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Shaun Pollock: ‘From a personal point of view, I would be disappointed if we didn’t play against their strongest team’© Getty Images

Ray Jennings has targeted a whitewash in the forthcoming Test and one-day series against West Indies and termed it as “the most crucial series of my career”. Shaun Pollock was also upbeat about the team’s chances and hoped to be fit for the entire tour.The South African board expressed their concern over the sponsorship crisis in the West Indies, including Brian Lara being excluded from the first Test squad. But they acknowledged it is an internal matter and hoped it was resolved before the South Africans arrived. “We have sympathy for the board’s predicament,” Gerald de Kock, the media liaison officer, was quoted as saying in the , “but we don’t have any control or influence over their affairs.”Shaun Pollock, who captained South Africa on the 2001 tour of the West Indies, wished that they played against the strongest team. “I’m sure they’ll work something out before the first Test,” Pollock told , a Durban based newspaper. “The missing guys form the core of their side and it would be silly if they missed out. From a personal point of view, I would be disappointed if we didn’t play against their strongest team.”Pollock, who led his team to a 2-1 in the Tests and 5-2 triumph in the ODIs, added, “People need to understand that the West Indies are unique in that, strictly speaking, they’re not playing for their country; they’re playing for a collective entity made up of different independent islands. That makes a big difference to their outlook and can lead to complications.”Pollock, though, had his own worries with a left ankle injury and he had to pass a fitness test before being cleared to play. The injury had kept him out of the second Test against Zimbabwe last week. If the injury persisted, he might be forced to miss the first two Tests and fly out for the rest of the series. “It’s still niggling me,” he said. “I can run OK, although there’s a little bit of pain, but it’s slamming the left foot down that is the problem. It’s basically a wear and tear injury that’s been equated to patella tendonitis [tennis elbow] that’s difficult to get rid of unless you rest it.”Nicky Boje, according to Pollock, would have a huge role to play in the series. Boje, the left-arm spinner, had a great time in the 2001 series picking up 15 wickets at 29.46. “The West Indies have a lot of left-handers and Nicky will be able to turn the ball out of the rough outside their off-stump.”

Brian Luckhurst, the former Kent and England batsman, has been appointed Kent’s president for 2004. Luckhurst, 64, scored more than 22,000 first-class runs for the club between 1959 to 1985.He played 21 Tests for England between 1970 and 1975, and averaged just over 36, scoring four centuries including a top score of 131 against Australia at Perth in only his second Test.Robert Neame, the current club president, said, “He has been a great ambassador for the club. I wish him every success in the year ahead."

Pakistan claimed their 13th title at Sharjah and maintained their supremacy at the venue when they beat Sri Lanka convincingly by 5-wickets in the final of the Khaleej Times Trophy 2001 on November 4. Pakistan’s dominance at this venue is so overwhelming that they have won 65 out of 95 matches played and no other team can boast of such an enviable record at one venue.Reverting back to the events of the match, Waqar Younis led his team from the front and claimed 3 wickets for 31 which also won him the Man of the Match award. However, for Pakistan fans the most cheerful aspect of the Trophy Final was to watch their famous trio of fast bowlers Wasim, Waqar and Shoaib bowling in complete rhythm and with great venom. The trio accounted for 8 Sri Lankan wickets for 84 runs.SriLanka, which perhaps showed signs of early complacency after electing to bat, suffered from a disastrous start being reduced to 21 for 2 after 9 overs. Later, Sanath Jayasuriya, Mahela Jayawardene and Russel Arnold tried to restore the innings. But some reckless batting in the middle and down the order continued their slide and Sri Lanka was ultimately shot out for 173 in 44.2 overs.Shoaib Akhtar bowled a much better line and length this time. In fact, his devastating second spell tightened Pakistan’s grip on the match. Keeper Rashid Latif who was also adjudged as the best fielder in the tournament snapped four catches. The new look Wasim Akram was adjudged the best bowler of the series and claimed 2 for 20 in 8 overs. Mahela Jayawardene scored 43 and Russel Arnold made 47.In reply Pakistan achieved the modest total in 43.5 overs with five wickets to spare but not without some hiccups. Shahid Afridi hit 35, Yousuf Youhana made 40 and Inzamamul Haq scored 28. Sri Lankan danger man, Muttiah Muralitharan was once again the pick of their attack claiming 3 for 22 in his 10 over quota. Sri Lanka who were seeking to complete a hat-trick of titles at Sharjah had suffered heavily as their top four batsmen gifted their wickets by slashing at balls outside the off-stump and edging into the safe hands of Rashid Latif. Waqar Younis celebrated his first tournament win as Pakistan Captain and received a Crystal Trophy sponsored by Khaleej Times and a handsome winning team cheque.Pakistan’s record at Sharjah – 1984 to date

