Cricket, as Geoffrey Boycott says, is a foony game. It is a game that a few people play, a lot more watch and all understand. Of course, it is a game where the more you play, the less you understand. That's why international cricketers make so many mistakes, and the non-playing spectators detect these mistakes so easily.
Usually cricketers start playing the game early. At that point their understanding of the game is supreme. Then, as they gain in experience, the understanding diminishes. They learn to make more and more mistakes. Then they move on to first class cricket, and make further mistakes, until they are finally selected to play for the country. By then their understanding of the game is virtually nil. The one who understands the least is usually made the captain. He makes the most mistakes.
Slowly these international cricketers gain in experience; they become experts on mistakes. International matches are usually well fought, as both teams make several mistakes. Obviously, the team making most mistakes lose, and in panic make more mistakes.
After many error-filled years, cricketers retire. After retirement, some become coaches, and make stupendous mistakes. Some others become selectors and make horrible mistakes. Others become umpires, and make monumental mistakes. But a few retired cricketers become commentators or cricket-writers, when miraculously their understanding of the game return in full. Thus we hear Sunil Gavaskar and Bob Willis speaking of positive captainship, Ian Redpath and Ravi Shastri eulogising aggressive batting, Bishen Bedi and Ian Botham preaching restraint, and Greg Chappell saying that cricket is a gentleman's game.
No wonder Geoff Boycott describes cricket as funny, and we haven't talked of match fixing yet.
PAGLA PEA-CASSO