The Cricket Thread

[Ian]

I don't remember that at all. Was it a result of Morgan gobbing off about something?

[Jimmy Floyd]

Did the pope have a balcony?

[Queenslander]

Im pretty sure he had to go straight to hospital when the adrenaline wore off.

[Waffdon]

1369890833252683780?

Lol what am I missing. How can that be deemed intentional

[Ian]

Yeah I saw that one and that seems harsh to me, if intent factors into the rule.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Looks the correct decision to me. That law refers to 'wilful action', not intent; so because he did kick the ball away, in the course of a movement that he did intend to do, it is obstructing the field.

That's how I would interpret it, anyway. Everyone on twitter seems to think it was 'accidental obstruction' but I'm not certain that is what accidental means. He didn't accidentally walk backwards over where the ball was, he meant to do it.

[Ian]

Hmm.

That feels like a flawed law to me though I can't really articulate why because I can't think of anything that works better that's a reasonable comparison.

[Jimmy Floyd]

The only other way of doing it is asking the umpires to make value judgements as to the player's intent/motivation, which is both not doable and also doesn't address the fact that the batsman has obstructed the field.

It's the one that as an umpire you pray doesn't come up in the game because the side on the wrong end of the decision (either way) always feels a violent injustice has been done. I've had a few 'fucking hell' type situations in my umpiring career to date but I've not yet had an appeal for obstructing the field, long may that continue.

[Ian]

Yeah that was kinda where I fell down on it, trying to compare to other laws or non-sporting ones but couldn't find one that made me any happier about it.

It kinda feels like either way somebody's going to be annoyed about that.

[niko_cee]

I have no idea how the rule works, but surely it's wrong because he isn't actually obstructing the field(er) in any meaningful way. If he'd stood his ground and the fielder had run into him he'd probably have been on safer ground, perversely, and if the rule becomes 'any touching of the ball by the batsman in the course of a deliberate action' then it surely becomes far more problematic (in the style of VAR and handball).

Should obviously just not be appealed but, well, good luck with that.

[Jimmy Floyd]

He is obstructing the field, because, as the third umpire says (albeit with rather too much initial certainty for my liking), he kicks the ball away from the fielder. It's not the umpire's job to determine whether a run out was likely, only whether the fielder was wilfully obstructed. The key is that 'wilful' is very different from 'deliberate'.

In that situation as a batsman you should turn and go back in your crease, this would be interpreted as a normal cricketing action and you'd get away with it even if there was an accidental kick of the ball. In that situation he's just dancing around like a pansy, which is where the problem comes from.

[Spikey M]

I don't like Cricket or know the rules. Infact I actually meant to click on the News Thread, but Jimmy's definition is still upsetting me. 'Didn't walk backwards by accident' indeed. The Mike Dean of the Cricketing World. What a bastard.

[niko_cee]

I'd not listened to the sound, but it is rather good. The third umpire clearly hasn't got a scooby doo so just stays with what has been (very obviously wrongly) decided on the field.

Unsurprisingly it's the home nation's man in the booth and it's becoming a bit of a major issue.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I don't like Cricket or know the rules. Infact I actually meant to click on the News Thread, but Jimmy's definition is still upsetting me. 'Didn't walk backwards by accident' indeed. The Mike Dean of the Cricketing World. What a bastard.

If this happened in an actual game I was doing (i.e. without TV or replays), I would probably just have a chat with my colleague and we'd decide it was not out just for the sake of having a peaceful afternoon.

[Spikey M]

Thank you. I have mentally amended you to the Martin Atkinson of the Cricketing world.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I was doing a game last year with a more experienced guy and, when doling out tips at the end as they all love to do, he told me I need to be 'much more theatrical' and that 'the field is your stage'.

Probably the worst advice I've ever received from anyone, including when my mum told me to get on a bus after being kicked out of King's Cross on 7/7.

[Ian]

That guy sounds like a twat.

[Shindig]

Probably the worst advice I've ever received from anyone, including when my mum told me to get on a bus after being kicked out of King's Cross on 7/7.

Awesome. :D

[thommo]

Absolutely cruised that chase, Buttler just makes it look so easy.

[niko_cee]

Every single wicket being sent for umpire review in this is pretty lol.

Is soft signal out the best you can get on field against India nowadays?

[Ian]

This chase has started well.

[niko_cee]

Also, I know all professional sports people are competitive (by nature), but Kohli must be one of the most competitive people ever. It seethes out of him.

[Dquincy]

Well that was rather disappointing.

India are a very good team, got to be one of the favourites for the World Cup.

[Jimmy Floyd]

We're almost as good tbh. They are favourites in their own conditions but us, Australia, maybe NZ, maybe WI not far behind.

[Shindig]

One thing I get from barely paying attention to Cricket is how easily the tides of change kick in. Australia used to be mint, then we were, now it's India. It's the fall of Rome every couple of years or something.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Supremacy was England and Australia (more Australia) up and down until about 1975; then it was West Indies between 1975 and 1995; then Australia 1995-2007; then South Africa 2007-13 with England vying for it; then India probably since then.

Structurally India have got to the point where they should win all cricket easily, but in practice it doesn't really work that way.

[Dquincy]

We're almost as good tbh. They are favourites in their own conditions but us, Australia, maybe NZ, maybe WI not far behind.

Agreed. And nice to see Malan get back to somewhere near good form today.

I've not really given this any thought, but I can't think of another sport where playing at home offers such a big advantage in terms of playing conditions.

[Ian]

Sam Curran's hair is shit.

[Ian]

And Tom Curran has a really odd run-up.

Could have done without all these late runs being piled on.

[Ian]

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/mar/23/elitism-and-the-other-mcc-the-complex-story-of-cricket-in-mexico-the-spin

[Jimmy Floyd]

Almost everywhere, football dominated alternative sports in the long run because it could be played with almost no equipment in a confined space. That said, street cricket took similar hold in the subcontinent, and is still the dominant form in many respects, so I don't know why that didn't happen elsewhere. I guess there was a more formal British presence in India.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I guess there was a more formal British presence in India.

Especially in this run chase.

[Ian]

The timing of that post must have been pretty close to when the first wicket went.

[Jimmy Floyd]

It was after the first wicket but before the subsequent timber rush.

