The year of the underdog

In the women's game, West Indies, Pakistan and Ireland stamped their authority on the field, while Australia, New Zealand and South Africa made significant progress off it

Raf Nicholson December 28, 2013

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West Indies beat higher-ranked teams and made it to their first World Cup final © ICC/Solaris Images

The Women's World Cup in India proved an exciting start to 2013, generating unprecedented media coverage and catching the public's attention as never before: 23.7 million people globally watched the broadcast group matches. On the pitch, the tournament produced some of the biggest upsets ever seen in international cricket: Sri Lanka, who had never previously beaten any of the top-four-ranked teams (England, Australia, New Zealand and India), triumphed in two of their group matches. India were dispatched by a crushing 138 runs; and though their match against the defending champions, England, came down to a last-ball nail-biter, Eshani Kaushalya's 56 off 41 balls ensured a famous one-wicket victory.

To top it off, West Indies, who had never beaten Australia or New Zealand before in the 50-over format, managed to win their group matches against these teams and top the tables in the Super Sixes stage. Deservedly, they went on to feature in their first World Cup final - a final that had previously always featured two of those top four teams. Australia proved far superior on the day, with Ellyse Perry's 3 for 19 helping them bowl West Indies out for 145, but history had already been made.

Australia's ninth World Cup victory was a fitting end to the career of their star allrounder Lisa Sthalekar, who announced her retirement in the wake of the tournament. With 2728 ODI runs at 30.65 and 146 wickets at 24.97, Sthalekar is the only woman ever to score 1000 runs and take 100 wickets in ODIs, and the end of her 12-year career marked the end of an era for Australia's Southern Stars.

But it was New Zealand's captain, Suzie Bates, who averaged 67.83 with the bat and hit a century against champions Australia in the group stages, who was named Player of the Tournament - and, more recently, the ICC's Women's ODI Player of the Year. In April, Bates also became one of the first Kiwi women players to be awarded semi-professional contracts by New Zealand Cricket, along with Sophie Devine, Sian Ruck and Sara McGlashan.

South Africa also introduced contracts for its female players for the first time this year; and an important step was taken towards full professionalism in the women's game when, in the wake of the World Cup triumph, Cricket Australia restructured their contract system, making it possible for leading Australian players to earn up to $80,000 annually. All eyes are now on the ECB, wondering if it will soon follow suit.

The ICC took steps to continue the global expansion of women's cricket, announcing that the women's World Twenty20 would be expanded to incorporate ten teams, instead of the previous eight. This allowed three teams to progress from the qualifying tournament, which took place in Ireland in August, and means that the 2014 tournament will feature Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Ireland, as well as hosts Bangladesh.

Indeed, it proved to be a good year for the underdog. In April, Bangladesh toured India for the first time, to play in three ODIs and three T20Is (though they lost all six matches). Pakistan showed the progress they have made when, on their first tour of England in July, they beat England Academy and achieved their first win against England in any form of the game in the second T20, in Loughborough, winning by one run. The players were each rewarded with a $1000 bonus by the PCB.

And then, of course, there was that biggest of cricketing innovations: a new-format women's Ashes, with the winner decided based on points awarded across all three formats - Tests, ODIs and T20s. A resurgent team effort by England saw them triumph by 12-4 on points after the single Test match was drawn, though the performances of Katherine Brunt with the ball - nine wickets at an economy of 3.02 across all formats - along with Heather Knight's majestic 157 in the Test, and Sarah Taylor's average of 38.42 with the bat, and flawless keeping ability, were truly special. Taylor was deservedly awarded the ICC Women's T20I Cricketer of the Year on the back of this series.

Perhaps equally importantly, the new format generated a great deal of excitement and media attention, with the BBC broadcasting all matches live for the first time. Coupled with the furore surrounding the World Cup, then, 2013 has been an exciting year for women's cricket.

High point
The final of the World Cup, which was watched globally by 50 million people. That, and the accompanying Twitter explosion, proved definitively that there is interest in and a worldwide audience for women's cricket.

The interest surrounding the women's Ashes series reinforced this point. Arguably the new points-based system may prove to be a means of reviving the longer format in countries whose cricket boards have so far rejected women's Tests as commercially unattractive.

Low point
The eviction of the women's World Cup matches from the Wankhede Stadium at the last minute to accommodate two men's domestic games. The programme of matches was not eventually finalised until five days before the opening game, which was unsettling for the players and did nothing to help encourage local crowds. It proved an embarrassing gaffe by the ICC.

Natalie Sciver: the first England female player to take a hat-trick in T20Is © WICB

New kid on the block
Natalie Sciver is England's find of the last few years, a genuine allrounder who stormed onto the international scene for England back in July, taking 3 for 28 against Pakistan in only her second ODI. She has continued to excite; in the fifth match of the tri-series against New Zealand in October, she became the first Englishwoman to take a T20I hat-trick. Her contributions with the bat have also been impressive: she averaged 100 during the Ashes. At 21, she is sure to be a mainstay of the England side for the next few years.

All eyes will also be on Holly Ferling when the women's Ashes starts January 10. At just 17 years of age, she made a surprise debut back in February at the World Cup when Perry was out of action. Her sheer pace blew England away; she took 3 for 35 and England sank from 37 for 2 to 39 for 6 and lost the match by just two runs. Though still raw and erratic, she shows great promise for the future.

What 2014 holds
The year kicks off with the follow-up women's Ashes series in Australia in January, which will see a return to the multi-series format that proved so successful over the summer in England. It will be interesting to see how far the interest this new format previously generated carries over into this series.