Played	Won	Lost	Tied	Win %age
95	65	30	1	68.42

Win percentages of other teams at Sharjah

South Africa	Australia	England	West Indies	India	Sri Lanka	Zimbabwe
80	55.55	53.84	51.42	48.61	37.31	21.05

Total No. of Matches Played at Sharjah to date: 181

Players come and go at football clubs every year and teams are never going to get every transfer right as Sunderland have proven many times over the years.

A player failing at a club does not always mean that it was their fault or that they are a bad player though and that is showcased by how well some gems have done after leaving the Stadium of Light.

One example of this is Belgian international centre-back Jason Denayer, who has blossomed since his spell with the club in the 2016/17 campaign.

He joined the Black Cats on loan from Manchester City in the summer of 2016 and was one of David Moyes’ signings ahead of that season.

Prior to this switch, then-Belgium national team boss Marc Wilmots heaped praise on him, saying: “Jason is like Eden Hazard. Always calm. I’ve never seen him nervous; he has a lot of confidence and there will be someone with experience standing next to him.

However, he was unable to catch the eye on Wearside as he endured a difficult campaign as Sunderland were relegated from the Premier League and he consistently delivered subpar performances. Denayer averaged a WhoScored rating of just 6.54 in the top-flight, which placed him 16th overall in a squad that failed to avoid the drop.

At the end of his time with the Magpies, Transfermarkt valued him at a mere £3.6m. He then spent a season on loan at Galatasaray in Turkey before leaving  City on a permanent basis to sign for Ligue 1 giants Lyon.

Since joining the French outfit, Denayer has played 136 times and scored eight goals from centre-back. In four top-flight campaigns for the club, he has averaged an impressive SofaScore rating of 6.91 or higher and this shows that he has been consistently impressive at the back in France.

This has led to his value soaring over the years, with Transfermarkt now rating him at £18m as it stands. The Belgian’s value has risen £14.2m since he left Sunderland and this perfectly illustrates why you should never write a player off based on one campaign.

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Had the Black Cats signed him on another loan in the Championship or potentially bought him on a permanent basis then he may well have blossomed on Wearside. Instead, Sunderland may be looking at him thriving in France and be left wondering what could have been, especially as they now sit in the third tier.

AND in other news, NUFC can unearth their new Callum Wilson in £20.8m predator who has “the scoring nose”…

	Jamie How reached his highest Test score but admitted: ‘I’ll be replaying that last over for quite a while’ © Getty Images

Jamie How couldn’t hide his disappointment at the close of play after falling eight runs short of a maiden Test century, but he took solace in the fact that his efforts had given New Zealand a fighting chance of a competitive total in the first Test against England at Hamilton.”It’s in the balance still,” said How, after New Zealand reached the close handily placed on 282 for 6. “We lost a couple more wickets than we’d have liked, but there were a few itchy moments out there. The England bowlers bowled well all day and it was a hard slog as shown by the run-rate. It would have been nice to cap it off, but tomorrow morning, in the first hour, it’s a big part of the game.”How burst into the limelight during New Zealand’s one-day series win, where he scored a remarkable century in the tied ODI at Napier, but his failure to emulate that effort today cleared grated. After going to the tea break on 90 not out, he survived just eight more deliveries as Monty Panesar turned one past his defences and into the hands of Paul Collingwood at slip.”You keep reminding yourself that if someone gave you 90 at the start of the day you’d be happy,” said How, “but it still hurts and I’ll be replaying that last over for quite a while. But hopefully not for too long.”Nevertheless, his innings was a distinct improvement on his previous efforts in Test cricket, in which he had managed a top score of 37 in six matches. “It’s been a bit frustrating,” he said. “I haven’t played well in Test cricket in my first few games and you see the stats come up and it’s a bit embarrassing to be honest. I’ll be working hard to put it right. I’m not a big stats person but it’s nice to get that highest score.”Despite his downbeat demeanour, How clearly felt that his international career had turned a corner following his success in the one-dayers. “It gave me confidence and form,” he said. “I like to give myself time, even in the one-dayers, so it was nice to dig in and let them come to you and bat for as long as you can today. I set myself up to bat late into that last session, but unfortunately it wasn’t to be.”New Zealand’s hopes of a big score now rest on the shoulders of Ross Taylor, who also produced his best score to date in Test cricket. Belying his one-day reputation as a big-hitter, he knuckled down for an unbeaten 54 from 121 balls, and How was impressed with his application.”It’s a work in progress, but I’ve not seen him that disciplined or that straight,” he said. “He stuck at it, and in such an unfamiliar way because he’s such an aggressive player. But he tempered that well.”