[Ian]

Hm, well I'm prepared to credit you with half a jinx on the scorecard.

[niko_cee]

Is Root being 'rested' for all the limited overs stuff?

Probably could have done with a tickeroverer to have gone in after the opening stand.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Believe the current cyborg thinking is very much dismissive of the tickeroverer. Instead they love the explosive player 'batting within themselves' and then 'catching up'.

I haven't got the broadcast so not sure if they've mentioned it, but this is a World Cup qualifier with over rate deductions and I'm not sure either side actually cares.

[Ian]

They were talking about the over rate earlier. I think the India innings was 40 minutes late finishing, they said.

[Jimmy Floyd]

We will 100% get a point deducted for that (India have already had a deduction from their games vs Aus, and Sri Lanka are on -2 points because of it). These two teams might be arrogant enough to think it doesn't matter because they'll qualify anyway, but what if they don't? What then?

[Ian]

Then we can all have a good lol.

[Ian]

Looking like we've properly fucked this.

[Jimmy Floyd]

We have. Middle overs wickets strikes again, the thing we did brilliantly in 2019 and now can't do at all either side of the ball.

[Ian]

I see Rakeem the Dream got a brisk 61 against Sri Lanka and has taken a couple of wickets too. :cool:

[Jimmy Floyd]

That Dickwella 96 was performance art. Now 17 Test fifties and still no ton.

[ItalAussie]

We will 100% get a point deducted for that (India have already had a deduction from their games vs Aus, and Sri Lanka are on -2 points because of it). These two teams might be arrogant enough to think it doesn't matter because they'll qualify anyway, but what if they don't? What then?

I don't know much about cricket WC qualification. Is there any kind of real risk? Or is it going to come down to one team being eliminated out of, say, Scotland, Hong Kong, or Namibia?

[Jimmy Floyd]

Top 8 of 13 qualify over 24 games - so the top, top, top teams should manage it, but the likes of Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, West Indies are under threat of dropping into the pre qualifier. West Indies suffered that fate last time and only some outrageous bent umpiring stopped them from being knocked out by Scotland.

The pre qualifier has the bottom 5 and then a few more, playing for 2 spots.

It does make your random ODIs more exciting (if you're paying attention, which I'm not convinced even some teams are) - for example the currently onging game between NZ and Bangladesh would normally be a dead rubber as NZ lead the three-match series 2-0, but if Bangladesh can nick this one back it could be crucial for them later on in the standings.

[Ian]

I'm sure I must have heard Buttler speaking before but he doesn't have the voice of some leader of men / locker room legend that he apparently is in the England setup.

[Jimmy Floyd]

He always sounds like a supply teacher to me, or someone from one of those 80s teaching videos we still used to get shown at school in the early 2000s. 'Greenhouse gases are bad for the environment - we need to stop releasing CFCs into the atmosphere *basic electronic musical motif*'

In my spiel above about the World Cup qualifying I somehow forgot that we managed to drop one of our three games to Ireland, as well as two to Australia, so if we lose this one 3-0 as well we'd be having some catching up to do. That said we have 'easier' series to come including a three-match humdinger away to the Netherlands; what, I hear you ask, could possibly go wrong?

[thommo]

So they just showed an "Innings so far" recap at the first drinks break. It's something small and ultimately not very important, but it's funny to see the host broadcaster show every boundary from the opening 16 overs apart from the two streaky edges for 4. They can't have anything showing their batsmen in a bad light, can they?

[Ian]

I think about the Dutch cricket team, I think about the Daily Mash article on it.


Dutch to invent word for ‘cricket’
AFTER their surprise victory against England, the Dutch have admitted they had better invent a word for cricket if they are going to play it for a second time.

[Ian]

That's an impressive missed catch from Buttler there.

[Ian]

Thoroughly sick of Pant at this point.

[Jimmy Floyd]

He's one of those players who is both incredibly good and also incredibly lucky.

[Ian]

Another glorious final ten overs here.

[Ian]

Nasser just gave your mate Dernbach a mention there, Jimmy.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Still going strong (well, ish) for the men in duck egg blue.

https://www.kiaoval.com/squad/

Pretty sure everyone on that page either has been panned for 12 an over at the back end of an ODI, has had a failed run as a Test opener, or will do one of those in the future.

[Ian]

Rikki Clarke is not looking good for his age.

[Ian]

Hussein donning it on DRS there.

[Jimmy Floyd]

That's why you need to give pundits the freedom to talk, on BCCI fluffer TV he would be excommunicated for doubting The Great Virat and the conversation would never move forward.

[Ian]

Some cracking shots here. I look forward to the collapse.

[Ian]

Here it comes. :drool:

[Ian]

I just learned via Cricinfo that Ebony Rainford-Brent a) has a ludicrously long name and b) there are three double-barrels in there.

Ebony-Jewel Cora-Lee Rosamond Camellia Rainford-Brent.

EDIT: Also Kuldeep is hating this.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Just about reflects the number of jobs she has within cricket (and does all of them very well, as far as I can see).

[Ian]

What other stuff does she do?

[Jimmy Floyd]

Director of Cricket for Surrey women, and also heads up the national ACE programme which is about getting black kids into cricket.

[Ian]

Hussein's full bit on DRS / Umpire's call has been uploaded by Sky if anybody cares:
https://www.skysports.com/watch/video/12257343/is-umpires-call-confusing

[niko_cee]

I didn't see it but my dad was telling me about a talking heads bit on DRS where Kevin Pietersen was dead set that it was bad for batsmen (presumably because they can no longer fuck about on the front foot to non-spinning spinners). :happycry:

Nas was right if it's the same bit I saw, it was introduced to eliminate the howler, but ever since inception it hasn't really been used like that, so there probably is some merit in the idea of just trusting ball tracking (lol at the Indians being all for that though).

Definitely missed a trick when they didn't use the Broad edge against Australia as the evidence for terrible decisions, although that Stewart one was an absolute doozy. Sri Lanka were so so bent back in the day.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Indians are all for anything until it stiffs one of their pin-up heroes, and then they move over to thinking the opposite.

The whole DRS scepticism there was brought about because Sachin was given out in the 2011 World Cup and they couldn't get over it.