The big event of the year will be the World Twenty20 in Bangladesh, to be staged once again in conjunction with the men's tournament. Australia will be favourites to defend their title, but a West Indies team buoyed by their good performances in 2013 - they triumphed in the tri-series against New Zealand and England in October - will be keen to reach their second successive tournament final. With Deandra Dottin and Stafanie Taylor at their disposal, they might just pull off a victory, too.

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Where's the fight gone, Zaheer?

Zaheer Khan used to be a tailender who could contribute with the bat, but he does not seem to have the will to tough it out anymore

Almost every time Zaheer Khan has come to bat in the last three years, with the match still alive and his contribution vital, he hasn't - for some reason - shown willingness to get behind the line of the ball, or fought for the sake of the better batsman at the other end (see sidebar). He has collected eight ducks over this period, taking his tally to 29. Only five cricketers have more.

Zaheer wasn't always like this. He once played an important role in saving a Test by scoring an unbeaten 57 off 121 balls with Harbhajan Singh for company. He followed that innings with a sledge at his opponents, Australia, saying they couldn't even get Harbhajan and him out, and went on to win the series for India with the ball. Something has gone wrong with Zaheer the batsman in the last two years or so, and it is hurting India because they know he can contribute crucial runs if he applies himself.

Zaheer has been an invaluable bowler for India. He has been a great mentor for the younger bowlers. Nobody can, or should try to, take that away from him. When he bats like he did in Durban, though, and like he has done in the recent past, it sends wrong signals to the opposition and to his own team-mates. For starters, Zaheer's wicket and the one that fell before him seems like the beginning of a collapse, and it's difficult for Ishant Sharma to quell the opposition's momentum.

Ishant has always treated Zaheer as a guru. Maybe it is time for Zaheer to learn a few lessons from the apprentice. Even against the fastest bowlers, and in the trickiest conditions, Ishant tries his best to get behind deliveries. When Zaheer left Kohli on 91 in Adelaide, it was Ishant who saw the youngster through to a century that told him he belonged in top-flight Test cricket. Kohli was India's only gain during the 0-4 whitewash.

Today in Durban, with Ashwin dropped and Zaheer batting the way he is, India's batting practically ended at No. 7. Given the fine margins and micro management of the modern game, it is surprising India have neither worked on Zaheer's batting nor demoted him down the order. It was also surprising that Rahane took a single off the first ball of the 109th over, although that could have much to do with this being only his third Test. The leadership team needs to step in there again.

This is not to bag Zaheer, who has bravely fought his body to play 90 Tests and take 300 wickets. He has quite a few deserved allowances in the team. Zaheer is not expected to dive around and save runs. That can be overlooked. However, batting - or the effort put into batting - for a specialist bowler in modern cricket is as important as fielding - or the effort put into fielding - is for a specialist batsman. Especially when you aren't a complete mug.

This is not to blame Zaheer for the predicament India are in. However, the impact of such performances accumulates over time. For those who think criticising Zaheer's batting is making a mountain out of a molehill, this is what MS Dhoni said in 2010, incidentally in Durban, when India were the No. 1 Test side: "We have done really well. We have played some good, consistent cricket. As a team we have done well. Every one has contributed: bowlers or the batsmen or the fielders. The part-timers have contributed in getting wickets, at the same time the lower order has really contributed quite consistently throughout the year.

"One of the important things was the lower-order contribution. Over the years it has really changed. The lower-order batsmen have put a price on their wicket. They have contributed along with the batsmen. At the same time if the batsmen get out, they are able to score runs. Which really helps, and frustrates the opposition."

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Fiery Steyn reignites South Africa's chances

Dale Steyn came back roaring after his longest wicketless streak, running through India in two intense bursts

Will do everything to win it for Kallis - Steyn

Steam does not have the same reputation as fire but it can be just as dangerous. Unlike flames, which are audible in their crackling and visible in their vibrancy, gas is invisible. You can't fully sense the threat it poses until you feel it and then it really hurts. That's what Dale Steyn was like today.

He had gone 67 overs before today without a wicket, so even though the opposition could see and hear him and knew he could do damage, they may not have known when or how much. Given that it was the longest amount of time in his nine-year international career that Steyn had not had success, he was silently seething. The only way for him to cool down was to come out firing.

What was important was the way Steyn started in conditions that offered a little more to the bowlers because of the morning drizzle. "Because the pitch was covered, there was a little bit of a sweatiness that happened. For the first hour and 20 minutes, there was a little bit in the wicket," Steyn said. "A lot of the balls were misbehaving."

There was also a different approach from Steyn. He bowled fuller first up and induced edges off both M Vijay and Cheteshwar Pujara's bats in his first two overs. The edges evaded the fielders, which would ordinarily irritate Steyn, but didn't this time because it showed him he was not was far from ending his drought.

Like steam, he kept rising. By peppering the batsmen with well-directed short balls and mixing them up with full ones, Steyn knew he could produce a wicket. By his third over, having found reverse-swing as well, India felt the suffocation starting. Pujara pushed uncertainly and AB de Villiers took the catch.

Immediately, South Africa lifted too. There was whooping, jumping and high-fiving in joy at having finally broken through. But there was also a sense that something had sparked.

In the next 10 balls, there was confirmation of that. Steyn removed Vijay and Rohit Sharma off successive deliveries. The first went fending a short ball and was caught down the leg side, the second left one that swung into him. Steyn confirmed it was Vijay's scalp that lit him up. "Sometimes if you can get a soft dismissal, you can get on a roll. You need that momentum shift. I was lucky enough to get that soft one down the leg side," he said.

