Ngendlela endandiphila ngayo ndonwabile ukuba iNgilani ihlulekile ukukora itreyini ngokuchasene neSri Lanka. Ukuba benze njalo bekuya kuba kwabonwa ngabaninzi njengohlobo oluthile lokubaleka ngokungummangaliso. Umva eludongeni, ukhuselo oluqinileyo xa iico chips zaziphantsi. Kufuneka ukhankanye, kunjalo, thintela ukusebenza okuthe ngqo. Ngexesha leshumi elinanye amalulwane asithobe phantsi. Uthuthu lokugqibela kumhlaba wesiNgesi lwaphumelela nangona, hayi ngenxa yamalulwane ethu kwaye umfanekiso uphela awukaphucuki ukusukela ngoko.
Kolu vavanyo umgca wokubetha uphumelele ukusilela kuhlaselo oluphakathi kakhulu (UThixo abancede ukuba uLasith Malinga okanye uMattiah Muralitharin bebedlala) kwaye uhlaselo lwe-bowling aluphumelelanga. Umsebenzi othusayo ujikeleze ngenene. Bekufanele ukuba sibaphumile kuvavanyo lokuqala nathi kwaye 1-1 ukuzoba izandi ezingcono kakhulu kunokohlulwa kuthotho lwasekhaya.
Amagqabantshintshi aqala ukubiza ukuba intloko kaCaptain Cook iphakelwe kwisitya sesilivere. Njengokuvula kwicala jonga ku Cook ukuze ubekhona, ukuxhasa icala njengoko bejonge ukubeka imbaleki ebhodini. UCook unyamezele indlela eyoyikisayo kwaye imibuzo iyaqala ukubuzwa- zombini malunga nesikhundla sakhe phezulu komyalelo kunye nokapteni. Kodwa umbuzo uhlala - yeyiphi enye indlela? Imenyu kuye zombini iindima? Oko bekuya kuthetha nokuba bazama, kuvavanywe kwaye akuphumelelanga ukhetho lokuvula (ICarberry / Compton) okanye enye i-rookie esecaleni-i-rookie exhasa amanye ama-rookies uSam Robson, UGary Ballance, Moeen Ali kunye nomntu osondeleyo, Joe Root. Emva koko unombuzo malunga nokuba ngubani otsiba icala? Ukuba uhamba ne-adage yakudala yokuba ungaze ukhethe i-bowler njengokapteni wakho ke u-Ian Bell nguye yedwa olwa naye. He’s stood in for Cook on occasion but it would be a mighty gamble giving him the armband.
Ngoko endaweni uzibamba intloko upholile kwaye ujonge irekhodi Cook ngayo. Njengobambisi ngokungathandabuzekiyo udidi lwehlabathi. Ukuba ugcina indawo yakhe kunokwenzeka ukuba uya kuba ngumrekhodi we-England obalekayo. Class usoloko lucaca mna wayeza wabuya ngokubachukumisa.
Njengokapteni usebenze kakuhle kakhulu. Abanye banokumtyhola ngokuzikhusela kakhulu abanye bemhlasela ngenxa yokunqongophala kwamandla. Ngokuqinisekileyo ndingathanda uMichael Vaughan e-helm kodwa uCook unguye esinaye.
Into emele ukwenzeka kukuba sonyula umphathi osusa lonke uxanduva kuKapteni (nokuba ngubani lowo) kwaye ujongana nayo ngokwakhe. Konke ukapteni kuya kufuneka agxile kulo ngumdlalo wakhe kunye nokusebenza kwecala ngokubanzi ebaleni lokudlala. Ndingaziva kakubi kodwa ndiqinisekile ukuba omnye umntu wathi ukusukela kwitosi ekuqaleni komdlalo de wabuyela kwigumbi lokunxiba, UCook kwafuneka aqhube 15 Udliwanondlebe namajelo eendaba. Ngamnye wayethetha ukuba ujonge onke amazwi aphuma emlonyeni wakhe. Ngamnye umenza ukuba acinge nzulu ngeempendulo zakhe. Oko kuba kuhle. Umphathi-ntloko kufuneka acinge ngendlela aza kuyidibanisa ngayo imikhosi kwaye ekugqibeleni awuphumelele umdlalo. Umphathi uya kuba yeyona nto kugxilwe kuyo kunye nomphathi phantse ongabonakali kodwa kwityala lakhe lasebaleni. Umphathi uya kuthi emva koko athathe inkomfa yoonondaba emva komdlalo kwaye ibe nguye ojongana nemicimbi emikhulu efana nomcimbi wasePietersen. qiniseka, umphathi unokufumana igalelo, kodwa kuleyo singayi-, kude noluntu.
“Ibhola epinki ibonakala ingwevu / luhlaza ngombala obomvu / oluhlaza, kuxhomekeke kubukhali bayo. Ndenze ulinganiso ngobumfama bombala…”