[Ian]

Well Kohli had apparently said that they should just trust the ball tracking rather than do the umpire's call stuff but Hussein's argument is if you do that, allowing for the margin of error Hawk Eye give, means you're basically making the wickets bigger and that if you're doing that the umpire will, rather than making the best call and letting DRS sort it out, just err on the side of it being a wicket and DRS can overrule it if he's properly fucked it.

[niko_cee]

'Trusting ball tracking' basically reduces the umpire to calling wides and moving stones between their hands. Could probably do without them at that point.

[ItalAussie]

He's one of those players who is both incredibly good and also incredibly lucky.

I've never seen this put into words just right before. This is exactly what irks me the most about Ben Stokes. :D

[Ian]

I think that's fair.

Those sorts in cricket do the thing where when they're on it top edges and the like that for another player or on another day might go right up in the air or into the hands of a fielder just go where they need to. But it's weird because it's not QUITE luck because they have those moments too often. It's like they just shift the margin of error up just a bit in their favour.

It's amazing to watch and I'm not sure it's evident in quite the same way in any other sports I watch. Maybe some quarterbacks in American football.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Stokes is the king of it I think. Spent the whole of 2019 on good/lucky island.

De Villiers as well.

[niko_cee]

I think I only really notice it personally (in terms of actual experience) in cue 'sports', where the best players always seem to 'get all the luck'. I think the reality is that they are just the best players, and so are able to capitalise on the luck they get, whereas some middle of the road muggins doesn't.

[Dquincy]

Nice to see a mini batting collapse from someone other than England.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Stuard Broad really is a natural on commentary. Can see him even being a lead man in the future, a la Tony Greig or Richie Benaud etc.

[Ian]

I've quite liked what I've seen of him.

[Jimmy Floyd]

NZ v Bangladesh T20. NZ score 173/5 in 17.5 and then it's rained off. The rain stops, Bangladesh come out to bat needing 148 in 16 (they think). Nine balls in, the umpires stop the game as the match referee has got his calculator out. Word comes in that actually they need 170 to win.

THE best sport.

[hfswjyr]

Do we blame Duckworth, Lewis or Stern?

Fell asleep and missed the debacle and second innings. Not that the target ended up making any difference anyway. Restricted to 142/7 from 16 in the end.

[niko_cee]

Christ, what knock that was by Fakhar against South Africa, even in a losing cause.

Comedy way to get out as well in the end (sauntering a second and getting done by a direct hit from the boundary).

Edit, seems that may not have been the most recent game, but he's been at it again today.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Yesterday. Time moves at its own pace on the island, I guess.

[niko_cee]

Was just watching the highlights waiting for the masters to come on.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Regret to report that James Vince is currently 187 not out in the opening Championship match, at better than a run a ball.

[Ian]

I saw Sam Robson "looking in good touch" on the live text yesterday. No idea what he ended up with.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I saw Sam Robson "looking in good touch" on the live text yesterday. No idea what he ended up with.

Just the 165. Sadly Gary Ballance is out with concussion or it could have been the holy trinity.

[Luke Emia]

I love the early part of the County Championship you really do get classic things happening. Like snow stopping play at Yorkshire today...

Makes you wonder what the charms of the IPL are really?

[igor_balis]

Is shalford in your neck of the woods, Jimmy Floyd ?

:sherlock:

[Jimmy Floyd]

No, but I know where it is, about 30/40 mins away. Nice part of the world.

[Queenslander]

https://i.ibb.co/6ZRGRzM/FB-IMG-1618903198281.jpg (https://imgbb.com/)

Next Test Captain. :cool:

[Ian]

"Ed Smith's England selector role abolished"

:drool::drool::drool:

[Jimmy Floyd]

Way to cap off a generally good news night. The coach also being the selector sounds like a ballache for him, but at least there's someone to demand the sacking of when we next get humiliated.

[Ian]

I see Wee Jimmy Taylor is now 'head scout' in the revamped setup. But has the question been asked whether he's tall enough for the role?

[Jimmy Floyd]

I suppose in the current times it might be OK, but when fans are back he may not be able to see over the heads of people in the row in front of him, so he'll just have to ask their opinions and use those. Bit of a lottery imo.

[Ian]

"How did you think the bowlers got on in that session, James?"
"Well I could only see the bouncers. :("

[Jimmy Floyd]

I fucking love the Hundred. Everything about it is perfect


The ECB have collaborated with house musician Jax Jones to produce a tournament song for The Hundred – and have decided to stick with the term “wickets” rather than introduce “outs”.

The aim of The Hundred, an eight-team men’s and women’s tournament, is to take cricket to a new audience.

To this end, the ECB wanted a tournament song, as seen at World Cups and other major sporting events.

The song, ‘Feels’, was first used by the ECB in an advert for the Hundred released on Wednesday that will be used across on-demand broadcasting services like 4oD and social media.

OK, but why?


“The Hundred will showcase world-class sporting action on the pitch and stars from the world of entertainment off it,” the ECB told Standard Sport.

“Music will be at the heart of the entertainment side and when selecting the song to feature on our ad campaign, we wanted to work with an artist that aligns with The Hundred’s high octane, positive energy.

“Jax Jones was the perfect fit. He was working on a track, ‘Feels’, that embodies the upbeat experience we want to create for fans this summer and we felt this was the ideal choice for the campaign.”

'He was working on a track', my sides are splitting. Anyway, what about the cricket?


The ECB have looked at cricket’s language in a bid to demystify the sport for new followers. It was revealed this month that they were weighing up calling a batter’s dismissal an “out”, rather than a “wicket”.

But to ensure consistency with the other formats of the sport, “wicket” will remain, with the word “out” only involved in its current guise.

Another certain terminology change is that the tournament’s equivalent of Player of the Match will be Match Hero.

Sounds like a game changer...


More details are emerging about the in-stadium look of the tournament. There will be a “Main Stage” in each of the eight grounds, from where musicians and DJs will perform between games, and players will be interviewed, while players will enter the field of play through short tunnels with their names lit up by LED lights.

JAMES VINCE in LED lights, the new audience will be powerless to resist.

[Ian]

"Match Hero." :D Jesus Christ.

Old white men and marketing grads decide what will get the youth involved.

The very notion that the sport needs 'demystified' is a laugh too. No sport needs that. You know the basic premise (in cricket's case: hit the ball, don't let it get caught or get past you to knock the sticks over) and if you enjoy it you'll pick up the rest as you go along.