Steyn's first spell of the day read: 5-2-19-3. The three wickets came in 10 balls. India went from 198 for 1 to 199 for 4.

With Steyn threatening to decimate India's advantage further, Graeme Smith could have kept him on for longer but knew it would be better to save him for the second new ball because the pitch was becoming better to bat on. Steyn only returned when it became available and then he used it to attack.

As the first over of his second spell came to an end, Steyn struck Ajinkya Rahane's helmet with a bouncer. Rahane was not watching the ball and ducked into it. Nothing broke and there was no blood, but butterflies would have fluttered in stomachs. Rahane quietened them with a pull in the next over and a drive in the over after that, but the barrage did not let up. Steyn hit Rahane again when the batsman did not duck in time and was caught on the arm.

Credit must go to Rahane for not being so rattled by the scare tactics that he gave it away. He walked off the pain, refocused and in the end scored his maiden Test fifty. Virat Kohli also saw off the wave of aggression from Steyn's second spell. That read: 4-0-19-0. India were unscathed in that period.

Steyn could have come back as soon as the teams returned after tea but Smith chose to use Morne Morkel and Robin Peterson. Steyn was only given the ball when neither managed to break through - particularly not Peterson, whose continual leakage will leave South Africa with serious concerns about their spin department.

Steyn beat MS Dhoni and then dismissed him chasing a wide one. In almost a replica of his first spell, Steyn's next two wickets came in the space of four balls. Zaheer Khan backed away from a short one and slashed behind and then Ishant Sharma offered a regulation caught behind.

Steyn's third spell read: 5-1-13-3. Three wickets came in eight balls. With JP Duminy also among the scalps and Morkel taking the last wicket, India went from 320 for 5 to 334 all out.

Their collapse was triggered by Steyn, who was ablaze from the first ball he bowled to the last. In the process, he claimed his 22nd five-for, which he regarded as "one of my better ones because I had gone so long without taking a wicket". On previous occasions - and there have been very few of them - when Steyn has struggled he has resorted to showing his testiness. This time it was the complete opposite.

He allowed his satisfaction to shine through. "I am actually really proud of myself because most people would capitulate and not be able to come back from that dry spell," he said. Most people are also not able to act as the flammable Steyn is. When he ignites, he takes the team with him. That was on show today. South Africa's stubbing out of the Indian tail featured five wickets for just 14 runs. Then the opening pair began the reply by scoring at more than four runs an over to show South Africa's intent to seal the series. If they do, they will have Steyn to thank for lighting the first flare.

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England extend lead after last-wicket flurry

Lunch England 255 and 0 for 54 (Cook 41*, Carberry 5*) lead Australia 204 (Haddin 65, Rogers 61, Anderson 4-67) by 105 runs
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Australia's captain Michael Clarke resorted to the medium pace of Shane Watson as England strengthened their grip on the Boxing Day Test before lunch on day three.

Alastair Cook and Michael Carberry were largely untroubled in their stand, the England captain particularly positive in approach and stretching the lead of 51 his bowlers had secured with diligent work on the second evening.

Carberry was happy to ride in his leader's slipstream, their vast scoring differential of little concern to England as the advantage mounted.

Clarke, so dominant for much of the series, was left bereft of options, and called on Watson to bowl despite the allrounder suffering a groin strain in the first innings. He bowled gingerly but could not take a wicket, seeing a Carberry edge fall short of slip, as the lead grew to 105 by the interval.

Australia's last pair had added 40 on the third morning but still left the hosts worryingly short of England's first innings. Brad Haddin fell to James Anderson for 65, an innings that gave him the record for the most runs scored by a wicketkeeper in an Ashes series.

Nathan Lyon remained unbeaten on 18, a pesky innings that temporarily frustrated England and forced Cook to take the second new ball. The partnership had lasted 45 minutes of the morning session when Anderson chased Haddin with a bouncer, the resulting top eged pull clasped by Jonny Bairstow, his fourth catch of the innings.

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England hit back after Johnson docks tail

Innings close England 255 (Pietersen 71, Johnson 5-63) v Australia
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Australia lost the early wickets of David Warner and Shane Watson after Mitchell Johnson rumbled England out for 255 on day two of the fourth Ashes Test at the MCG.

Warner fell to a presumptuous pull shot at James Anderson and Watson edged an attempted drive off Ben Stokes to leave the hosts in slightly wobbly territory, with Chris Rogers and the captain Michael Clarke in need of a steadying afternoon partnership. They owed much to Johnson, who once again tormented England's lower order.

Starting off with two wickets in his first over, including that of a panicked Kevin Pietersen, Johnson then crashed through Stuart Broad for figures of 5 for 63, all those wickets taken at a cost of 18 runs in nine overs after Clarke handed him the second new ball with England a relatively well-placed 4 for 201 late on Boxing Day.

At that stage they had hopes of a substantial tally but went into the field with only a mediocre first innings - albeit their best of a wretched series - and the memories of another Johnson terror to haunt them. Pietersen in particular will wonder at the wisdom of his leg-side swish to be bowled, having fought so stolidly on day one.

Pietersen had slapped the first ball of the morning from Ryan Harris to the boundary over point, suggesting entertainment was in the offing. Johnson had other ideas however, and his first delivery lifted sharply on a hapless Tim Bresnan, looping off the shoulder of a bat raised in self preservation and being well held by George Bailey running back from square leg.

