If it did not quite match last year at Headingley, this win over Pakistan shows a team at their best when the odds are longestThe Observer’s official policy about the use of swear words is right there in the official style guide, between the entries on Swaziland and swingeing. “We are more liberal than most newspapers,” it says, however, “we should use such words only when absolutely necessary to the facts of a piece, or to portray a character in an article; there is almost never a case in which we need to use a swearword outside direct quotes.” Which, yes, all makes good sense. Only, I’d guess the person who wrote it never had to take on the job...
The 17-year-old has made a big impact as part of an entertaining Pakistan attack that has everything a side could wantThe first thing you notice about Naseem Shah is his action. It’s smooth and slick and sideways-on, as if the unnatural act of bowling fast were a perfectly instinctive thing, and those strange, awkward contortions of legs and arms, the leap and twist, the tangle of limbs, were all as simple and obvious to him as putting one foot in front of the other. His coach, Waqar Younis, once said it reminded him of watching Dennis Lillee bowl, which is rare praise. And that’s what the fielders were crying out to him in between deliveries, “Lillee Shah! Lillee Shah!” Whip,...
Wicketkeeper was a shadow of himself – and the player England believe he is – after dropped catches and fluffed run-out chanceThe ball was one of the better ones Dom Bess had bowled. It flew in a loop and as Shan Masood lunged out it landed, bit on the pitch and spun away, moving just enough to catch the outside edge of his bat.Masood snapped his head back to watch the catch but by the time he had turned around Jos Buttler had already missed it. The ball hit the heel of the wicketkeeper’s thumb and bounced away towards slip. It all happened so quickly, the merest split-second, that the commentators were not even sure if Masood had hit it....
Cricket’s obsession with the all-rounder can be jarring but he inspires a special fuzzy feeling while anxiety in real life reignsBefore starting I’d just like to say I respect and cherish Ben Stokes. I venerate Ben Stokes. I revere him to the correct degree and in accordance with approved norms and standards.Let me make this clearer. Sometimes, while I’m thinking about how much I like Stokes, I’ll sit and watch his close-up TV highlights montages, then slow them down and watch them back, studying the way the droplets of moisture fall as he turns and yells and punches the air or looks soulful and defiant at second slip; until eventually it gets dark and the only light in the room...
I have seen some of the messages my good friend has received and they are absolutely horrendous - people need calling outEoin Morgan took me aside at a training session before the ODI team’s first practice match a fortnight ago and asked me to be his vice-captain for this series against Ireland, which starts on Thursday. I have been absolutely buzzing about it ever since.People might think phrases like “it being an honour” are just trotted out at times like this but it genuinely is. It means a huge amount to me and especially from a captain like Morgs. Growing up playing cricket I never thought I’d one day be able to say I was vice-captain of my country and...