[Queenslander]

IPL going well for Kane Williamson and Dave Warner...








https://i.ibb.co/JHC7LMH/FB-IMG-1619509956141.jpg (https://imgbb.com/)

[niko_cee]

:D

Your part of the world is completely fucked, perhaps beyond repair.

RIP the larrikin spirit etc.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Pat Cummins donating 50,000 bucks to the ethno-nationalist Indian state strikes me as a low point, but everyone seems to be spinning it as a high point.

[Queenslander]

When I do die of covid can the Maroons flag fly here for 24 hours?

[niko_cee]

Pat Cummins donating 50,000 bucks to the ethno-nationalist Indian state strikes me as a low point, but everyone seems to be spinning it as a high point.

Probably a bit harsh, although I did enjoy this bit of the story:


"I'm advised that the Indian Government is of the view that playing the IPL while the population is in lockdown provides a few hours of joy and respite each day at an otherwise difficult time for the country."

[Queenslander]

Pat Cummins donating 50,000 bucks to the ethno-nationalist Indian state strikes me as a low point, but everyone seems to be spinning it as a high point.

India has that cricket charm when it comes to us. Ethno-State is he as good as Tendalker?

[Queenslander]

Probably a bit harsh, although I did enjoy this bit of the story:

The bookies need to take bets!

[Jimmy Floyd]

Probably a bit harsh, although I did enjoy this bit of the story:

I don't doubt the sentiment behind it and that he's a Good Bloke, but it all seems very arse about face.

[hfswjyr]

Probably a bit harsh, although I did enjoy this bit of the story:

To be fair, they could replace that with rugby in NZ or football in the UK, and it would still sound plausible. Silly governments.

[niko_cee]

I particularly enjoyed Chris Lynn's contribution to the discourse:


Mumbai Indians batsman Lynn said he had asked Cricket Australia to arrange a charter flight back home for Australia's players at the end of the IPL after the governing body had contacted players about their health and travel plans.

"I texted back that, as Cricket Australia make 10% of every IPL contract, was there a chance we could spend that money this year on a charter flight once the tournament is over?" Lynn told News Corp.

"We are not asking for shortcuts and we signed up knowing the risks. But it would be great to get home as soon as the event is over."

Why don't they just collectively use some of their sweet sweet 90% to charter a plane?

[Jimmy Floyd]

They really are pampered fucks.

[Queenslander]

https://i.ibb.co/bv0qCZC/FB-IMG-1620022097187.jpg (https://imgbb.com/)

:lol:

[Jimmy Floyd]

Thanks to your in no way pearl-clutching government, he's not even allowed to go home. It's a perfect scene.

[Queenslander]

That is Scotty and the Liberals.

I hope he is stuck there forever carrying the drinks for different teams in all forms.

[Queenslander]

The Australian Cricketers stuck in India will quarantine in the Maldives for 2 weeks before they return home.

Well that is Cricket fucked for a bit most will be seething over this.

[Jimmy Floyd]

While the plebs are still banned from entry on pain of death?

[Queenslander]

Scummo threatened fines and jail time at the start of the week for people sneaking in (lol wat) before walking it back.

[niko_cee]

The Australian Cricketers stuck in India will quarantine in the Maldives for 2 weeks before they return home.


Sounds better than 2 weeks in the Formula 1, or do they have to do that as well?

Outside of all the family/organised crime links I like to think of this McGill kidnapping (and subsequent release when it turns out a restaurant manager isn't worth kidnapping) as just an extension of the relentless trolling of the poor guy his life seems to involve. Shane Warne was probably behind it.

[Jimmy Floyd]

https://wisden.com/stories/exclusive/the-adrian-shankar-files/the-adrian-shankar-files-part-one-what-we-know-what-we-dont-know-yet

This is genuinely the most incredible sporting story I can remember. Like Ali Dia on acid.

[niko_cee]

Quality read.

Presumably there's a photo of Worcs signing To Madeira knocking around somewhere to. I bet that guy really hates Zafar Ansari.

Look forward to the next instalments.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Yeah, the fact that it was part one of SIX has basically seen me clear my diary for the next month or so.

I love the research that has gone into the story as well, particularly the bits where he presumably rings up Rangana Herath and says: 'Mate, have you ever been hit for five sixes in an over?'

[Ian]

That's amazing.

My two favourite bits are the unspecified life-changing experience and this:

Luke Sutton, a colleague on the Lancashire staff for two years, told in the Daily Mail of how he confronted Shankar over rumours he was three years older than he claimed. “His reply, straight to my face and without a shadow of doubt, was that he had been on a life support machine for the first three years of his life and was therefore physically three years younger than he should be. I challenged him on this and said that surely he grew during the three years on the life support machine. He simply replied ‘No, I didn’t’ and walked off.”

[Queenslander]

What a psycho.

[Ian]

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/may/12/the-t20-cricket-tournament-that-wasnt-how-fixers-fabricated-the-uvat20-league

A little nugget to keep you going until Shankar pt.2 is out.

[Queenslander]

Is this going to be a movie?

[Ian]

The BBC's thing to select your team for the first New Zealand test has Haseeb Hameed as an option at opener and Cricinfo (hate their player page layout now) tells me he's actually in a good run of form at the moment.

Is he likely to actually be considered for for the squad as it stands?

[Jimmy Floyd]

Probably not, but he has had a bit of a renaissance this season, armed with a Samson-like mane of long hair. We may see James Bracey get a debut at 3 and Burns/Crawley open, assuming Sibley isn't fit and I haven't forgotten someone.

[Ian]

Where was Lawrence batting? 5?

[Jimmy Floyd]

5, where there may actually be a spot open as Stokes is bollocksed. Then there is also talk of 'rest' for the IPL crew. Could see something like:

Burns
Crawley
Bracey
Root
Pope
Lawrence/someone
Foakes
Woakes
Archer/Robinson
Leach
Anderson/Broad

Could also see defeat.

[Queenslander]

Cricketers returning from the Maldives today are predictibly enemy no.1 on the Social Medias.

[Ian]

Cameron Bancroft dropping more players in it over the sandpaper. Nathan Lyon weeping on national TV, please.

