Links : KP Nuts, NZ, Sachin

• Andy Flower has said KP needs to find a new county next year if he is to remain involved with the England team. Hampshire don't want him anymore and haven't picked him for T20 finals day. Would anyone want him though? KP has also been warned about having meetings with the disgraced former IPL supremo Lalit Modi.
• New Zealand crushed India in their ODI in Sri Lanka, India made just 88. Are they Pakistan in disguise?
• Staying with India Sachin Tendulkar all-round greatness is lauded by the Guardian who say he will not be surpassed.
• Bears bowling coach Graeme Welch remembers his debut as a player back in 1994.

England win the cup

England have won the World T20, the first ICC world limited overs title they have won. During the final with Australia (which England won comfortably in the end) the commentators listed the previous 4 finals England had been in and lost. I remember the second final, which was the world cup final against Australia in India.

Well i remember only 1 things from it really, when England were on the verge of defeat and the scoreboard in those days was an all-screen graphic with a little window for the live video and i remember seeing Gladstone Small going out to bat in that little window. A surreal memory.

Get your hands off of our man!

Surrey, whose fingers were apparently not burned in signing Chris Lewis a couple of seasons ago, are going for another 40 something who hasn't played for ages. This time it is the Warwickshire legend Brian Lara (i believe he may have played for the West Indies too). It may be a ploy by BCL to increase his value because he has been rumoured of going to try IPL. I'd rather he came here though, i never saw him playing for the Bears (except on TV).

Moles in trouble as NZ coach (updated)

Andy Moles has received the backing of New Zealand Cricket (hopefully not the kind of backing football club chairmen give their embattled managers) after it was reported senior players were not happy with him as head coach and felt he wasn't up to it. Moles will continue as coach for the NZ tour to UAE to play Pakistan but there would be a review of the team's performance.

Update Oct 24 : And thats it! Andy Moles quits as NZ coach.

Greatest Uncapped XI

Wisden Cricketer Monthly is going to select a "Greatest Uncapped XI" from postwar England county players who never got picked to play test cricket for England. 6 Bears are in the 65 strong short-list including Andy Moles and Dougie Brown. People are invited to write in their XIs. Of course the key to this is considering the times the players played in and whether they were better than the players who actually got picked for England.

This all reminds me i got my latest copy of WCM at the weekend and haven't opened it yet.

NZ cricket goes Bear

Mark Greatbatch has been made an advisor to the NZ selection panel and, adding to the Bearification of NZ cricket with Andy Moles already installed as the new coach, Dermot Reeve (my ultimate cricket hero) will be serving as a bowling coach for the T20s NZ will be playing against the Windies. AD was also approached by NZ but turned them down and is staying with the Bears... for now anyway.