After Stuart Broad took a leg bye, Johnson went after Pietersen, who seemed intent on destruction one way or another. A short ball had him pulling out of a swing to leg at the last minute, before a fuller, faster delivery, perhaps with a hint of inswing, rushed through Pietersen's brazen attempt to mow over midwicket. Two wickets in the over had the MCG in morning tumult.

Broad took two boundaries from Harris' next over, a flirty outside edge and a more assured glide through the covers, before the same bowler dropped a difficult return chance from a leading edge, having made excellent ground to reach it. Johnson then intervened once more, pinning Broad lbw with a yorker that struck the same foot he had badly bruised with another lbw verdict in Perth. Broad's consideration of a review brought mirth but little else.

Anderson and Monty Panesar then held up the Australians briefly, the latter's determination putting some of his better batting counterparts to some shame. He was struck an eye-watering blow to the groin by Peter Siddle before being bowled by Nathan Lyon when offering no shot. Australia had wrapped up the innings in less than an hour, but their progress to lunch would not be altogether smooth.

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Steyn's drought hurts South Africa

On an unusually dry Kingsmead surface, South Africa's attack struggle to cope with their talisman's longest-ever wicketless streak

Match Point: 'Disappointed to see Steyn bowl slower'

Dale Steyn began his fifth over the way he may have wanted to start his first. He delivered a snarling bouncer that soared towards M Vijay at almost 146 kph. Having already faced 17 balls and made some assessment of conditions, Vijay ducked under it.

It was as though Steyn had remembered who he was, with that ball. He followed up with another quicker one, pitched up, then one back of a length that jagged back in and hit Vijay on the arm, and then one he could leave alone on bounce. The fifth ball of Steyn's over preyed on the uncertainty caused by the previous four: with Vijay unsure whether to go forward or back, he was struck on the front pad. Steyn aborted his appeal when he realised it was likely going down leg, but he'd made his threat clear.

Why Steyn didn't start like that is anyone's guess. His first four overs were ordinary. His pace was down, he overpitched and he conceded 21 runs. Perhaps, like the rest of the South African attack, he was taken aback by the surface he was given. "It's very dry and a touch on the slow side," Morne Morkel said. "What surprised me is that after the 13th over, the ball already looked like it was 60 overs old. It's the type of wicket that's going to be tough to strike on."

South Africa would have known that much two days ago, when they first laid eyes on the Kingsmead pitch. Once the green mamba of the South African circuit, it has taken on subcontinent characteristics over the last few years. South Africa would not have forgotten this, even though they didn't play a Test here in 2012. Even so, they might have been stunned by just how different this looked from what they consider home conditions.

Steyn should have been the least startled because he has succeeded on decks like this before, Nagpur 2010 a case in point. Then, Steyn's aggression coupled with the reverse swing he got buoyed South Africa and led them to an innings win. Morkel admitted South Africa had been angling for something similar today. "We were hoping the ball would reverse a little more," he said. "We need to find a way to get reverse going."

There was some reverse swing but the Steyn factor was nowhere near what it was in Nagpur and it reflected on South Africa as a whole. Like him, they tried hard. Smith had a fine leg and a deep backward square leg waiting for the pull but it never came.

Morkel was the most threatening. He set the tone with a maiden when he was brought into the attack in the seventh over. He used the short ball well and found extra lift. After Morkel's opening, Steyn hit his rhythm.

Usually, it's the other way round and Steyn is the bowler who dictates the mood. Vernon Philander bristled when that suggestion was put to him at the Wanderers - when Steyn went wicketless in the second innings - and said it was up to every member of the attack to play their part, but you need only to think back to The Oval last year to remember the impact a firing Steyn can have.

In that match, Steyn made it obvious he was irritated. He hung onto the boundary boards in what seemed like discomfort and was spotted engaged in animated conversation with bowling coach Allan Donald. This time too, Donald was on the sidelines offering advice but Steyn was not as heated up as he can be. He jokingly signed a blow-up doll, did his fielding duties, and slowly cranked it up.

After Morkel's first over, Steyn operated in the right channel for the rest of the day. He delivered 12 more overs at speed, with better lengths, and gave away just 28 runs. An unhelpful surface, confident driving from the Indian batsmen and the impenetrable new wall that is Cheteshwar Pujara meant that the intent did not bring success this time. Not for Steyn and not for anyone else.

"We were guilty of maybe attacking a little bit too much. We didn't get balls in the right areas, we were a touch too straight as we searched for wickets," Morkel said. It did not help South Africa that, again, their spinner failed to play his part. Robin Peterson offered a first ball that looked like it could have come from Imran Tahir. It was a full toss.

He didn't get much better as the day wore on, leaving South Africa with what may become a more pressing problem in the future. If their spinner cannot take wickets, he should at least be able to dry up an end. Neither Tahir nor Peterson has looked like doing that in this series but Morkel stressed the attack as whole needed to be econimical. "If we are not getting wickets, we have to make sure they are not scoring," he said.

Frustration, South Africa hope, will bring some reward and there will be some crossed fingers hoping the fortunes swing Steyn's way. He last took a wicket 67 overs ago, in the first innings of the Wanderers Test. It is the longest Steyn has gone without a scalp.

