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Showing posts from June, 2012

MVP of the world?

My first memory of Graeme Swann is his very first over in Test cricket . What. an. over. No matter what happens in the future, no bowler will ever again be able to claim the wickets of both Gautam Gambhir and Rahul Dravid in their first over in Test cricket and its unlikely that too many will claim two wickets of any kind. My imagination was captured that day and has been since and Swann has repaid the faith shown in him (first by Moores/Pietersen and then by Flower/Strauss) in spades. Being named England's winter MVP was fitting reward and if you ask me, Swann is currently world cricket's MVP (along with Saeed Ajmal). Spin bowling in Test matches has taken a beating (no pun intended) in recent times and a look at the figures since 2010 sums it up nicely. With due respect to both Rangana Herath and Abdur Rehman (both honest, hardworking left-armers but unlikely to be around much longer), Swann and Ajmal stand out like a beacon with their performances and are basically kee