In a Spin: How Swann became the greatest

The first day of England’s Test match against India saw Graeme Swann become the country’s most prolific off-spinner.

It was some four years ago Swann graced the main stage for the first time and from the start he took a leading role.

India were the hosts then in 2008 when the Nottinghamshire spinner became only the second player in history to take two wickets in his maiden Test match over.

Throughout the years which have elapsed Swann has frequented the headlines of many sporting publications.

It has been with ease that Swann has surpassed the achievements of predecessors of the England ranks.

Thursday was no exception as the spinner overtook the legendary Jim Laker to become the greatest in the team’s history.

Swann’s absence from the scorecard in the Test match against South Africa at Headingley earlier in the year raised eyebrows aplenty.

But with five wickets in the first innings of the opening Test match in Ahmedabad the 33-year-old verified his value.

The first of which took Swann level with Laker’s record of 193 wickets and on completing the five-wicket haul he moves to 197 in just 47 matches.

Laker’s most renowned performance took place at Old Trafford in 1956 where he claimed 19 of the 20 Australian wickets in an Ashes Test match.

Maybe the coming summer will be Swann’s time to try and emulate, or even surpass that, with Australia’s upcoming tour.

It is always difficult to compare bowlers of differing eras; Laker played just 46 Tests and had a more economical wicket-taking average.

Yet Swann plays in a packed calendar age giving him much more opportunity to take wickets.

The jury will deliberate for a long time to come but all that can be said for now is that the figures do not lie.

Graeme Swann is the leading wicket-taker in England’s international history.

Take a bow.

A Small Victory

Relief.

The only word which can describe my feelings in learning the BBC will be able to broadcast Test Match Special throughout England’s cricket series in India.

Prior to Thursday’s discussions it seemed the BBC and Sky would be locked out of the stadiums during the four-match tour following complications with the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India).

The negotiations surrounded contractual issues which saw the BCCI requesting additional payments for productions to be broadcast during the upcoming series.

Although there has been no official figure released a number of sources suggest it has cost the BBC in the region of £50,000 to maintain their flagship cricket show.

Sky’s prospects of covering the series which begins in Ahmedabad on Thursday 15^th November still remains somewhat cloudy as they face stumping up half a million pounds to seal a deal with the BCCI.

It was considered essential for the BBC to broker the deal but Sky are currently formulating plans to broadcast commentary from their studios in Isleworth while using pictures from commercial partners of the BCCI, Star TV.

Although the situation has been resolved to a certain extent, it is a saga which continues to cause concern for many in cricketing spheres.

Indeed, England fans will be able to follow the action without missing a move.

All is well on that frontier.

But the question still remains, who is in charge?

The cost of the BBC covering cricket has been dictated by a contract drawn up by a national governing body.

Sports fans in the majority realise cricket in India is not just a sport; it is a cult, a following, a religion some may say.

Yet the spiral of events in recent years has seen Indian cricket become defined by economic gain rather than on-field prowess.

The Indian Premier League’s franchise system has seen teams compete in auctions to secure signatures of the biggest stars while many have been lured by big pay packets and glamorous lights.

This situation in itself affected the international scene as players began to opt for money rather than the pride of representing their nation.

And now we have the Indian cricketing authorities basically holding the world’s media to ransom.

If English broadcasters are to cover England’s cricket in India then their fate lays in the hands of those in power.

The BBC, a publically funded organisation, surely cannot afford to be restricted and forced in such a fashion.

Unless the International Cricket Council (ICC) can step in and retake control of world cricket and all that comes with it, maybe the only way forward would be to launch a giant protest.

If Indian authorities demand such sums again, maybe all foreign broadcasters should abstain from covering tours while enforcing similar penalties when India themselves become the visitors.

Cricket is calling for its international governing body to regain control of all aspects of the sport in order to ensure fans worldwide can rest assured they can easily follow their team.

For the sake of cricket we must all be grateful this dispute has been resolved, even if only temporarily.

Ben Hampshire (@BH92)