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An administrative farce

The Sri Lankan board's continuing ineptness meant a paucity of Tests, alienation of senior players, and another cancelled T20 league

Andrew Fidel Fernando December 27, 2013

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The 4-1 ODI victory over South Africa was one of the few positives for Sri Lanka in 2013 © Associated Press

If Sri Lanka's 2013 had remained as the Future Tours Programme had intended, fans would now be reflecting on a satisfying year of cricket, replete with full tours to the West Indies and Zimbabwe, and a home Test series against the No. 1 team. Instead it has been 12 months of bland, already forgotten ODIs and regret over missed opportunities. Fittingly, off the field, 2013 was the year in which the administrators, who allowed this scheduling travesty to occur, became a national joke.

Sri Lanka Cricket's bumbling took great many forms in the year, but nothing quite showcased its ineptitude like the cancellation of the Sri Lanka Premier League after the South Africa Tests had been postponed by two years specifically to make room for it. Three weeks before the SLPL was scheduled to begin, all eight franchises had effectively refused to pay their tournament fee and failed to produce bank guarantees for player payments.

The board claimed it had called off the tournament to safeguard "the integrity of the board and the integrity of the tournament". Given at least one Indian franchise owner was in the SLPL largely to fix matches, integrity had fled in the other direction long ago, like so many cricket fans who allowed the 2012 SLPL to be played in mostly empty stadia. (During this year's Indian Premier League, Ruhuna Royals owner Gaurav Rawat had approached Royals captain Lasith Malinga about fixing in the SLPL - an encounter which Malinga immediately relayed to the ICC's anti-corruption unit. In August, Rawat was among those slapped with corruption charges for their involvement in the Bangladesh Premier League.)

The removal of Tests from this year's calendar had far-reaching consequences beyond simply swindling fans and players of meaningful cricket. The selectors had sought to make 2013 a year of regeneration, but as few Tests were on the horizon, they were forced to blood young players in formats and positions their cricket is grossly unsuited for. Dinesh Chandimal and Lahiru Thirimanne would ideally be Test specialists at this phase of their development, yet they have both been asked to finish innings in ODIs and they have failed abysmally down the order, despite their obvious talent. As the World Twenty20 approaches, captain Chandimal has averaged 9.28 with a strike rate of 77 in 2013.

Rangana Herath waited a decade to secure a long stretch in the Test side, but now, at the peak of his powers he finds there are no matches to play. Kumar Sangakkara has been prolific in limited-overs cricket this year and had the schedule remained unchanged, he may have embellished an already monumental record. Test specialist Thilan Samaraweera retired from cricket because he could not wait six months for the next chance to play, and Test wicketkeeper Prasanna Jayawardene resorted to playing club cricket in England. It bears repeating too that South Africa's last series loss away came in Sri Lanka, and their 1-4 loss in the ODIs is some indication of their enduring discomfort against spin in Sri Lankan conditions.

The board's ongoing financial woes have affected just as many sweeping detriments to cricket in the country. An ugly contracts dispute between SLC and 23 top cricketers led to the players being locked out during a 24-hour impasse, less than a week before a Test match in March. SLC made moderate grants for domestic cricket development late in the year, but the first-class system remains riddled with bad pitches that produce mediocre cricketers, and the board cannot afford to enact the changes that are so desperately required if Sri Lanka are to remain a competitive Test nation.

" Among the few positives for SLC in the year has been their belated recognition of cricket's potential to aid reconciliation in the post-war north

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Secretary Nishantha Ranatunga recently defended the building of stadia that landed Sri Lanka in their present fiscal nightmare by claiming the board was acting in the public's interest - not simply its own. Even cursory inspection exposes the feebleness of this proposition. SLC's primary mandate is to protect and promote cricket in the country, but by incurring huge debts, it has been in a profoundly poor position to do either. To its credit, however, at least the austerity measures it has put in place have helped wipe $12 million off its debt to the state bank.

Among the only specific recommendations of 2012's Lorgat review (which a year on, seems little more than an expensive sham), was the suggestion that team selection be bereft of political influence. Not only has the board failed to remove the sports minister from the selection process, as it promised it would attempt to do, the whole body has drunk even deeper from the diseased waters of Sri Lanka's political landscape.

For the second year in a row, Ranatunga was elected unopposed to what should be a highly contested position at the board, and allegations that he is consolidating power within the cricket body are rife. Sri Lanka's Rugby Football Union is perhaps the only sporting body that is more entwined with the ruling government than cricket, and in December, the SLRFU's president, Asanga Seneviratne, was installed as a vice-president at SLC. This is a man who two months prior had said that "in the next decade or so, [rugby] will overtake cricket" as the most popular sport in the country. His appointment is not the first major conflict of interest at the board, and if the current political milieu persists at Maitland Place, it will not be the last.

Among the few positives for SLC in the year has been their belated recognition of cricket's potential to aid reconciliation in the post-war north. Thirty concrete nets were built in school grounds in partnership with a charity, and the city of Jaffna received its first turf wicket, thanks largely to chief selector Sanath Jayasuriya's insistence. The board also announced that five cricketers from the north and east provinces will be awarded central contracts, helping clear the path for future professional cricketers from those regions. In addition, domestic cricket has begun to be broadcast on live television this year, raising its profile and allowing fans access to rising players at a time when the top team has itself been searching for replacements from the local leagues.

Sri Lanka's returns on the field have largely been acceptable, without revealing all that much about the state of its future prospects. Three encouraging fifties from young batsmen in the New Year Test suggested a future beyond Tillakaratne Dilshan, Mahela Jayawardene and Sangakkara may not be all that bleak, but the Bangladesh tour in March was not as informative. In ODIs, Sri Lanka drew three bilateral series, won one and lost another, in addition to making it to the semi-finals of the Champions Trophy and the final of the tri-series in the Caribbean. They also won six T20s out of nine - just enough to safeguard their top ranking in the format.