Also where's the rest of these Shankar articles? I'm sure it said it was 6 parts over a fortnight but I haven't seen any more on Wisden.

[Jimmy Floyd]

He said there were 'legal issues' around the next bits (lol in itself) but it would be up shortly.

[Queenslander]

Cameron Bancroft dropping more players in it over the sandpaper. Nathan Lyon weeping on national TV, please.

Also where's the rest of these Shankar articles? I'm sure it said it was 6 parts over a fortnight but I haven't seen any more on Wisden.

That was a real treat hopefully Boot gets more.

[Queenslander]

https://i.ibb.co/s6KCNyd/FB-IMG-1621305516111.jpg (https://imgbb.com/)

The fact they are trying so hard to get Smith back in the Captain's role says it all really. Warner should have been booted from the squad never to return as well

[Ian]

Warner should have been booted for the poor acting alone.

[Ian]

1394941539202347011

I love those moments where you feel you've absolutely nailed a reference that the other party is totally oblivious to.

[niko_cee]

He'd better not have missed the "oh no".

Although, looking at the lyrics to that song, making reference to it is probably somewhere on the hate crime spectrum.

[Ian]

Adrian Shankar part 2: https://wisden.com/stories/exclusive/the-adrian-shankar-files/the-adrian-shankar-files-part-two-the-mongoose-connection

Adding another string to his weirdo bow with a cheeky 'Only last week another female described me as ‘aloof and distant,’' in amongst all the other bullshit.

Were the basic details of this well known among cricket devotees in the way that Ali Dia was, say, or would most people who'd even heard of him just had him down as a player who briefly appeared but never made it?

[Jimmy Floyd]

It was reasonably well known at the time, yeah.

[niko_cee]

Cracking stuff. That final cup write-up and its dissection is amazing.

I've no recollection of 'Shanks' from the time (unless he was also part of the double act with Bigfoot) but I do remember those [fucking daft] bats.

Always associated Mongoose as a bike/BMX brand though.

[Ian]

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/may/24/darren-stevens-has-a-cult-following-but-is-still-sorely-underappreciated

I'd never heard of this fella before now but I like the article.

[Jimmy Floyd]

DI Stevens is an absolute menace. If he stays fit I don't see why he couldn't continue to deal in death more or less forever.

[Ian]

Shankar part 3: https://wisden.com/stories/exclusive/the-adrian-shankar-files/the-adrian-shankar-files-part-three-trescothick-ntini-and-the-ipl-push

I'm glad you linked this Jimmy, because I never normally look at the Wisden website.


he headed to Botswana in October with the Cricket Without Boundaries charity (whose mission was to raise AIDS and HIV awareness in schools alongside cricket), where he was apparently known as ‘The Eye Candy’: “a nickname of uncertain origin.”

Strong 'Big Cheese' energy here.


"A friend of mine works in the office at the Oval, and he says that people actually stop what they are doing when Shankar is training there to go and watch him."

:D

[Ian]

"But like Zak Crawley in India, [Foakes] has slipped on a dressing room floor and torn his left hamstring."

Sounds like cricket teams need to start investing in shower mats or something.

[Luke Emia]

Hameed is back in. I didn't think I'd ever see the day again it appears he's been doing ok this year.

[niko_cee]

Shankar part 3: https://wisden.com/stories/exclusive/the-adrian-shankar-files/the-adrian-shankar-files-part-three-trescothick-ntini-and-the-ipl-push

I'm glad you linked this Jimmy, because I never normally look at the Wisden website.



Strong 'Big Cheese' energy here.



:D

I'm getting Phil Olivetti (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aUZe9lkuyE&ab_channel=unda1234) vibes.

In fact, it does have a very made-up feel generally, maybe that's the part 7 pay-off, it was all a long game wind-up and the author is actually Adrian Shankar and a gig with Wisden was the aim all along.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Shankar fits neatly into the mould of Kohli and Vijay – young, gifted and with an explosive game suited to entertaining the large crowds of the IPL. His brand appeal may be unparalleled, with an almost perfectly scripted combination of cover model looks, an Indian father and a Cambridge educated turn of phrase.

Imagine being the guy who would write this about yourself and pass it off as the work of fictional journalist 'Manoj Ramachandran'.

[Queenslander]

'Cambridge educated turn of phrase' deserves a public lashing.

[Queenslander]

Bearded players. :cool:

https://i.ibb.co/6bJCpqn/FB-IMG-1622102400021.jpg (https://imgbb.com/)

[Jimmy Floyd]

The Demon back row on the left (standing), what a menace he was. Bannerman front left who holds the most ridiculous record in all of sport.

[Ian]

https://wisden.com/stories/exclusive/the-adrian-shankar-files/the-adrian-shankar-files-part-four-a-trial-at-rajasthan-and-the-ipl-auction-manouevres

Part 4. A lot of IPL draft admin stuff which is pretty dry but does set up Shankar's later antics and wriggling out of the Royals trial.

Also I dunno if I know about the footballer, Carlos Kaiser, he links to an article about so I'll be reading that too.

[Danny]

That Carlos Kaiser stuff is a good read too. I think they did a movie/doc on him but I haven’t had chance to watch it yet.

[Jimmy Floyd]

First Test at Lord's this morning, another slice of glorious normality. We seem likely to go with this somewhat patched up XI:

Burns
Sibley
Crawley
Root
Pope
Lawrence
Bracey (debut/wk)
Robinson (debut)
Leach
Broad
Anderson

Would have NZ as favourites despite no Boult. Devon Conway will debut for them, he is a serious player.

[Ian]

Glad you posted that as I'd totally forgotten it was today. I gather Burns has been going well this season so I hope he gets a good score today.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Looks like we've gone with a quick man in place of Leach (as per above), so no spinner.

[thommo]

This may sound a bit "Brexit Britain, we're better than you" but watching a Test in England is just better than in other countries.

Contrast these opening few overs with the Tests in the sub-continent early this year and it's miles better. An insanely green ground, a much better Dukes ball, a more manageable start time and less inane commentary.

[Jimmy Floyd]

A little known fact is that we have the best cricket weather in the world. Yes it rains, which is balls, but what that rain does is bind the soil and bring all aspects of the game into play. Elsewhere it tends to be more one-dimensional (be it flat paradise, crumbling spin show, or hard and fast).