The Super Eights stage of the World Cup is now with us and there is some uncertainty as to how it works. So, in an attempt to unmuddy the waters, here is a short guide …In the Super Eights round, every team plays six matches, against every other team except the side they played in the group stage.The only points carried into the Super Eights are the two gained from beating the other side that qualified from a team’s group. So, the four group winners – Australia, Sri Lanka, New Zealand and West Indies – begin with two points from the victory over the second-placed side in their group.In the six remaining matches, there are two points for a win, one for a tie or a no-result.The venues for the teams are not based on where they finished in the group stages. They are pre-agreed. This has been done to ensure that those travelling to the World Cup know in advance where their teams will be based. Because the tournament is now, in effect, an eight-team league with everyone playing everyone, the original seedings are no longer relevant.Qualification for the semi-finals
The top four sides after the Super Eights go through to the semi-finals. First plays fourth in St Lucia on April 25 and second plays third in Jamaica on April 24.If there is a tie for positions, then they are separated as follows:The team with the most wins goes through;
if the number of wins are the same, net run-rate – including match against the other qualifier from the group stage – comes into play;
if – and it is very unlikely – NRR is the same then the team with the most wickets taken per balls bowled goes through.Weather
Every match has a reserve day although every effort will be made to complete the game on the first day, with over reductions being used throughout. Only if each side is not able to face 20 overs on the scheduled day will the reserve day be used. In the event of the reserve day being needed, the match will be continued and not restarted.

‘Maybe Bangladesh having Test status will take the game forward’ – Ricky Ponting © Getty Images

Having earlier questioned Bangladesh’s Test status, Ricky Ponting went into damage control mode on Thursday, saying that Bangladesh is “improving gradually and they deserve their Test status.”Looking back, I think I was wrong with what I said,” Ponting said, addressing a press conference at Sonargaon Hotel in Dhaka on the eve of the first of the two Tests against Bangladesh. “I think I was speaking from an ideal world point of view, and not putting much [emphasis] into the growth of the game in world cricket, that is where I made the mistake. Maybe Bangladesh having Test status will take the game forward because that’s what it is all about.”We just like to think that Bangladesh will keep improving, that their cricket will keep improving and the infrastructure and facilities here in this country will keep improving and that will give them the best chance of being a good international team in the future.”These latest comments are an abrupt about-turn from what he said in February. Back then he told London’s ,”What I would not have is the minnow nations in the World Cup and the Champions Trophy, and I would not have Bangladesh and Zimbabwe playing Tests at present.” As a result of these words, Cricket Australia had to issue a statement in support of Bangladesh playing Test cricket.Asked about the ODI defeat against Bangladesh last year, Ponting said: “There is a little bit of luck involved in the one-day game. But, I don’t envisage a repeat performance.”Dav Whatmore, Bangladesh’s coach, said his side had the potential to become the top team on the subcontinent. “Sri Lanka is a small island, the population about the same as Australia, and they became the leaders of cricket in the subcontinent. In Bangladesh, there’s so much potential. All the ingredients are there.”He expressed happiness over Australia’s selection of a full-strength team, saying it was a sign of respect for his young side. “I would like Australia to treat us seriously. If the little guys are starting to show a little bit, they’ll flex their muscles a little bit, which is what we expect. I am very, very pleased that the full squad was selected. That’s a bit of respect, I think.”