High point
The home ODI series victory against South Africa was Sri Lanka's best effort this year, particularly as the first two wins came in the absence of regular captain Angelo Mathews. South Africa rarely stretched the hosts during the 4-1 drubbing, and Dilshan and Sangakkara underlined their continuing hunger at the top level by hitting 645 high-impact runs between them.

If players like Dinesh Chandimal can succeed in the upcoming Tests against Pakistan, Sri Lanka will be able to survive the retirements of Sangakkara and Jayawardene © AFP

Low point
SLC's abysmal relationship with some of Sri Lanka's senior cricketers was laid out in public during the board's spat with Sangakkara over his representation for the Champions League. The board had attempted to cast Sangakkara's choice over whether to play for Kandurata Maroons or Sunrisers Hyderabad as a country versus money issue, which Sangakkara took exception to. The parties eventually made up in public after Sangakkara chose to play for Kandurata - perhaps in order to secure the high moral ground from which he launched his public attack - but distrust lingers, just as it did in the aftermath of Mahela Jayawardene's run-in with the administration at the end of 2012.

New kid on the block
Though the quest for regeneration has consumed the selectors' thoughts since they took office in February, it was an ODI at the end of the year that produced one of the brightest sparks. Right-hand middle-order batsman Ashan Priyanjan has had fine returns in List A and first-class cricket for more than 12 months now, but on debut against Pakistan on Christmas day, he showcased economical but precise footwork, an array of sound aggressive shots - largely played off the back foot - and he tied it all up with encouraging moxie against perhaps the best ODI attack around.

At the top of the innings, Kusal Perera has played some staggering knocks in the year; though equally, he has been plagued with inconsistency. There appear to be no major weaknesses in his game, for he defends almost as well as he attacks, but better judgement and a keener temperament might see him fully emerge from his novelty tag as a Jayasuriya carbon copy, and forge a destiny of his own.

What 2014 holds
The Test series in Pakistan will be a barometer of Sri Lanka's future prospects, and the true state of the young middle order's batting prowess. If the likes of Chandimal and Thirimanne can succeed in the UAE Tests, their limited-overs transgressions can be overlooked. If they fail in January and in the two Tests against Bangladesh soon after, the selectors may give some thought to looking elsewhere for a future-proof middle order.

The most high-profile fixture will be the tour to England in May and June. It should have been more conspicuous still, but the removal of one home Test against England in 2012 has meant that the reciprocal tour next year has been trimmed to two Tests as well. That series will perhaps be a defining one for the emerging fast-bowling trio of Shaminda Eranga, Suranga Lakmal and Nuwan Pradeep.

It will also be a year in which Mathews' skill as captain is put to test. He has had ten months to break into the role now, and while it is unfair to expect him to follow in Jayawardene's footsteps as a leader, he must omit the kinds of tactical errors that have occasionally burnt Sri Lanka this year. His own form with the bat will also need to become more consistent across all formats, particularly as Sri Lanka lock down their team combination for the 2015 World Cup.

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Ashraful cries, Johnson terrifies

Australia's Ashes revival, Afghanistan's fairy tale, player boycotts and more in our staff's picks of the best and worst of the year gone by

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Australia's fightback in the Ashes made the contest interesting but ten back-to-back Tests was overkill © Getty Images

Alan Gardner

Assistant editor

Best: Afghanistan qualify for the World Cup
While the ICC's Full Member nations seem content to loll decadently on a well-plumped but little-regarded chaise longue in the corner of the global sporting stage, there continue to be heartening - and genuinely exciting - stories emerge from the more fragile Associates and Affiliates ecosystem. Nepal became cricket's latest Cinderella men with qualification for the World Twenty20, but the team that set the template is Afghanistan. In October, with a sizeable contingent thronging the Sharjah Cricket Stadium stands, Mohammad Nabi's side wrapped up the second of back-to-back victories over Kenya to secure a spot at their first World Cup. To see the Afghanistan players do a victory lap as flag-waving children ran amongst them, and then to hear them speak with such sincerity about what the achievement meant, was to be inspired once more about the possibilities for spreading the game.

Worst: Scheduling Ashes back to back
A supine governing body is one of world cricket's major problems and the ICC has been able to do little about the self-interest of its dominant constituents. England, Australia and India continue to carve up the calendar to their suiting - leaving South Africa to pick their teeth with the bones in a glacial attempt at dynasty-building - and nowhere was this more evident than in the shunting of England's 2014-15 Ashes tour forward by a year, ostensibly to avoid a clash with the World Cup. Two flawed teams staggered and swung at each other repeatedly, with 26 encounters (including a Champions Trophy meeting) scheduled over eight months allowing few opportunities for reflection, analysis or retrenchment. The usual context of a four-year Ashes cycle was lost - and by 2015 we will have had three such series in two years - amid administrator gluttony and player punishment. Test cricket, in particular, does not need to double up on flat, one-sided series.

Mohammad Isam

Bangladesh correspondent

Best: Bangladesh's stroll in the dark
It gets dark early in Fatullah, even in summer. This was the start of winter. As Bangladesh attempted to keep up with the run rate against New Zealand in the third ODI in this industrial town, the skyline was taken over by smog. Under lights, the Bangladesh batsmen strung together one mid-sized partnership after another. The thing to note was the ease in their batting, and more so in their body language.