[Ian]

Conway's looking very comfortable.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Good time for Wulliamson's soft heeeeeends to be his undoing. Conway feels good for a debut ton though.

[niko_cee]

100 on dayboo, at Headquarters, he may as well call it a day after this innings.

[Jimmy Floyd]

This is a truly awful pitch, with an over rate to match. Hinry Knuckles settling in for a three-day hundred.

[Ian]

Yeah this has barely done anything. We've managed to slow them down for stints but there've also been long, godawful stretches where there's been zero threat.

[Jimmy Floyd]

https://twitter.com/englandcricket/status/1400150999667560449

Bit of a weird overreaction given that another member of the England squad for this match told an Asian player to 'go back to your own fucking country' on the pitch a few years ago and no one seems to bat an eyelid about that.

[Ian]

I must have known that but I don't remember. Who was it?

[Yevrah]

I'm not even sure how the supposedly sexist tweets were actually sexist.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I must have known that but I don't remember. Who was it?

C.Overton, and you probably didn't as it was very under reported (as are the ongoing Yorkshire racism enquiry, and the ECB's enquiry into themselves for failing to promote deserving non-white umpires for years).

[Max Power]

Hey but he said that he was nice to Azhar Ali when they played together so it’s probably fine.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I read that Azhar Ali line too and nearly spat out my future false teeth.

[Ian]

Could do with something, anything, happening here.

[Jimmy Floyd]

This is a draw pitch, but I'm sure we'll find a way to lose by an innings anyway.

[Ian]

Oh absolutely, once they've declared tomorrow afternoon we'll be 23-3 within no time at all.

There's one wicket at least.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Get a wicket on the second morning and only now does BJ Watling stride to the crease ready to take part in another world record partnership.

[Ian]

They've still got big Colin to come as well. :(

[Jimmy Floyd]

Conway in carrying his bat areas here. Don't think he's quite going to contend for Bannerman (https://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/records/283999.html) (the most ridiculous record in all of sport) but he's not miles away.

[Ian]

If their number eleven could stop roflcoptering our bowlers for boundaries that'd be lovely.

[Ian]

This Jamieson fella looks fucking enormous.

[Ian]

Here we go.

[Ian]

Vince-esque from Crawley.

That one looked to swing like a motherfucker but he should still have left it alone.

[Jimmy Floyd]

There is a strong can't resist, won't resist streak in our batsmen when it comes to driving at wide ones early on. It's fine obviously as Root will double ton.

[Ian]

https://wisden.com/stories/exclusive/the-adrian-shankar-files/the-adrian-shankar-files-part-five-kings-xi-and-the-sri-lankan-sojourn

Part five. Lots of good stuff in this one including him making up some heroics against famous names again.

I love how formulaic the emails get, and how much Shankar seems to assume cricket team scouting is based on emails from random fans emailing them.

[niko_cee]

Given the weather down here I'm guessing there isn't going to be much cricket at Lords today.

[Jimmy Floyd]

It looks worse to me on the radar than any of the weather apps are prepared to admit.

[Ian]

It'd be nice if just once, ever, both our batsmen could survive the first over of a new day.

[niko_cee]

Could do without bowling them out here lads, just keep them bogged down so they don't declare and roll us for 50.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Baz McCullum would be declaring about now. Ya hiv to be prepeered to lose, to wun.

[hfswjyr]

Declared. Can we get through 81 overs? Will they turn on the floodlights for us?

[Jimmy Floyd]

Quite an aggressive declaration, that.

[Ian]

Bored 'em to death. :cool:

[Jimmy Floyd]

The sort of target where a good team would have a dart (and sometimes win), while a bad team blocks and will then trot put a load of platitudes about percentages and 'taking something positive from this game of cricket'.

[Ian]

Yeah there was definitely a point where we could have at least tried to turn up the pace a bit and see if there was anything happening but we just looked totally disinterested.

It's not ideal when you've batted an innings in which the biggest cheer went to a fella successfully putting his coat on the right way round.

[niko_cee]

I did lol a bit in the post-match analysis where all the pundits were giving it the big "have a go and then shut up shop at 4 or 5 down if you have to".

Lads, have you ever watched England bat before?

[Jimmy Floyd]

The correct way to do it is build a platform, then have a little go, see where you are and adapt accordingly.

Instead we just said 'nah, mate'.

[niko_cee]

Yeah, but our 'adapt accordingly' sees the middle order disintegrate and the tail being asked to hang on for 20 overs so I'm fairly comfortable we were never going to get those runs with the personnel available.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Accepting that you don't have the personnel to win a Test match is so English and is part of the reason why we are nearly always shite.

[hfswjyr]

If you don't even have a go in home conditions, when will you ever push the boundaries for a win? May have been a different story if Stokes/etc. were in the team.

[thommo]

Don't think the declaration is made if Stokes/Buttler were playing.

I'm not completely against the approach. We were 111-2 in the 1st innings and lost a lot of quick wickets, and the Kiwi bowling unit can easily instigate collapses like that. They could have maybe tried to accelerate when we needed 200 from 40 overs, but even that is a large amount of time for the customary England batting implosion to take place.

[Jimmy Floyd]

What is the jeopardy if we lose whilst having a go? It's not part of the Test championship, the rankings are meaningless, so is the series result. It was a completely free shot and unlikely to result in defeat anyway, unless they really made a cunt of it.

All you have to do is get to say 70/2, see where you are and tell Root, Pope and Lawrence to have a biff. If they all get out, then you bat a session with five wickets, boo hoo, oh the horrid risk, we can't be doing that in front of the first home paying public in two years, they'd rather see us block the fuck out of it for four hours in a Test that has already been blighted by a truly disgusting over rate.

[Ian]

And if you don't trust the players to not read "up the run rate to" as "waggle your bat at anything within reach" then you've either picked the wrong players or you're failing horribly as a coaching team.

[Ian]

Robinson suspended pending an investigation.

Are these tweets not from the better part of a decade ago? If there's been zero evidence of anything since and the charge is "you were a right dickhead when you were a teenager" then... I don't really know what punishment you can really lay on him.

[niko_cee]

He's brought the t-shirt wearing solidarity into disrepute.

