for a slow bowler to leave his mark. There are not many orthodox spinners left in the game – people who are willing to flight the ball, deceive the batsmen in the air, don’t mind getting hit for a boundary, are always on the prowl, looking for a wicket. Kartik always possessed those characteristics and never compromised on them.He is an intelligent person, a quality he brought to his cricket too. He is a good student of cricket and read the game, batsmen and situations well. He is a complete bowler for every level and all formats.His primary strength is his skill. In my book, a spinner is dangerous when he is not defensive but always attacking and eyeing wickets. Kartik always had the desire to take wickets. And even if there were occasions when the batsman was on top, Kartik would never admit it. I never saw him bowl a bad spell. He might not have got wickets but he always had control; that and his variations allowed him to stay on top.

He is a good student of cricket and read the game, batsmen and situations well. He is a complete bowler for every level and all formats

In my eyes, the best spell Kartik bowled came during the Irani Cup against Mumbai in 2000, when he grabbed nine wickets in the second innings to win us the match. I was leading Rest of India and allowed Kartik to bowl unchanged on the fourth morning from the Tata End. It was unfortunate that he did not become the fifth bowler in Indian first-class cricket to achieve the feat of taking ten wickets in an innings. Kartik was always a wicket-taking bowler, someone a captain could rely on, and to me he was always a match-winner.While Kartik had the potential to become a match-winner, unfortunately during his heyday he underwent a lot of disappointments. In 2007 he had a very good ODI series against Australia in India. He finished as the second-best Indian bowler, including taking the Man-of-the-Match award in the final match of the series, in Mumbai. On the back of such a good performance he was looking forward to travel to Australia to play in CB Series. To his utter disappointment he was not even picked in the squad. I know for a fact that he was devastated by that experience.On the outside Kartik can come across as a bold and aggressive man. But he is very sensitive. And so it is just brilliant the way he has handled various tough experiences throughout his career. He always put up a brave face.Kartik has endured a lot, all through his career. Until you experience it, you cannot understand how tough it is to always carry on fighting. On the inside you are disappointed, you are frustrated, the pain is deep. And you think: Why does it always happen to me? I thought Kartik might occasionally feel bad, angry at the injustice; but he never showed it. Only to a select few did he reveal he could have been treated better. He never let the disappointments affect his game and the way he carried himself on the field. And that was the hallmark of his career.Kartik is a philosophical man. He learned through his experience that whatever happens does so for a reason. And he always took the positives – at least he played for India, played for Railways, played in county cricket, had the respect of his team-mates and opponents.One has to also understand that Kartik played for a team like Railways in the Indian domestic circuit where the facilities have always been sparse. But though he did not get his due at the international level, he always went back to domestic or county cricket without ever letting the disappointment discourage him from performing.He took a lot of pride in performance, no matter who he was playing for, or whether it was a competitive match or just a net session. He never let the batsman play with freedom.Once he realised that his chances of playing again for India had evaporated, he turned his focus to giving back what he had learned to his Railways team-mates. He fought for their rights with the authorities. He always had a soft corner for the team; last year, he took up the captaincy just so he could mentor the youngsters.I have relied a lot on Kartik to get inputs on domestic players when picking players at Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL. It was he who suggested that I pick Karn Sharma and Amit Paunikar.Despite his disappointments, Kartik has remained selfless and has been open to sharing with youngsters his inputs and insights. Recently, Akshar Patel excelled during Kings XI Punjab’s run to their maiden IPL final. I am certain Kartik must have played some role in Patel doing well. It did not matter to Kartik that he was sitting on the bench despite being the more experienced spinner.When he called me earlier this week to tell me that his time was up, it was a sad moment. But I can understand his decision. Kartik was unfortunate that he played when Anil Kumble and Bhajji [Harbhajan Singh] were in their prime. But maybe when Anil retired, Kartik could have been given more opportunities. He is a bowler who should have taken more than 300 Test wickets. Indian cricket has missed out on a match-winner.