Newbie Shamsur Rahman hardly looked in difficulty as he put together a quick opening stand with Ziaur Rahman, a pinch-hitter - yes, in this day and age. Shamsur made 96 before he was caught behind attempting to wheel one over extra cover. Nasir Hossain was then in charge of the slog overs. There was little to worry about, because he knew when to step on the accelerator. Sixes and fours flew in all directions, the only difficulty being spotting who was hitting them.

It was a series Bangladesh had already won, so a sense of complacency was expected. But the match was won without Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal, while captain Mushfiqur Rahim hardly contributed to the chase. The gloom that hovered over the vast cricket ground was, for once, not the gloom of Bangladesh cricket.

Worst: The tears of Mohammad Ashraful
A couple of hours after the Bangladesh board had suspended Mohammad Ashraful pending investigations into alleged corruption in the BPL, I went to his house, looking for a reaction. I wasn't expecting any dramatic pronouncements or emotional scenes, because in such situations players tend to be safe in their answers. I certainly did not imagine Ashraful would start to cry in response to a question about regret.

" England, Australia and India continue to carve up the calendar to their suiting - leaving South Africa to pick their teeth with the bones in a glacial attempt at dynasty-building

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The ACSU grilled him as soon as he returned from Zimbabwe in May and Ashraful admitted to being involved in corruption during the year's BPL. Before the full hearing began, the Bangladesh board cut him off. On that day in Banasree, as Ashraful attempted to answer my question, tears fell from his face and he couldn't complete the sentence. He was dragged away by his minders as a group of us stood in silence watching him sob.

Daniel Brettig

Assistant editor

Best: Mitchell Johnson and Co in Brisbane
Brad Haddin had lifted Australia to a decent total at the Gabba, but tension still hung heavily in the Brisbane air. Would Australia's bowlers exploit the cracks they had made in England's batting in the northern hemisphere on a pitch of pace and bounce, or would the tourists hold firm? Mainly the crowd looked towards the enigmatic Mitchell Johnson for evidence of danger - to opponents rather than team-mates. The early signs were not too promising, as a wayward first spell brought a few familiar groans. But Ryan Harris' removal of Alastair Cook allowed Johnson to worry out Jonathan Trott before lunch, and suddenly Australia's players and supporters sprang to life. The mayhem of the afternoon was summed up by England's loss of 6 for 9, which turned the Ashes narrative definitely towards Michael Clarke's team. Johnson's terrifying pace was to the fore, but there was also the rigour of Harris and the bounce of Nathan Lyon. Given the horrors of 2013, seldom has a Test-match day been more cathartic for Australia.

Worst: Australia at Lord's
Though a dreadful tour of India and equally poor Champions Trophy campaign had encouraged Cricket Australia to jettison Mickey Arthur before the Ashes, the national team still had one more humiliation ahead. It arrived at Lord's, after Ashton Agar's near-miracle at Trent Bridge. Batting uncertainly in the first innings and offering chances in the second, England did not play especially well. But they did not have to, as Clarke's men surrendered their wickets in the most maddening ways imaginable. Chris Rogers summed it up by missing a lollipop full toss from Graeme Swann and falling (incorrectly) lbw, while Clarke himself missed a middle-stump half-volley in the first innings then leg-glanced straight to leg slip in the second. In a matter of days the Ashes were nearly out of grasp, leaving many in attendance to conclude this was the worst day for Australian cricket in living memory. The only way was up.

Firdose Moonda

South Africa correspondent

Best: Competitive Test series
Two-thirds of my year involved covering Pakistan, which provided me with memories I will treasure. After Younis Khan's double-hundred in the first Test in Harare illustrated the gulf between them and Zimbabwe, Brendan Taylor's men scripted one of cricket's fairy tales. Their series-levelling win had contributions from everyone. The old guard, Hamilton Masakadza and Taylor, set up a decent first-innings total before Brian Vitori celebrated his comeback with a five-for. Tino Mawoyo built on the first-innings lead, so Zimbabwe had 264 to defend in the last innings. Tendai Chatara pegged Pakistan back, but they were still favourites to win on the final morning. As if team work needed a make a statement, the match ended with a run-out.

Pakistan lost to Zimbabwe and then beat South Africa © AFP

A month later, Pakistan looked a different team. They bowled with venom and packed on runs against South Africa to beat another world No. 1 side in the UAE (after England in 2012). South Africa surged back to win the second Test and stretch their unbeaten record away from home. In those few weeks, Test cricket showed itself not as a dynamic, engaging game in which the margins between teams are not as wide as they sometimes seem.

Worst: Administrators robbing us of cricket
I was at a Christmas party when I received news that Zimbabwe's cricketers had again threatened a boycott over unpaid salaries. By December, this story had been relayed to me no less than three times and had become my own version of the boy who cried wolf. Out of duty, not expectation, I called a trusted source in Zimbabwean cricket. I got a very frank, "Yes, there will be a boycott." The next day Mountaineers did not turn up to play their one-day match against Eagles. Two days later scheduled first-class games were also not played.

Zimbabwe's cricketers are finally making the statement that may draw attention to their plight. Whether their administrators have the capability, never mind the actual finances and logistics, to change things is to be seen.

All this happened during India's tour to South Africa, which had been chopped to half of its proposed schedule, with the Johannesburg Test providing an epic tussle that left us longing for more.

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England lay base after being put in

Lunch England 1 for 71 (Carberry 26*, Root 11*) v Australia

England's batsmen fought, nudged and scraped their way to a sound platform at lunch after being sent in to bat by Australia's captain Michael Clarke on the first morning of the Boxing Day Test at the MCG.