[Jimmy Floyd]

His crime was to write it down for posterity, rather than, like Overton, to say it with real menace during a county game just the other year.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Well now the culture secretary has tweeted his opinions about it, so that should definitely sort everything out.

[niko_cee]

Now Boris is wading in.

I wouldn't have picked him as the sort to have friends in high places [Robinson that is].

[Yevrah]

Another sign of context meaning absolutely nothing. In this case, not the context of what he said it, but when he said it and the fact that when it came to light he immediately apologised. Those things seemingly count for nothing.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Twitter opinion leaders are pushing back hard against the 'everyone is an idiot in their teens' argument, saying there is no excuse for ever saying it. I don't get where you go from there? What is it, the death penalty?

[Yevrah]

By extension that presumably means that no-one who is racist, at any point in their life, can ever not be racist. Which in turn presumably means there is no point in even attempting to educate or change people and the death sentence isn't enough - we need to find a way to identify these people, round them up and then remove them from the gene pool.

[Ian]

I don't really understand why as a famous person whose career doesn't rely on social media you'd bother being on it. Or if you really want to just delete it and start from fresh so people can't dig up stuff from when you weren't far removed from being a child.

[niko_cee]

Probably because most fairly normal people (which is all a county cricketer really is) don't have the immediate instinct to remove all record of themselves from existence when the off-chance of them becoming a bit better known comes along.

What even was it he put on twitter?

[Yevrah]

It's also probably a bit different to us, in that I was old enough when social media came along to be wary of posting freely on there. Not that I had any racist views to share, but if I'd been raised on it since I was a teenager I'd have surely forgotten what I'd posted a decade ago, let alone thought to check back through everything to make sure there weren't any grenades left lying around.

[Yevrah]

It's a sad state of affairs all around really. I don't know what more evidence needs to exist for these liberal intolerants to realise that their approach is not working in the slightest, quite the opposite in fact.

[niko_cee]

In one tweet, Robinson wrote: “Not going to lie, a lot of girls need to learn the art of class,” while another said: “My new Muslim friend is the bomb #wheeyyyyy”.

I mean, really?

The amount of casual homophobic language that routinely flew around when I was in my teens (and would undoubtedly have made it onto social media had such a thing existed) would probably see anyone schooled in the 90s precluded from all forms of life nowadays.

Oh found some more:

"females who play video games actually tend to have more sex"

"I wonder if Asian people put smileys like this ¦) #racist"

Yeah, it's not great, but it's juvenile shit.

[Shindig]

There's a level of piss taking to that I can admire.

[Jimmy Floyd]

The bigger problem I have with it, as I put above somewhere, is that he can be crucified for the above, but Craig Overton can say 'Go back to your own fucking country' to a Pakistani player during Somerset v Essex, and because the umpire didn't hear it or whatever, he is free to get picked for England for evermore.

I guess we should all take Stringer Bell's advice about taking notes on a criminal fucking conspiracy.

[Ian]

That said, anybody using the word 'females' when women or girls (or ladies, if you're feeling fancy) would do is clearly a weirdo so maybe all this this is for the best.

[Gray Fox]

So, like pretty much everyone else, he thought he was funny and was likely a bit of a dickhead as an 18 year old.

It's nearly 10 years ago ffs.

[niko_cee]

They've got another one.


Wisden said it uncovered a tweet containing a racist term but had "obscured" the identity of the player, who was under 16 when it was posted.

Fuck winning on the field, just try to get as many of the oppositions players suspended for historic offences as possible. We'd better have an entire division on this for the ashes, the Aussies must be ripe for it. Maybe this is us cleverly laying the ground work for a holier than thou "well, look at the action we took, you must not care about racism" blitz in the winter.

[Queenslander]

The AFL has cricket covered as the Australia's premier racist sport.

[niko_cee]

Anderson, Morgan and Butler in the dock now.

:happycry:

Ramps rather let himself down with his "think about the victims" line. Mate, there are no "victims" of decade old, not aimed at anyone in particular social media posts.

As for Michael Carberry, well, he's obviously had some troubles in his life that have turned him full mental. Does he still fancy his chances if every other professional cricketer in England is given a life ban?

[niko_cee]

I love that the takeaway from the Lancashire game just there on the BBC is "Buttler makes 30 as Lancs beat Derbys by six wickets in early game", never mind Liam Livingstone hitting 94*(58).

[Jimmy Floyd]

The best ones of those are 'Root fails again as Yorkshire bat first', and you'll click and he'll have made 27.

[Jimmy Floyd]

England: 1 Rory Burns, 2 Dom Sibley, 3 Zak Crawley, 4 Joe Root (captain), 5 Ollie Pope, 6 Dan Lawrence, 7 James Bracey (wk), 8 Mark Wood, 9 Olly Stone, 10 Stuart Broad, 11 James Anderson

New Zealand: 1 Tom Latham (captain), 2 Devon Conway, 3 Will Young, 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Henry Nicholls, 6 Tom Blundell (wk), 7 Daryl Mitchell, 8 Neil Wagner, 9 Matt Henry, 10 Ajaz Patel, 11 Trent Boult

Did a spinner abuse Silverwood as a child? That tail is absolutely epic, too.

[hfswjyr]

That said, anybody using the word 'females' when women or girls (or ladies, if you're feeling fancy) would do is clearly a weirdo so maybe all this this is for the best.

I've read this online a few times, so even though I don't understand it I'm always a bit wary of using the word now. But I have noticed lots of women use it without batting an eyelid - so maybe it's really not a thing in the circles I live in?

Anyway, back to cricket (or ummm racism). This holier than thou approach is ridiculous. How pious do you have to be to play cricket?

[hfswjyr]

England: 1 Rory Burns, 2 Dom Sibley, 3 Zak Crawley, 4 Joe Root (captain), 5 Ollie Pope, 6 Dan Lawrence, 7 James Bracey (wk), 8 Mark Wood, 9 Olly Stone, 10 Stuart Broad, 11 James Anderson

New Zealand: 1 Tom Latham (captain), 2 Devon Conway, 3 Will Young, 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Henry Nicholls, 6 Tom Blundell (wk), 7 Daryl Mitchell, 8 Neil Wagner, 9 Matt Henry, 10 Ajaz Patel, 11 Trent Boult

Did a spinner abuse Silverwood as a child?