The controversy surrounding the IPL has done little to deter fans in UAE from flocking the stadiums, as they gear up to watch the Indian stars in action for the first time since 2006

Karthik Krishnaswamy in Sharjah15-Apr-2014On Monday afternoon, the Sharjah Cricket Stadium looked like it had been airlifted out of India. This impression came partly from the lightweight tent-like roofs covering the stands at the other end, the sort of roof that has sprung up over pretty much every new stadium in India.Mostly, though, it was all the branding, all those blue vinyl strips that covered every available surface with the IPL logo and the crests of its eight franchises. Tony Greig would have struggled to identify exactly which aisles all that dancing had taken place in, all those years ago.Back then, back in the boom years of 50-over cricket, Sharjah had hosted the IPL of its time. There was money, there was Bollywood, there was even a tantalising whiff of impropriety. When it all became too much, India stopped playing there. For close to 14 years, the people of the UAE didn’t get to watch India play, except when they came over for two matches in Abu Dhabi in 2006.It seems weirdly appropriate that the IPL has come to the UAE precisely when – though not for that reason – the whiff of impropriety surrounding it is at its most pungent.Not that anyone is staying away. Tickets for most of the first week of the tournament have already sold out.”IPL is IPL,” said an Emirates Cricket Board official. “There is so much enthusiasm that such things will not cause public interest to wane.”You could feel this at the ground, where crews of workers were putting things in place for the start of the tournament. Even the Pakistani expatriates among them were looking forward to the IPL, never mind their players missing out, never mind them missing out even when the tournament had pitched its tent at what has been their cricketing home for the last five years.”We are feeling very bad,” said Mohammad Arshad, a member of the stadium workstaff, speaking for himself and for his colleague Wasim. They occupied the two top-most rungs of a 20-foot stepladder, and were hoisting a cable up to the roof. “But we are supporting Chennai Super Kings. We like MS Dhoni’s captaincy.”Leaning against the fence of a neighbouring stand, a man watched over a crew of maintenance workers hosing down the seats. This man, Mohammad Ali, turned out to be their supervisor. He has been in Sharjah for 11 years, and visits his family in Madurai once every one-and-a-half years.”I like all the players in the Indian team,” he said. “So I’m definitely excited about the IPL. I’ve watched Sri Lanka, West Indies, South Africa, Pakistan obviously, and even Afghanistan. Almost all the teams except India.”The official had said pretty much the same thing. “The Indian players were missed,” he said. “No one expected the IPL to come here, so after it happened, suddenly, there has definitely been a buzz. It is a good break, and it’s good to have India here, and to have the BCCI here.”The Emirates Cricket Board, he said, looked forward to the BCCI’s support in helping the growth of cricket in the UAE. “We will seek their guidance towards developing cricket in this part of the world,” he said. “They are like our elder brothers.”

Back then, back in the boom years of 50-over cricket, Sharjah had hosted the IPL of its time. There was money, there was Bollywood, there was even a tantalising whiff of impropriety. When it all became too much, India stopped playing there

At times, though, they can get a bit Big Brother. Back in 2009, when the IPL was first moved out of India, the management at the Wanderers in Johannesburg weren’t too pleased with what they saw as an attempt by the IPL to “take control of the entire Stadium operation, regardless of the cost or disruption.”Back in the old days, the members’ stand in Sharjah had a clear view of the players’ comings and goings, and the only thing separating the media and the players’ dressing room was a four-foot long fence. But much has changed in the years since India last played there, and the public and the media definitely won’t get the same kind of access any more, for better or worse.On Monday, though, some vestiges of the stadium’s old-world atmosphere still remained. A man with a camera seemed to have wandered in without too much of a hassle, and was clearly enjoying himself, taking photographs of the last-minute preparations at the ground, and even of the office walls, covered with action shots from the 90s.At some point, though, his luck ran out, and he ran into a venue manager, who made him delete all his photographs. He had crossed the invisible line separating Sharjah Cricket Stadium and Sharjah, the IPL venue.

