I'd love to kick off with some cricket talk, but it's almost impossible to at the moment. England's dilemma about which spinner to play in India pales a little into insignificance when compared to the quite incredible Ruddockgate story which continues to run and run.

I was actually becoming a little bored with the saga on Sunday - every journalist seemed to be thinking that they had some new angle on the story when in fact they were telling us little we did not already know.

But then came Sunday's Scrum V programme. I had my head in my hands in embarrassment. It was cringe-inducing in the extreme. What was Gareth Thomas thinking of? What were his advisers thinking of?

He was cruelly exposed, only making matters worse rather than his intended course of setting the record straight in relation to the talk that player power has been at the root of Mike Ruddock's demise.

He lost his rag and in most other sports would surely lose his job as a result. As one cricketing friend of mine said: "If any cricket captain ever behaved like that on television, he would be sacked instantly."

As it is, in a curious turn of events, Thomas is out of the rest of the Six Nations anyway with damage to an artery in his neck. If you were a writer and presented this story to a publisher, they would probably laugh in your face at the absurdity of it.

Despite all this, it does appear that Gavin Henson, now restored to the Wales bench, is not going to veer away from his straight talking despite the fuss it has already caused him.

After his comeback match for the Ospreys against Borders last Friday, he was naturally summoned to appear before a large assembled media gathering. He seemed in good spirits and answered the questions honestly and in good humour, until... and there is often an 'until' in these circumstances.... an English-based journalist decided to spice the line of questioning up a little. "What about the issue of player unrest within the Wales camp, Gavin?" he asked brazenly, utterly oblivious to the fact that Henson had not been allowed anywhere near the Wales training sessions since the Grand Slam victory last spring - until this week, of course, when he was invited back.

"We're not going down that road," interrupted Ospreys' team manager Derwyn Jones, "Those are only rumours after all." After much back-tracking, the journalist mumbled: "I'm sorry - I'm from Kent." Quick as a flash, Gav was in: "Well, go back home then!" Those damned Englishmen.

Which brings me on to the cricket. Not that the cricketers are damned. They have actually enjoyed a decent start to their tour of India, however questionable the standard of opposition in their first match, which they won easily.

It was good to hear that Simon Jones bowled both quickly and well in the second innings there after bowling gingerly in the first innings. Mind you, it might be that we are hearing rather than seeing events in the Test series which begins next week. We shall definitely be able to hear ball by ball coverage on the radio but as yet Sky Television has not secured the rights for the series.

Since 1990 they have shown every full overseas tour undertaken by the England team but their usual policy of leaving things to the last minute may have backfired this time.

Those of a certain age will say that we have been spoilt by all this TV coverage, but I myself remember listening intently to the radio in my youth whenever England were abroad.

I also recall the tremendous excitement whenever small highlights packages were shown. We have been spoilt, but it will seem awfully strange not being able to watch live action, although I am sure that if you are willing to shell out more hard-earned cash then you will be able to watch action on an Indian satellite channel.

I must make mention of a local man caught out abroad. I meant to refer to this last week but inexplicably forgot. During that under-19 World Cup semi-final in which England were unceremoniously hammered, at one point I was alerted away from something else I was doing at the time with the TV on in the background when the commentator said: "There are only 31 people in the ground today, but unfortunately one of them is behind the bowler's arm at the moment."

And that man holding up play, much to the amusement of the commentators who are all very close friends of his, was none other than Panteg's very own Brian Murgatroyd, who was in Sri Lanka in his new capacity as media liaison officer of the International Cricket Council.

For such an assiduous and usually faultless observer of the game, there must have been some very valid reason for this. As I know that Murgers is a dedicated reader of the Argus wherever he might be in the world, I look forward to finding out.

By the way the spinner issue looks like going the way of Somerset's Ian Blackwell, simply because he is by far the best batsmen of the three ( Monty Panesar and Shaun Udal being the others). I championed Udal before Pakistan but that was only as a reserve spinner behind the under-rated and much-maligned Ashley Giles, who is a very good all-round cricketer in my book.

Now that the Warwickshire man is injured, it really has shown how bare the English spinning cupboard is - although Gareth Batty, who I see took 7-23 for England A in the West Indies, might have something to say about that.

Again I will question the standard of opposition there and as for Blackwell, you may well have to listen for yourselves!