Ngandlela-thile ngijabule ukuthi iNgilandi yehlulekile ukuthola igoli elibhekene neSri Lanka. Ukube bekwenzile lokho ngabe kubonwe ngabaningi njengohlobo oluthile lokuphunyuka okuyisimangaliso. Isekela odongeni, ukuzivikela kwe-stoic lapho ama-chips ephansi. It must not, Nokho, khipha ekusebenzeni okubucayi. Okweshumi nantathu amalulwane asidedisile. Umlotha wokugcina enhlabathini yesiNgisi wanqotshwa yize, hhayi ngenxa yabashayi bethu futhi isithombe jikelele asikaze sithuthuke kusukela lapho.
Kulesi sivivinyo i-batting line up yehlulekile ukuhlasela i-bowling kakhulu (UNkulunkulu abasize ukube bekudlala uLasith Malinga noma uMattiah Muralitharin) futhi ukuhlasela kwe-bowling nakho kwehlulekile. Ukusebenza okushaqisayo nxazonke empeleni. Bekufanele nathi sibakhiphele esivivinyweni sokuqala futhi imidwebo engu-1-1 izwakala kangcono kakhulu kunokwehlulwa kochungechunge lwasekhaya.
Abahlaziyi baqala ukubiza ikhanda likaCaptain Cook elaliphakelwa ngoqwembe lwesiliva. Ekuvuleni uhlangothi lubheke ku-Cook ukuze ube lapho, ukusekela uhlangothi njengoba bebheka ukubeka ama-run ebhodini. UCook ubekezelela ifomu elishaqisayo futhi imibuzo isiqala ukubuzwa - zombili ngesikhundla sakhe esiphezulu ku-oda nanjengokaputeni. Kepha umbuzo uhlala - yini enye indlela? Drop kuye esusela izindima? Lokho kuyosho noma wazama, inketho evivinywe nehlulekile njengokuvula (UCarberry / Compton) noma enye i-rookie eceleni - i-rookie esekela ama-rookies akanye nawo uSam Robson, UGary Ballance, UMoeen Ali nomuntu osanda kufika, Joe Umsuka. Ngemuva kwalokho unombuzo wokuthi obani abaqaqa uhlangothi? Uma uhamba nesisho esidala sokuthi ungalokothi uthathe i-bowler njengokaputeni wakho u-Ian Bell uyena kuphela ophikisayo. He’s stood in for Cook on occasion but it would be a mighty gamble giving him the armband.
Ngakho esikhundleni uqhubeka inhloko epholile futhi sibheke irekhodi kaCook. Njengomshayi ngokungangabazeki usezingeni lomhlaba. Uma egcina indawo yakhe kunamathuba amaningi okuthi azoba ngumshayi magoli we-England run run. Class njalo luyabonakala futhi mina wawuyosisiza naye ukuba aphinde abe touch wakhe.
Njengokaputeni wenze kahle kakhulu. Abanye bebengamsola ngokuzivikela kakhulu abanye bemhlasela ngokushoda okubonakalayo kokuntuleka kwamandla. Impela ngingathanda ukuqondiswa nguMichael Vaughan kodwa uCook unguye esinaye.
Okufanele kwenzeke ukuthi siqoke umphathi osusa yonke imithwalo yemfanelo kuKaputeni (noma ngubani ongaba njalo) futhi abhekane nayo uqobo. Konke ukaputeni okumele agxile kukho wumdlalo wakhe nokusebenza kweqembu jikelele enkundleni yokudlala. Kungenzeka ukuthi ngangezwanga kahle kodwa nginesiqiniseko sokuthi othile ukusho lokho kusukela ekuthweni ekuqaleni komdlalo waze wabuyela egumbini lokugqoka, UCook bekufanele aqhube 15 izingxoxo nabezindaba. Ngayinye yayisho ukuthi kufanele ibuke wonke amagama aphuma emlonyeni wayo. Ngamunye omenza acabangisise ngezimpendulo zakhe. Lokho kungaba yini kube kuhle. Ukaputeni udinga ukucabanga ngokuthi uzowakha kanjani amasosha empini futhi ekugcineni awunqobe umdlalo. Imenenja ingaba yindawo yokugxila kukaputeni cishe ngokungabonakali kodwa kumacala akhe asenkundleni. Imenenja bese iqala ukuthatha isithangami nabezindaba ngemuva komdlalo futhi kube yiyo ebhekana nezinkinga ezinkulu ezifana nodaba lwasePietersen. Sure, ukaputeni angaba negalelo, kodwa ekusithekeni, kude nokubuka komphakathi.
“Ibhola eliphinki libonakala limpunga/eliluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka ngokubomvu/okuhlaza ngokungaboni kahle, kuye ngokuqina kwayo. Ngenza ukulingisa ngobumpumputhe bemibala…”