Danish Kaneria believes he can be the best by the time he’s done© Getty Images

On bowling so many overs
I love bowling. That’s my job, and I do it.On Bob Woolmer’s comment that he can be the best legspinner in theworld
Yes, why not? I will make my mark in this tour. By the end of mycareer, I will be on the top. That’s my aim.On the match situation
Both the not-out batsmen are experienced. [Abdul] Razzaq and [Kamran]Akmal are capable players, they have made big scores in the past. Ifthey spend some time at the crease, the runs will come, and we can putpressure on India.On what total will be good enough
I think a lead of 200 will be quite good. Their batting line-up isstrong, but we can put pressure on them if we take the lead to 200.On his mystery ball, which he had promised to unleash on this tour
I didn’t bowl it in this match. Maybe I won’t bowl it on the tour. Let’s see.On his battle with Sachin Tendulkar
Sachin is a world-class player. When he was given not out afterinside-edging a ball, I got aggressive. I thought, he is a greatbatsman, but let me also show my class. It was a good contest.On the pitch
It’s a good pitch. On the first day it helped the fast bowlers. Thenit was good for batting. Now it is keeping a bit low. It’s helpedeverybody: fast bowlers, spinners, batsmen.On the Pakistan side for the next game
I don’t know. The captain and the caoch will sit down after this gameand decide.On his strength
BowlingNo, seriously
Well, for any legspinner, it’s his variety. I rely on my legbreaks,and when I need to, I bowl my googly and my flipper.On who taught him how to bowl the googly
I learnt it myself, in practice.On how he plans to succeed in India when so many other spinnershave failed
If I tell you, how will I bowl?

There were not many people who believed that Hampshire could win the countychampionship at the start of the 1973 season. Sure, they had a powerfulopening batting pair in the South African Barry Richards and West IndianGordon Greenidge. And with the likes of David Turner and Trevor Jesty theyhad batsmen who could continue the good work at the crease. But it was aline-up better suited to limited-overs competition and their weaker bowlingattack had always hampered their success.

Champions 1973 Copyright – Patrick Eagar

This did not deter Peter White, their new scorer, from taking a bet at 66-1on them winning the championship for the first time since 1961. Some say itwas more out of loyalty than good judgment. White collected his winningsafter Hampshire had won half and drawn the other half of their 20 matches toclinch the title with a game to spare.Their batsmen lived up to their reputations with both Greenidge and Richardsnotching more than 1,000 runs each. But it was the bowlers who surprisedeverybody – Bob Herman, Tom Mottram and Mike Taylor took more than 50wickets each and spinners Peter Sainsbury and New Zealander David O’Sullivanchipped in with 40-odd wickets apiece.”We had a wonderful team spirit too,” recalls Turner. “Our bowlers performedsuperbly. However, a lot of our success came because of our fielding.Greenidge and Richards took everything that flew to them in the slips, andwe had some good ground fielders.”

Buckingham Palace Copyright – Southern Newspapers

Richards remembers the success but, like many international players, wasmore focused on the Test arena. “I don’t want to demean the achievement ofwinning a county championship but I was young and wanted to play Testcricket,” he said. “I eventually found the challenge had gone out of playingcounty cricket and I left a lot of runs out there.” His greatest challengewas a healthy competition that developed between himself and Greenidge asthey attempted to out-perform each other. It was a contest that many abowler around the shires would grow to regret.

R.V.Lewis

1 Richard LewisA right-handed batsman and occasional leg-break bowler who played in 13matches in the championship-winning season, he was with the county from 1967to 1976 but had the misfortune of being understudy to the best openingbatting pair in county cricket at the time. Played for Dorset until 1989 andnow coaches cricket at Charterhouse school.

D.R.O’Sullivan

2 David O’SullivanA fine slow left-arm bowler who thrived in dry conditions, the New Zealandergrabbed plenty of wickets late in the season as Hampshire’s title chasegathered momentum. Achieved career-best figures that summer when he took6-26 against Nottinghamshire. Hampshire had to choose between him and AndyRoberts, the West Indian fast bowler, the next season and reluctantlyreleased the Antipodean. He played in 11 Tests and lives in New Zealand,where he is successful in the insurance business.

M.N.S.Taylor

3 Mike TaylorRejected by Nottinghamshire after eight years, in his first season for hisnew county, the right-arm medium-pace bowler took 63 wickets at an averageof 19.33. He repaid Hampshire for their faith with solid performances untilhe stopped playing in 1980. Became marketing manager at the club in 1984 andretired last year. He lives in Chandler’s Ford, near Southampton.