As a crowd of more than 84,000 settled into their seats, Peter Siddle claimed Alastair Cook for the only wicket of the morning, leaving Michael Carberry and Joe Root in stern occupation, albeit helped by a festive season's helping of good fortune.

Carberry was dropped in the slips from the bowling of Ryan Harris when he had made only 2, Steve Smith's outstretched right hand knocking the ball away when it seemed likely to be taken comfortably by Clarke. Moments before lunch he eluded an lbw appeal and referral from Harris, the ball not hitting enough of off stump to overturn the umpire Aleem Dar's decision.

Root was beaten repeatedly outside off stump by Siddle, who was the most precise of Australia's bowlers in front of his home crowd. Overcast skies and humid air had encouraged Clarke to send England in, in expectation that the MCG's drop-in pitch would offer most to the bowlers on day one before flattening out.

Clarke had named an unchanged side for the fourth consecutive Test match, the first time Australia have done so since 2004-05 when they were the world's undisputed best team. England's captain, Alastair Cook, named two changes to the touring XI after the loss of the urn in Perth, Monty Panesar replacing the retired Graeme Swann while Jonny Bairstow came in for the out of form and confidence Matt Prior.

A leg bye to Harris' second ball of the morning gave England the lead in a match for the first time this series, emblematic of their struggles so far. Cook was in a quite positive frame of mind however, cutting Mitchell Johnson behind point and driving him through cover to cause Clarke to call upon Siddle after only two costly overs from his left-arm slinger, then follow up with a quarter of early overs from Nathan Lyon.

At the other end Harris gained some useful movement, and Carberry was squared up by a delivery that seamed away after straightening onto the line of the stumps. The resultant edge seemed destined for Clarke's hands at second slip, but Smith dived eagerly across from third and deflected it from the path of his captain - a rare missed chance for Australia in this series.

Cook evaded one speculative appeal for caught behind from Harris when the ball brushed pad rather than bat, but his evident desire to get bat on ball would result in his downfall. Siddle changed ends to replace Harris, and soon angled across Cook, who sparred unwisely at one he might have left and nicked it straight to Clarke.

Root appeared hesitant to come forward on a pitch offering seam deviation to those bowlers who deigned to search for it, his preference to sit on the crease enhanced by a Johnson delivery that reared into his shoulder. Siddle beat Root's outside edge numerous times as the interval ticked near, but the absence of any more chances for the slips cordon made it a reasonably satisfying session for England in the circumstances.

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Punjab complete stunning turnaround

Punjab 74 (Nehra 4-31) and 402 (Jiwanjot 147, Mandeep 80) beat Delhi 150 (Chand 55) and 228 (Bhatia 100, Gony 3-51, Jaskaran 3-45) by 98 runs
Scorecard

Punjab, who had been bowled out for 74 in their first innings, capped a remarkable recovery to defeat Delhi by 98 runs and keep alive their hopes of qualifying for the knockouts. Needing 327 to win, Delhi were all out for 228 in 91.3 overs, despite a valiant 100 from Rajat Bhatia, who took multiple blows on his body on a difficult track.

Punjab now have 23 points from seven games, and are tied with third-placed Gujarat. Delhi, with 19, have a massive task ahead of them in their final group match. They will need to beat group-toppers Karnataka and hope that other results go their way.

Delhi's ploy of gunning for maximum points on a seamer-friendly Roshanara track backfired this time, with Punjab's attack proving far more potent than those of previous opponents like Haryana and Vidarbha. Manpreet Gony, Siddarth Kaul and Sandeep Sharma were as effective as Ashish Nehra, Parvinder Awana and Sumit Narwal.

At the start of the day, Delhi needed 267 to win with seven wickets in hand. Gautam Gambhir began on an edgy note, getting one to run past the slips before clipping a boundary off Sandeep. But the pressure told on him after Delhi were stuck on 70 for 39 balls. Gony got one to kick from short of a length and move away, and Gambhir edged to Gurkeerat Singh in the slip cordon.

Virender Sehwag's stay at the crease was brief, as has been the case for most of this season. He started with a glorious off-drive off Gony, who then surprised him with a short one. Sehwag fended at the ball, which over the slips for a second boundary. He had moved to 12 when a delivery from Jaskaran Singh stopped on him. He attempted to check his lofted on-drive, but only managed to spoon it to Sandeep Sharma at mid-on.

Bhatia was hit twice on the forearm and twice in the ribs during 182-ball stay at the wicket. He struck 16 fours while scoring his 14th first-class ton. It was no surprise that he was ready to put his body on the line, but Nehra's four-hour stay at the wicket was a revelation. Having come in as nightwatchman, Nehra gutsed it out for 128 balls and put on 82 with Bhatia in 34.2 overs, as Delhi pursued three points for their first-innings lead.

Punjab finally broke the sixth-wicket stand when they brought on offspinner Gurkeerat. He got one to go through straight and Nehra edged it to Jiwanjot Singh at second slip. Off the very next delivery, Gurkeerat got rid of Rahul Yadav, caught by Yuvraj Singh at first slip. It was 167 for 7, and the result looked a formality. All that remained was to see if Bhatia would reach his milestone. He did, with Sumit Narwal hanging in for 31 balls and Parvinder Awana for 26 to help him over the line.

Bhatia reached 99 with successive pulls before tapping Sandeep towards short cover to reach the landmark with a single. He was the last man out for Delhi, nicking one from Gony to keeper Gitansh Khera.

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