CLOCK THESE GEMS
Root & Silverwood consider protest to ICC over poor surface in Ahmedabad
RUSSIA HOUR Kremlin Clock, Moscow
The clock on the Spasskaya Tower has been chiming above the main gates to Red Square since 1706, though it was restored in 1851 and 1913, and it replaced one installed in the late 16th century. It has suffered damage by fire and by a shell during the Russian Revolution.
Over the years it’s played several tunes, ranging from a Viennese melody and the Tsarist March of the Preobrazhensky Regiment to the Internationale and the national anthems of the USSR and modern Russia.
JOE ROOT and Chris Silverwood are considering a formal complaint to the ICC over the state of the pitch for the Third Test in Ahmedabad.
The England coach and captain accept they were beaten by the better side, but believe the condition of the pitch had an undue influence on the match.
And a two-day contest in which Root’s part-time off-spin was genuinely deemed to be the greatest wicket-taking threat on the second day also speaks volumes about the quality of the surface. “Joe got 5-8,” said
Silverwood. “It probably pushed us to the extremes of what most of our players, if any, have experienced.
“Joe and I have to have a sit down, have a conversation and see where we go with it.
“I’m not saying we’ve just got to accept things, but it’s a conversation between myself and Joe at the moment.
“We do have to get better on these pitches and we do have to accept there’s places where we could have improved.
“But at the same time, we are disappointed that we are sat here when there should be three days of cricket left.”
Silverwood is not the sort to mope and whinge when there is a chance to roll up the sleeves and get to work on improvements and that may be where his chat with Root ends up.
There are four or possibly five more matches to come away from home this year and they are all against India or Australia.
And while England had been on a six-game away winning streak before their defeat in Chennai, their record against those two plus New Zealand makes for tough reading, with just one win in 25 including 17 defeats. This is a trend that needs reversing but with the Ashes on the horizon the question is whether they have time for significant improvements. “We completely accept we’re not the finished article,” said Silverwood (left). “We have to learn from what is in front us and if we do that we’ll buck the trend and start winning.
“India are a fine side and what we have learned from them winning in Australia is that it can be done. We’ll see what we can fit into our game plans that they did and how we can use that.
“As tough as it is and as painful as it is at this moment, hopefully we can also take some good lessons from here.
“The next time they come onto a surface or experience a situation like this, it won’t be as much of a shock to them and they can use their skills to combat what’s in front of them.”
Meanwhile, cricket chiefs are keen for domestic and international matches to be a part of any trial programme to welcome fans back into grounds.
Bosses are waiting to hear which events might be considered to be part of the trial but have offered games in the T20 Blast as well as the early-season Test matches against New Zealand as possible contenders.
The ECB said: “We are speaking with government about how best cricket can support a pilot programme which will pave the way for full crowds to return.”
FRANK BRUNO did not understand the warning at the time.
He had just retired after his second loss to Mike Tyson in 1996 and trainer George Francis told him he was now facing his hardest fight.
Yet within a few years
Bruno knew exactly what his old cornerman was trying to tell him. Francis was tragically prophetic.
He hanged himself at home in 2002 when he lost his battle with depression after cancer claimed his wife and son.
Meanwhile Bruno’s once-idyllic life disintegrated, as did his marriage. A low point came in 2003 when his family had him sectioned because of his struggles with his bipolar condition. Now he is fighting back.
Meeting his nemesis Mike Tyson and seeing how he is winning his battle with mental health issues has given him renewed strength.
The old rivals met in Miami last year for the Sky documentary ‘Bruno v Tyson’, which charts their rivalry.
“My trainer George Francis (below, with Bruno) said, ‘Your hardest fight is going to be when you retire’,” the former WBC heavyweight champ told Tyson. “I didn’t know what the hell he was talking about. But blimey, when I retired, I definitely knew what he was on about.
“You put on weight, you get lazy, your aggression starts to pile in, the mental health kicks in and it’s drama. “You’ve been through what you’ve been through and I’ve been through it myself. Unfortunately mine’s been slapped all over the papers – cuckoo, madness and whatever. If you can handle it, I can handle it.”
The three-times married Tyson, who has blown over £250million during his chaotic life, is finally in a good place. Tyson, 54, loved returning to the ring after 15 years out for his exhibition bout with Roy Jones Junior in November and told Bruno he has his demons in check.
“We’re all crazy,” said the former undisputed world heavyweight king. “You went to one mental health facility. I’ve been to 10 of them.
“I don’t feel sorry for myself, this is just the journey we have to go on.
“I don’t want anybody to feel sorry for me.
“I got the title of the Baddest Man in the World, I’m the scariest fighter that ever lived. I come across as ferocious and it’s like fire. You can use it to warm you up, but if you let it get out of control it can kill you and everyone around you.
“My mind is a torture chamber. It’s not my friend, so I have to control it to have any kind of stability in my life. That’s my biggest problem today, staying in control.” Bruno was battered by Tyson in their world heavyweight title fights in 1989 and 1996 and he was lifted by his more gentle encounter.
There were flashes of the old Bruno, who is still adored by the British public, and his shoulders shook to his trademark belly laughs.
After meeting Tyson, Bruno, 59, reflected: “I’ve had my run-ins, he’s had his run-ins, good days, bad days, feeling down, can’t motivate yourself. He’s been in prison, crashing his car before he was supposed to fight me the first time.
“He’s been down a rocky road. I’m glad I’ve met him again because it’s taken a lot of pressure off me mentally. I’ve been through a hard time, I look at him and he’s been though a hard time, and he’s happy. “I feel like a close brother to him. “Meeting Mike Tyson again has put it all in perspective. I thought I had problems. I’m going back to England a trillion times happier man.”