T.J.Mottram

4 Tom MottramThis was Mottram’s finest season in four summers in first-class cricket,taking 57 wickets at an average of 22. Mottram played 35 matches and took111 wickets. He is an architect in Poole, Dorset.

R.S.Herman

5 Bob HermanA right-arm fast-medium bowler, Herman took 81 wickets at an average of21.66 in his first season at Hampshire in 1972, having moved from Middlesex,and followed that with 63 the next summer. Followed in his father’sfootsteps by playing for Middlesex then Hampshire. Turned out for Dorset fortwo seasons until 1979 before becoming an umpire. He was a prolific hitterin club cricket for Sarisbury Green, where he teaches at the local school.

C.G.Greenidge

6 Gordon GreenidgeThe Barbadian-born right-handed batsman moved to England at the age of 12and, although approached to play for England, waited for his chance with theWest Indies. When it came he never looked back, playing 108 Tests andscoring 7,558 runs at an average of 44.72. Stayed loyal to Hampshire, andhis partnership with Richards provided the platform for many successes.Retained his interest in the game after he retired, and was the battingcoach for Bangladesh in the World Cup in South Africa.

A.J.Murtagh

7 Andy MurtaghA lower-order batsman born in Dublin, Murtagh played in five games in thechampionship-winning season in which Hampshire used only 13 players butstruggled to win a regular place in the powerful batting line-up. He is ateacher and in charge of cricket at Malvern College near Worcester. Hissons, Tim and Chris, are on the books at Surrey.

T.E.Jesty

8 Trevor JestyAn aggressive middle-order batsman who started with Hampshire in 1966, Jestydid not enjoy one of his best seasons with the bat in 1973. Had more successas a change bowler, taking 35 wickets at 20 runs apiece. Jesty played 340games for Hampshire until he moved to Surrey in the winter of 1985. Spenttwo and a bit seasons at The Oval and then played for Lancashire. He scored1,000 runs in a season 10 times and played in 10 one-day internationals forEngland. Now a respected first-class umpire.

D.R.Turner

9 David TurnerAfter Greenidge and Richards in the batting line-up came Turner, a solidleft-hander who piled on 19,005 first-class career runs at an average of30.55. Born in Wiltshire, he played for Hampshire from 1966 until 1989 andscored 1,000 runs in a season nine times. Returned to Chippenham where heruns a key cutting and shoe repair business that he took over from hisfather. When he has time he plays social cricket and enjoys a round of golf.

P.J.Sainsbury

10 Peter SainsburyA slow left-arm bowler and lower-order batsman, this was his finest seasonand he was named one of Wisden’s five cricketers of the year. Sainsburychipped in with more than 700 runs, but it was his bowling that turned thetide Hampshire’s way as he took 49 wickets at an average of 17.73. The onlyplayer to win championships with the county in both 1961 and 1973, he waswith Hampshire from 1954 until 1976. Sainsbury hit 1,000 runs in a seasonsix times and took 100 wickets in a season twice. After hanging up hiswell-worn boots, he became Hampshire coach from 1977 until 1991, and has nowretired to the golf course.

R.M.C.Gilliat (captain)

11 Richard GilliatLike many good captains, Gilliat was slightly aloof but well respected. Hisstrongest ability was his tactical awareness and a penchant for getting thebest out of his players. Although he had a strong batting line-up, winningthe championship title required bowling teams out twice in three days, andGilliat’s use of his attack could not be faulted in 1973. He played forHampshire in 220 matches from 1966 until 1978 and captained the county from1971 until his retirement. Gilliat hit 1,000 runs in a season four times andcaptained Oxford University at cricket and football. He is deputy headmasterat Charterhouse school.

B.A.Richards

12 Barry RichardsHampshire followers would drool over a Richards century before lunch, andfor good reason. The South African was a stylish and technically correctbatsman whose brilliance at the crease was curtailed in the Test arena byapartheid. However, he showed that black and white could mix by forming aformidable opening partnership with Greenidge. Richards played in only fourTests for South Africa, but enjoyed a batting average of 72.57. He was chiefexecutive at Queensland and lives in Perth, Western Australia. He is atelevision commentator and writes a newspaper column.

G.R.Stephenson

13 Bob StephensonThe Hampshire wicketkeeper started his career at Derbyshire before moving toSouthampton in 1969. Played in 263 games for the county and was captain in1979, his penultimate season. He ran a sports shop specialising in shootingand fishing and is sports coach at Twyford school near Winchester.