That is... not a strong NZ team. I guess we are resting players for the WTC final then.

[Ian]

I've read this online a few times, so even though I don't understand it I'm always a bit wary of using the word now. But I have noticed lots of women use it without batting an eyelid - so maybe it's really not a thing in the circles I live in?

It's very much a context thing. But if somebody's saying, for example, "Most females I know-" ahead of a broad generalisation over here it's usually the hallmark of a wrong'un.

[hfswjyr]

Oh dear. Are the anti-homophobia shirts a result of Ollie?

[hfswjyr]

It's very much a context thing. But if somebody's saying, for example, "Most females I know-" ahead of a broad generalisation over here it's usually the hallmark of a wrong'un.

Hmmm, sounds like sexist people being sexist. We've been talking about our gender diversity at work in hiring new staff, and everyone talks about male-female ratios. Never seems to be any issue with the wording.

[Ian]

Yeah like in that instance it's fine, when you're sort of being more official or whatever the best word is. Maybe this is just a me thing, or specific to the people I've encountered but if a dude I knew said something along the lines of "Well I find that females are more likely to-" that's a minor alarm bell for a weirdo.

I know there've been a bunch of changes, how strong is or isn't this New Zealand team? The sort of depth to still lol us off the park?

[hfswjyr]

This is definitely B-team players mixed in with some A-team core here. I'd be happy to take a draw here.

[Jimmy Floyd]

It'll still be competitive as they have a game plan, but NZ depth obviously isn't amazing compared to other cricket nations, and I think they are carrying a couple in that XI. 3 and 7.

[Jimmy Floyd]

We are also carrying a 3, by the looks of it.

[niko_cee]

This is more like it.

No wickets in a session. As if that could be allowed to pass without some sort of major cosmic realignment (there is some sort of eclipse today isn't there).

I notice that don't take me home song hasn't gone away with the covid hiatus. Sad times.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Having observed the Hollies from a safe distance at a couple of T20 finals days, I really fear for what could be going down in this crowd by tea time.

One of the times, I walked around the back of the stand and saw the actual Mr Motivator running away from some plebs dressed as vicars, I thought I'd ascended to the pearly gates for a minute.

[Ian]

Nice to see Crawley giving away The England Wicket.

That was a proper nothing shot at one that could easily have been left.

[niko_cee]

Is this crowd a bigger % of capacity than has been seen before? It looks pretty packed, or have they just crammed everyone into 2 stands?

[Jimmy Floyd]

18,000 they said? Not sure what capacity is there.

[Danny]

Bracey having a great time.

[Ian]

Bracey having a great time.

I'm going to turn this into a positive: I'm delighted to see Bracey has so quickly immersed himself into English batting culture.

[niko_cee]

18,000 they said? Not sure what capacity is there.

That must be at least 50% though, not many cricket grounds in England have really big capacities do they? (apparently capacity is 25000)

When is Wembley going to be 75% full or is more of an absolute numbers limit for transport crowding reasons?

On the game, always terrifies me when the tail sees off the new ball in the gentle evening sunshine with relative ease. Another hour of it in the morning and I'll know we're completely ballbagged.

[Danny]

https://wisden.com/stories/exclusive/the-adrian-shankar-files/the-shankar-files-the-rajasthan-rejection-and-the-worcestershire-debacle

Part 6. Not sure if it was posted

[Ian]

Conway double-ton incoming then.

Reviews on those are rough because those always look like they've hit the ground.


https://wisden.com/stories/exclusive/the-adrian-shankar-files/the-shankar-files-the-rajasthan-rejection-and-the-worcestershire-debacle

Part 6. Not sure if it was posted

:drool:

Need our customers to shut the fuck up this afternoon so I can have a read of this.

[niko_cee]

Not a big fan of the 'soft signal' in those (or probably any catch) situations as the basic reason the third ump needs to look at it is because the umpire doesn't know and is by definition just guessing if he has to pick a decision. The on field presumption should be with the fielder.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I think the soft signal is meant to cover those instances when it's not clear on TV either. If it's clear on TV then it doesn't matter what the soft signal was. I can see why they have it, if it was down to the fielder then they'd start claiming everything to get the percentages working in their favour.

In this case it looks like the issue, rather than the existence of the soft signal, was that the umpires gave a bad soft signal. I personally think the striker's end umpires in this sort of cricket should stand at point anyway so they can see this stuff (the reason you stand at square leg normally is to do with not having the keeper's arse in your way for run outs - but run outs are all done by TV anyway).

[Ian]

Only just started Shankar part 6 and he's already off to a banging start, making up this story about his time with the Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka but saying while there are journalists there it'll be too hectic for them to take pictures or write anything about it. As if actual war reporters don't exist.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I'm catching up on part 5. His literary talents really are amazing.


His average-looking stats on cricinfo don’t tell the real tale. In early 2010, Adrian had a tragedy in his family and since that event, he has played cricket with unfettered mea culpe [sic] abandon, as his 2010 stats reflect.

It's like the apotheosis of every bullshitter in club cricket who tells you they'd be averaging 50 if they were given a chance three levels higher.

[Ian]

It's like the apotheosis of every bullshitter in club cricket who tells you they'd be averaging 50 if they were given a chance three levels higher.

What? :D As in, "I'd be doing better against better opposition"??

[Jimmy Floyd]

'I play better against better players', a refrain that I'm sure is common in all amateur sport, and is always 100% bullshit.

[niko_cee]

It's not necessarily bullshit [in some 'sports' - I'm thinking mostly cue sports here], although the results are usually worse, so it depends how better is defined.

[Ian]

'I play better against better players', a refrain that I'm sure is common in all amateur sport, and is always 100% bullshit.

An excellent way to turn your own inadequacies into the fault of other people.

[Mellberg]

It's true for some people but better known as BIG GAME player. Challenges bring the best out in some.

[Jimmy Floyd]

It might feel like it's true, but it isn't. Name me a footballer who's been great in the Premier League and shite in the Championship (all things being equal).

[Ian]

Yeah I think there's a difference between what Jimmy's talking about and the Big Game Player.

[Ian]

Going well, this.

[niko_cee]

We really are laughably bad.

Is it obligatory for every player to be dropped at least once?

[niko_cee]

That review.

:happycry: