The end of the road for the Champions Trophy - 14 June 2013
The Champions Trophy currently being played in England is the last version of this ICC event.
The Champions Trophy was the idea of Jagmohan Dalmiya, the former President for the Board of Control for Cricket in India. The idea of the tournament was to stage it every two years between World Cups to promote the game among Associate members and to raise money for the global development of the game.
Athlete Endorsements: Linking fans and brands - 7 June 2013
There was a time, not too long ago, that the primary aim of an athlete endorsement was to create a win-win scenario for the sponsor and the athlete.
Cricket’s scourge raises its head again - 31 May 2013
The match fixing scandal that has plagued cricket since the 1990’s has once again raised its ugly head in the 2013 Indian Premier League. Three Rajasthan Royals players including Indian fast bowler Sree Sreenath, international umpire Asad Rauf and also an administrator from the Chennai Super Kings have been implicated with the latest match fixing scandal.
SA Sports Awards becoming an absurdity - 24 May 2013
I was asked to attend the 2012 SA Sports Awards, all expenses paid by the Department of Sport and Recreation, on behalf of two of our athletes who were abroad at the time. The function was on a Sunday night in Johannesburg. On several occasions during the preceding week, I asked the organisers to send me details of my flight, accommodation, etc. but to no avail. By noon on the Friday I had given up, informing them I can’t attend. Suddenly people were frantically phoning me – there has to be somebody representing these athletes, I must attend, it will all be sorted out... I’m still waiting for my ticket.
Gary Kirsten resignation - 17 May 2013
Gary Kirsten announces his resignation. GALLO IMAGES
The resignation of Gary Kirsten as national coach of the Proteas has come as a total surprise. Things have been going well with the Proteas and Kirsten. They have risen to the number one Test team in world cricket and also enjoyed spectacular Test series victories in the process, especially, in England and Australia.
We are being Dempseyed! - 10 May 2013
Charlie Demspey
“Charlie Dempsey” should be declared a swear word in South Africa, certainly, and perhaps everywhere else, even New Zealand.
Indian Premier League 2013 - 3 May 2013
The IPL has reached the halfway stage in India and once again proved that it is the by far the biggest cricket tournament in world cricket today and that includes the ICC World Cup. At least one IPL match is played every day and certain days there are two matches. The crowd attendances, the atmosphere and hype around these games are fantastic. The only other cricket event that can compare with the IPL is the Ashes Series played over five Test matches between England and Australia.
FIFA vs. Football Agents : A precursor for other Codes? - 25 April 2013
According to a recent report tracking cross-border player transfers published by FIFA, football’s world governing body, player representatives earned US$163 million in fees from clubs in 2012.
The death of the First Class Game - 19 April 2013
The first class game was the start of cricket in the world over two hundred years ago. It evolved over the years from its infancy stages of under arm bowling to the four day game and Test cricket as we know it today.
Sponsoring Icons
The New Zealand Rugby Union recently decided, for the first time in its history, to sell the front of the legendary all black All Blacks (sorry, I couldn’t resist the tautology!) jersey to a sponsor. And then to top it all did so to an American company, insurance giant AIG.
South Africa has lost a legend - 4 April 2013
South African sport has lost a legend with the death of Karen Muir at 60 from cancer. Karen is probably the greatest swimmer ever produced by South Africa and it is a pity that she never had a chance to swim at the Olympics. The world was denied the greatness of Karen because of politics.
Australians need to accept the facts - 15 March 2013
Mickey Arthur (Photograph: Paul Kane/Getty Images)
The Australian team in India find themselves under immense pressure being two nil behind in the four match series. Also, the results of recent performances of the national team have not gone down well with the Australian public.
Memorable summer of Test Cricket - 1 March 2013
The Proteas concluded a memorable summer of Test cricket when they demolished Pakistan at Supersport Park by an innings within three days. The Proteas won all five their home Tests against New Zealand and Pakistan with relative ease, not one of the five Tests went into a fifth day.
Armstrong and Pistorius: Quo vadis individual sponsorships? - 23 February 2013
Oscar Pistorius
The recent falls from grace of first Lance Armstrong and lately Oscar Pistorius have been spectacular. Rarely has the world witnessed anything like this.
As could have been expected, the reaction from their array of personal sponsors was swift. In both instances, within two weeks after the news broke, all sponsorships were either summarily terminated or suspended indefinitely. In the wake of this, the sport sponsorship world is once again asking itself is it not too risky to sponsor an individual sportsman or -woman?
South African All Time Test XI - 15 February 2013
Graeme Pollock
With South Africa entrenched as the number one Test team in the world, I thought it would be an interesting exercise picking the best South Africa’s Test XI in the long history of South African cricket. The selection has been based on my historical knowledge of South African cricket and statistics.
This is I believe the best South African Test XI of all time:
Is this one of the best test bowling attacks ever? - 8 February 2013
Photograph: Gareth Copley/Getty
Bowlers win test matches. If your bowling attack cannot take twenty wickets, you will not win a test match.
Rotation system - realistic or detrimental? - 29 January 2013
Australia implemented a rotational system at the beginning of the current season and this was followed by South Africa during the ODI series against New Zealand. Both countries experienced mixed fortunes with this policy with regards to their results.
The Proteas’ stuttering ODI engine - 24 January 2013
When New Zealand’s seventh wicket fell in the first ODI in Paarl on Saturday, I left the ground safe in the knowledge the Proteas have this one in the bag. The tourists were still 104 runs short of the mark and nothing on the tour up to that point would have given anyone an indication they will be able to pull this one off. Well, they did!
Proteas face an easier assignment in 2013 - 9 January 2013
The Proteas started the New Year very much the same way as 2012 with a convincing Test victory at Newlands. This time the causality was New Zealand who was destroyed by an innings in less than three days.
Domestic cricket: Development or Commercial? -19 December 2012
The Momentum Cup has been completed with the Lions and Cobras sharing the trophy after the rain-affected final played over two days. When the sponsors look back at the competition they will not be satisfied with the attendances and the profile.