Frustration with the rain, admiration for Chris Cairns’ approach, a welcome return from Brett Lee and the slight possibility of some remarkable Australian cricket still producing a result were offered in newspaper assessment of the fourth day of the first Test.The Sydney Morning Herald: “Things were just getting interesting at the Gabba yesterday when the dominant player of the first Test blew in for another spell and ruined everything.”Some time today, the weather should be declared the winner.”Australia start the final day an improbable 15 wickets short of victory. The first five of them must fall before New Zealand score the further 101 runs required to avoid the follow-on and effectively kill the contest, a weighty task in itself given the positive manner in which Chris Cairns and Nathan Astle were batting when a storm arrived after 50.2 overs had been bowled on day four.”Before any of the above can happen, it must first stop raining. Miracles aside, Australia are about to draw a Test match for the first time in 26 months.”Yesterday was at least more rewarding than the previous two. The highlights were a wonderful opening spell from Jason Gillespie, Brett Lee bowling better than he had all series in England, and more cricket being played than on Friday and Saturday combined, when 132.2 overs were lost to the weather.”SMH on Cairns: “In the past this lofty all-rounder has been inhibited by his responsibilities. Ever since he first put on pads the expectations have been high because he was a natural. For years they weighed him down. By way of self-preservation he adopted a happy-go-lucky outlook, an approach that hid inner fears. He had the frame of a big man and the abilities of a top class player but not the state of mind needed to let them loose. Complications in his background did not help. Always he seemed to be searching for stability.”Inevitably the Australians sensed vulnerability and called his bluff. It took Cairns a long time to come to terms with his talent. He needed to settle before he could release his gift. Whenever the screws were turned he retreated or else put on a show of bluster. Not until these teams met in New Zealand a couple of years ago did Cairns start turning the tables. Suddenly the Australians were confronted by a forthright cricketer bent upon wickets and boundaries.”The Daily Telegraph: “Australia will press the pedal to the floor in an attempt to nail the Kiwis beneath the follow-on, 100 away.”The wicket is still yielding seam and bounce and will be fresh this morning after the ground was lashed last night by rain as hard as many locals had seen.”At 7pm last night the covered wicket block was surrounded by 20m puddles fuelled by rain so heavy it looked as if the world was ending.”Australia’s run of 12 successive Test wins on home soil and 23 matches without a draw is likely to end today.”The Australian: “With more than 10 hours of play lost over the past three days in Brisbane, it will take something spectacular, even by Australia’s high standards, to claim a victory and continue a sequence of 23 successive results – 20 wins and three losses.”New Zealand will resume its first innings on 5-186, needing exactly 100 runs to avoid the follow-on to ensure no chance of Australian success.”But with 105 overs available on an extended day and the weather forecast finally declared fine, the world’s best Test team believes it is capable of claiming the necessary 15 wickets.”Certainly pace bowler Brett Lee, who made an encouraging if not triumphant return to Test cricket in Australia yesterday, is seriously entertaining the prospect.”A naturally exciting player, Lee was bowling when the most exhilarating moment of a frustrating day look place – but it was all down to Ricky Ponting’s fielding.”In his first ball of the match, Lee delivered short and wide – a scenario seen too often on a personally poor Ashes tour – and Mathew Sinclair, on three, threw his bat wildly at the ball in the hope of some cheap runs when previously there had been none.”Ponting, charging in panther-like at point, dived instinctively to his left and took the ball with both hands as he twisted in the air.”There may be another five Tests to play this summer, but Classic Catches has surely already been decided.”The New Zealand Herald: “Entering the fray after [Craig] McMillan had been caught at the wicket off the excited Brett Lee; [Chris] Cairns looked comfortable against the express pace and was quickly into his stride, picking up 10 runs off six Lee deliveries.”He then turned his attention to [Shane] Warne, striking him for two of the sweetest off-drives as he and Astle carried the attack to the Australians, together adding 39 runs in 7.1 overs.”While the lost time and the mixed overall performance in Brisbane will frustrate New Zealand, the return of Cairns in such form will be of no small delight, as he rates as one of the most influential players in the world and arguably the best all-rounder.”As far as the tourists are concerned, he is effectively worth two players, which is why their line-up struggled so badly for balance when he was out of action.”