Sri Lanka’s august senior batsmen made 23 collectively, but a 23-year-old’s belligerence ensured his team triumphed nonetheless

Alan Gardner in Chittagong22-Mar-2014When a team has three players of the calibre of Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene and Tillakaratne Dilshan approaching the twilight of their careers, there are bound to be fears about the future. That august trio have nearly 4000 T20I runs between them; against South Africa they made 14, 9 and 0 respectively. That those failures did not extinguish Sri Lanka’s chances of victory was largely down to a 23-year-old named Kusal Perera.If you have heard Kusal’s name mentioned without that of Sanath Jayasuriya in close proximity you probably weren’t listening hard enough. With his low, southpaw stance and flashing blade, particularly in a wristy ability to clip the ball off his pads, Kusal has an uncanny likeness for the man who is now Sri Lanka’s chairman of selectors. Jayasuriya built his reputation with a series of dashing assaults as opener during the 1996 World Cup and Sri Lanka will believe that Kusal can have a similar catalytic effect at this tournament.T20 continues to push back the limits of the possible in cricket, as anyone who has seen the scorecard from Friday’s afternoon match in Sylhet – let alone the shots played by Netherlands’ batsmen – would know. This was a more sedate affair, despite the tension at the end, but still it showed how the world has changed, from Kusal’s early assault to Albie Morkel’s brief dalliance with seeing South Africa home.Coming into this match, after 11 innings, Perera’s T20 strike rate was a touch under 130 – coincidentally, almost the same as Jayasuriya’s when he retired (eventually) in 2011. Jayasuriya may have been ahead of his time as a batsman, but that does not mean time won’t eventually catch up. Of players to face 500 balls in T20 internationals (Jayasuriya faced 487 despite being indelibly linked to the expansion of one-day cricket a decade or so before) 14 currently score at above 130 per 100 balls, led by Yuvraj Singh at 152.72. Kusal seems likely to join them.The beefy silhouettes of Chris Gayle, Shane Watson and Aaron Finch tower over the World T20 but power comes in different guises. Kusal and, during South Africa’s innings, Quinton de Kock showed that you’ve got to look out for the little guys as well.The opening over of the match contained most of the ingredients used to spruik the tournament as a non-stop feast for the senses. Dale Steyn, a man who has razed small towns with a 145kph swinging ball, was slapped for two fours and a six – flicked over deep midwicket from outside off – by Kusal, three impudent blows that mocked the senior man.Steyn bowled wides on both sides, perhaps a little peeved at being buttonholed like this so early on, having only passed a fitness test on the morning of the game. Then Kusal took a single. Dilshan, also coming back from recent injury, is perhaps at the age where he hopes for a little time to limber up before he gets going. Instead he got ripper that clattered through him and into the top of off. Zing went the bails – they really do look good from the stands – and Steyn’s figures read 1-0-17-1 (2w)

“I think he’s got a bright future ahead. For many years to come he’ll be a dangerous player to bowl to”AB de Villiers on Kusal Perera

While South Africa worked out what to do with Kusal, they attempted to mitigate the damage he was causing by keeping him off strike. Having faced 16 of the first 24 balls, hitting three fours and two sixes, he was given only 24 of the next 57. Steyn came back – Steyn always comes back – and tested him against the short ball, a top edge landing safely between the bowler and mid-on. Irman Tahir worked further on his patience by pushing his top-spin through wider and Kusal succumbed.”I think he’s got a bright future ahead. I’m not sure how old he is, but for many years to come he’ll be a dangerous player to bowl to,” South Africa’s stand-in captain, AB de Villiers, said afterwards. “I thought he played really well, put us under pressure from the word go, probably caught Dale by surprise with the first couple of balls, going after him. I don’t think Dale expected that but he recovered really well after.”The short ball had hinted at a vulnerability and Sri Lanka reported afterwards that Kusal had suffered a blow to the head which required hospital treatment for concussion. But, just as he did last month during a T20 against Bangladesh on the same ground, Kusal had laid the platform for victory. Sri Lanka have played plenty of cricket in this country over the last few weeks and navigated their way around the terrain a little better than South Africa.Spin proved a little more influential than had been expected, with Sachithra Senanayake and Tahir the most successful bowlers, as pace on the ball merely seemed to help it off the bat. Sri Lanka’s seamers, having been able to size up the pitch from the dressing room, shortened their lengths accordingly – with the exception of Lasith Malinga who dealt with another punkish assault from de Kock with a low-slung yorker and proved himself just too difficult to put away until the final ball, with the match already won.Ahead of the game, Sri Lanka’s captain, Dinesh Chandimal, was under orders not to talk about the impending retirements of Sangakkara and Jayawardene. Afterwards, thanks to Kusal, nobody was.

Abdur Rehman and Saeed Ajmal used to be a formidable spin partnership, but Rehman has faded in the last couple of years

Umar Farooq in Galle09-Aug-2014Pakistan bowled 163.1 overs in the first innings, with the spinners Abdur Rehman and Saeed Ajmal sharing a spell of 18 overs, the longest bowling partnership on the fourth day in Galle. They conceded 56 runs, dismissed Angelo Matehws, and almost had Kumar Sangakkara caught. Apart from that period, Rehman hardly got the chance to bowl with Ajmal.The chemistry between Rehman and Ajmal is no fluke. Over the last few years, Pakistan’s fast bowlers have faded, allowing spinners to stake their claim, and the Rehman-Ajmal combination became a force. They shared 43 wickets to destroy England 3-0 in 2011-12 to further their reputation, but their bond is broken now as Rehman has been overshadowed by Ajmal’s burgeoning success. Rehman played almost every Test between January 2010 and June 2012, but couldn’t live up to expectation in the opportunities he was given later.Pitch, drops dented Pakistan – Ajmal

Pakistan ace spinner Saeed Ajmal might have taken five-wicket haul but Sri Lanka swept with an effective lead of 82 runs on day 4. He rued the ‘flat’ pitch that taken a lot of toil out him. He conceded 166 runs in 59.1 overs – the most a Pakistan bowler has bowled in an innings since 2005. He also took 46.3 overs to take his first wicket which was the longest wait for him to take wicket in one Test innings.
“Actually pitch was good for batting but we were unlucky as well as we dropped many catches,” said Ajmal. “We had plans to try every length and line but they kept on taking runs from us as wicket wasn’t really helping us at all. But if those catches weren’t dropped and DRS could have worked in our way then the scenario could have been different maybe.”
Ajmal denied his workload taking toil out of him: “See this is cricket and we are playing it. Its not like I am bowling and I will be tired if this is so then Sangakkara should have also be tired as he has also being playing alot. So its cricket and I am suppose to bowl I don’t care how much I do it. We have trainer who are there to help us and manage our work load so I am not worried at all. Yes I didn’t able to get Sanga but it’s a part of game and he is really a good batsman. Its not just me to who he plays well but he have scored against every country. I have tried to break him using whatever I had got but it won’t work.”

“We both played like one unit,” Rehman told ESPNcricinfo. “We always had a plan and my task was to contain and put pressure while his [Ajmal’s] task was to take wickets from the other end. He might end up taking more wickets then me but I was fine with it because that was the plan. That was the chemistry and we executed it.””We didn’t have to plan before every match, it was something well understood between us. I thoroughly enjoy bowling with him and there is no sense of competition between us – he tends to take wickets and I am supposed to lay the ground for him to take wickets. Our main purpose is to do well and take as many wickets and contain runs.”In the last two years opportunities have been rare for Rehman during Dav Whatmore’s tenure as coach, when Pakistan mostly played three fast bowlers and Mohammad Hafeez as Ajmal’s spin partner. Rehman’s frustration bubbled over when he was barred from bowling in an Asia Cup match against Bangladesh for delivering three full tosses above the waist. He finished with figures of 0-0-8-0.Rehman’s record in Galle isn’t encouraging. He took 1 for 151 in a Test there in June 2012 and he might have felt déjà vu on the fourth day, when he finished with 123 for 1 in 39 overs.Rehman’s struggle was obvious on a flat pitch. He dismissed Kumar Sangakkara, who scored 221, but barely celebrated. Sangakkara had already given Sri Lanka the first-innings lead, and Rehman knew he was being scrutinised.”There has been some frustration because I haven’t played much cricket in the last one year,” Rehman said. “Sometime it’s really tough to push yourself and there is some lack of motivation as well. So what I need is support. I know I can do a lot for Pakistan. I have done it in the past. What happened in Bangladesh during the Asia Cup was something that even I can’t believe. I actually wasn’t fit but played because I was frustrated at sitting out despite being part of the squad for a year.”

Also, best post-war win/loss record, most runs in two calendar years, most ducks in a Test, and brothers with similar numbers

Steven Lynch08-Jul-2014I read somewhere that the forthcoming Indian series was the most time-intensive ever, with five Tests in six weeks. Is that true? asked Tom Merrick from England

It’s not quite true, no. This year’s England-India series is scheduled to last 42 days (if the final Test at The Oval goes all the way). The shortest time span for any series involving five Tests is actually 35 days, for the one between West Indies and England in 2009-10 – but that’s cheating a bit, as that involved the match in Antigua, which was abandoned early on the first day, because the ground was unfit, and replaced by another game played elsewhere on the island shortly afterwards. A more genuine case is the Basil D’Oliveira Trophy series between South Africa and England in 2004-05, which spanned only 40 days. Rather surprisingly for what we think of as more leisurely times, the 1963-64 India-England series lasted only 42 days, while the five Tests between West Indies and India in the Caribbean early in 2002 were also shoehorned into 42 days. The Ashes record is 44 days, for the 2006-07 and 2010-11 series in Australia.Since the Second World War which country has the best win/loss record? I would guess Australia … asked Charles Silverstone from Israel

That’s a pretty safe guess! Australia have played 595 Tests since 1945, winning 281 and losing 146, with two ties and 166 draws. That’s a win/loss ratio of 1.92. Next come South Africa (1.52), England (1.16) and Pakistan (1.10), with West Indies on a level 1.00 (157 wins v 156 defeats plus a tie). Bangladesh, with just four wins to set against 68 defeats, languish bottom with a ratio of 0.05, assuming you ignore the World XI’s one unsuccessful outing in 2005-06. For the full table, click here.After 266 innings, Shivnarine Chanderpaul was stumped for the very first time! Has anyone gone longer before finally being out stumped? asked Ashley Barnes from New Zealand

Shivnarine Chanderpaul’s dismissal on the final day of the third Test against New Zealand in Bridgetown last week was indeed the first time he had been stumped in a Test, in his 266th innings. That is a record: Graeme Smith was not stumped until his 194th innings, in his 111th Test, against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi last October. Daniel Vettori (166th innings), Alec Stewart and Sanath Jayasuriya (both 156th) all went a long time before being stumped as well. Mahela Jayawardene may yet beat Chanderpaul’s mark: he’s had 244 Test innings so far, and hasn’t been stumped yet.Is Ricky Ponting the only player to score more than 2500 international runs in two separate calendar years? asked Keith D’Souza from Saudi Arabia

Ricky Ponting occupies the top two positions in this particular table, having scored 2833 runs in all internationals in 2005, and 2657 in 2003. The only other batsmen to exceed 2500 in all forms of the game are Rahul Dravid (2626 in 1999), Kumar Sangakkara (2609 in 2006), Sourav Ganguly (2580 in 1999), Tillakaratne Dilshan (2568 in 2009) and Sachin Tendulkar (2541 in 1998). Of those, Tendulkar had the best average (68.67 to Ponting’s 66.42 in 2003). Sangakkara and Tendulkar both passed 2000 runs in five separate calendar years; most neatly, Mohammad Yousuf scored exactly 2000 international runs in 2000.There were 11 ducks in the Headingley Test. Is this a record? asked David Harrier from Germany

The 11 ducks in the nail-biting Headingley Test – which included pairs for Lahiru Thirimanne, Dhammika Prasad and a long-drawn-out one for Jimmy Anderson – equalled the record for any Test, set in a low-scoring Ashes Test at Old Trafford in 1888, and equalled nine more times since, most recently (before Headingley) in the match between Sri Lanka and West Indies in Kandy in November 2001. For the full list, click here.Wasim and Ramiz Raja both played 57 Tests for Pakistan. Is this the only instance of brothers figuring in the same number of Tests? asked Joel Pojas from the Philippines

Not only did Ramiz and Wasim Raja win the same number of Test caps, their overall records were strikingly similar: Ramiz scored 2833 runs at 31.83, while Wasim made 2821 (36.16). There are two other sets of brothers who played the same amount of Tests – but they are all one-cap wonders. EM and GF Grace both played once for England in 1880 (their rather more celebrated brother WG won 22 caps), while Alec and George Hearne also played one Test apiece for England, in 1891-92. The biggest discrepancy between fraternal caps is 89, between South Africa’s Gary Kirsten (101) and his half-brother Peter (12). Greg Chappell won 87 caps to his brother Trevor’s three. Turning to fathers and sons, Hemant and Hrishikesh Kanitkar both played two Tests for India.

Touted as the explosive finisher Bangladesh have always lacked, Sabbir Rahman struggled during the World T20, but has repaid the selectors’ faith in him with a sparkling cameo on his ODI debut against Zimbabwe

Mohammad Isam in Chittagong22-Nov-2014For a birthday party, Sabbir Rahman’s was a quiet one. He cut a vanilla cake with some of his team-mates at a restaurant near the team hotel, after which they sat for lunch. Mahmudullah, Rubel Hossain, Imrul Kayes, Anamul Haque, Jubair Hossain and Arafat Sunny were with him.”Normally every year I speak to my parents on my birthday,” Sabbir said. “I haven’t talked to them yet but the big difference this year is that I am spending my birthday while in the senior team, with the cricketers. Everything feels good. I did well on my ODI debut, the team won and it is my birthday today. It is exciting. Maybe it would have been great if the match was today.”Sabbir, whose international career had nearly been buried after the World T20 debacle in March, might have counted himself lucky to be there.Having made his T20 debut the previous month against Sri Lanka, Sabbir had been touted as the next big thing in a Bangladesh T20 side lacking in a genuine big hitter. His past and recent successes in the format had helped him build this reputation but he made only 50 runs in four innings, his failure against Hong Kong the lowest point as Bangladesh were shocked by the minnows. He was picked for one more game, against West Indies, against whom he only scored 1, and hardly featured in conversations relating to selection thereafter.He also fell into poor form, having not done too well for Bangladesh A on their tour of the West Indies or for the full-strength side in the Asian Games. His Dhaka Premier League form hadn’t been too impressive either but the Faruque Ahmed-led selection committee kept faith in Sabbir. They must be quite happy with their decision at the moment, having watched Sabbir make a promising ODI debut against Zimbabwe.Sabbir crunched three sixes and three fours in his 25-ball 44, and provided a final flourish often missing in Bangladesh’s ODI innings. He started poorly, missing a few and looking a little frustrated, and Mushfiqur Rahim helped him through this little phase. Coach Chandika Hathurusingha had earlier told him to stay not out till the end, and support the set batsmen in the middle since Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur were going great guns.”Mushfiq bhai gave me a lot of encouragement when I wasn’t timing the ball or missing a few,” Sabbir said. “I thought I wasn’t able to do anything, felt guilty for wasting deliveries at that stage. I was confident that if I could stick through it, I could cover it up later. There were nerves when I was waiting to go in to bat. But it went away as soon as I went inside. Seeing such a big crowd made me feel big at heart. I always like playing in front of a crowd, it inspires me.”The coach told me to finish the innings, stay not out and support whoever is out there with me. And I like batting in these situations. I can bat freely. It is difficult but also quite simple. The bowlers are on the back foot. It is easy to find singles and hitting four or five big ones can increase the scoring rate.”For all the fun, it was only Sabbir’s first ODI, and many Bangladeshi cricketers have done well at the start of their careers, in different formats. The man Sabbir has replaced, Nasir Hossain, is among two batsmen to have made a fifty on ODI debut for Bangladesh. Sabbir is aware of the cautionary tales, but also said that starting well was important to create a good first impression.”Some have a good debut, some don’t,” he said. “I will try to play as well as I did on my debut or do better. I am taking it positively. Some did well in their debut and are now out of the picture while some survived.”Starting well is also important. It gives you confidence and makes playing for the national team normal. I am thankful to Allah for getting what I wanted. I was thinking of giving up any hope of playing for Bangladesh if I couldn’t make it this season.”