Friday, August 19, 2011

New cricket stadium in Delhi

The Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) president, Arun Jaitley, already has hazaare things on his mind. I mean he has Anna Hazare on his mind.
But the DDCA still thinks he can, aside of political responsibilities, look after the interests of the cricket body. Every problem, if it is ignored by the officials at Kotla, is taken to his spacious south Delhi bungalow. Recently, a band went with a request for a new cricket ground.
The idea is to buy about 10 acres of land and set up a stadium-cum-academy, which the current ground at Kotla cannot afford to have. There’s no space in Kotla and the MCD always has something or the other to say about construction.
Some in the DDCA had already mooted the idea of a state academy, a central one in Kotla, supported by four zonal ones. I know it looks funny that a city, even though it is now a state, wants so many academies. But then every parent wants his kid to become a Sehwag, and is so captivated by the imagination of seeing his kid walking onto the field and brandishing a willow that he gives a princely sum to a neighbouring academy, run by an ex-DDCA league player. (No offence meant and everyone has a right to earn a living and it is good to see everyone dipping his finger in the pie)
But yeah, I am damn sure this academy concept will be a hit and kids will flock to it.
And if the proposed stadium does come into existence, the DDCA will show a thenga (thumb), I mean, the middle finger, to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) which is always pestering them for the property tax dues.
Maybe then, the MCD will start getting better returns. Knowing Dilliwalas' penchant for expensive weddings in open air, many would prefer this place for their day-night affair.

Thursday, August 18, 2011

How to avoid loss of cricket due to rain

India survived Day One at The Oval. Much as it gives me pleasure that India were saved from what was building into another major mauling, it also irks the cricket fan in me.
Well, if it doesn’t in you, better spend some time with some ex-players who do everything for the love of the game…I mean, money just comes by the way.
So unlike most of you, jingoists!, I felt like: why the eff do Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook have to walk back when they looked like taking India to task and inflicting another humiliation? Just because nature decides to have mercy on India?
Tch tch…
And not that our guys would gain much, except in weight, by cooling their heels in the dressing room – my source Cheaply Live suggests, they’d be polishing off another plate of pie or muffins. Always look at the brighter side – the more they’d have toiled the more they’d have lost weight and grown fitter for the tour to Australia four months from now.
So, to avoid such big loss, I suggest that a retractable roof be put in all cricket stadia. Let the ground be open, but if it rains then the roof can cover the ground allowing the play to continue.

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

DDCA's Cricket Improvement Committee (CIC)

The DDCA will finally have to find some more office space. Guess why?
Some former cricketers will be sitting regularly as big daddy to oversee affairs.
Cricket Improvement Committee (CIC), the much acclaimed solution for the ills prevalent in Delhi cricket, has been formed and given the go-ahead by the Executive Committee.
Kirti Azad will look after matters concerning senior cricket.
Surinder Khanna is for junior cricket.
Maninder Singh will look into matters related to umpiring.
Madan Lal will head training and academy related work.
They will all report to Bishan Singh Bedi, the senior-most member.
Cheaply Live says ‘they should have a head for the outswinger bar too. Because most of the decisions are taken after members get tipsy there’.



Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Will ICC keep Bangladesh & Zimbabwe

In businesses, holding on to quality by letting go of revenue is a daunting ask.
No one can afford to do that.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has been battling this quite ably but the future can be a bit more testing.
Those of you who could eke out some time for the Bangladesh and Zimbabwe one-off Test, would know which was the better team.
Zimbabwe have always been a good side and were it not for the political turmoil, they would have graduated to the top rung by now.
Bangladesh, despite the opportunities they’ve got, look like a useless kid who needs to be kept happy in the neighbourhood because he’s got money enough to buy the bat and stumps.
Despite the available talent, they’ve flattered to deceive. They’ve rarely done well but remain a Test nation.
Why is ICC sticking to them and why is it not stripping it off the Test status for a while. Perhaps, it is the revenue.
But that may soon dry up.
Recent hints, like India deciding against playing there in future, suggest Bangladesh’s life might be short.
To sell sport, you need superstars. Bangladesh try to make them but none of them goes the distance.
Look at these figures:
The Bangla government had to pump in 31.5 crore rupees (Indian) to meet the shortfall of the World Cup budget which was 272 crore (in Indian rupees).
The Australia ODI series in 2011 fetched Bangladesh board 66 lakh rupees (Indian) from ticket sales but the title sponsorship was well below expectations --- 1 lakh dollars as against 1.65 lakh.
Their Board’s sponsorship deal with Grameen Bank is worth 5.4 crore (Indian rupees) for two years and government intervention wants the bank to contribute to football, putting it under massive strain.
While Bangladesh may sustain itself for sometime, Zimbabwe needs 5-10 years to get out of the red.
Firdouse Moonda writes in Cricinfo:
Zimbabwe's return to Test cricket was a success on the field, but it will take at least "five to ten years" to have the same effect on the board's bank balance. Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) will incur over US$2 million in losses as they re-enter into the game's premier format this summer.
ZC are hosting three tours in the space of five months, playing one Test against each of Bangladesh, Pakistan and New Zealand and a bigger number ODIs and Twenty20 matches. "It costs us around $1.1 million to host a tour," Ozias Bvute, managing director of Zimbabwe Cricket told ESPNcricinfo. "We only earn about $200,000 from TV rights, although it will be slightly less against New Zealand, and about $150,000 from sponsorship." The deficit, of around $750,000 per tour, is made up through loans from local banks, who allow ZC to repay them over an extended period.
But if they have the talent, should ICC make extra efforts to bring in sponsors for them.

For now though the ODI series between Zimbabwe and Bangladesh got a title sponsor only at the last moment. The United Commercial Bank Limited of Bangladesh somehow got convinced that they can get mileage out of this series!!!

Ganguly's advice to Sachin


Sachin Tendulkar is struggling. His former captain Sourav Ganguly, who is currently commentating for ESPNStar, has invaluable advice.
“Sachin is looking tentative in this series,” said Dada. “It is in his mind. His backfoot has all the weight and he is not able to transfer his weight onto the front foot,” Ganguly said something to that effect.
Sachin is a big match and big series player but he’s not proving it out here, added Ganguly.
To be fair to Sachin, he did try to get onto the front foot at Edgbaston today but did so in a clumsy manner and fell to an average delivery from Broad.
The English bowlers have kept him guessing though with their length.


Monday, August 8, 2011

Warne's secret of a slim figure

Shane Warne has shed flab. Why and how?
Well… it is not Elizabeth Hurley as most believe.
It is some business trouble that’s gnawing at his mind.
The spin legend-promoted Advanced Hair Studio is beset by a serious problem. They can redeem or transplant the hair of those grown bald, but have got stuck up on a couple of people who have grown bald even after transplant.
Warne has lost sleep over this problem faced by Harsha Bhogle and Virender Sehwag, both of who knocked at his door during this summer’s Indian tour of England.
Harsha lost his hair and grew it and seems to have lost it again. He has the the bald patch even after transplant and so has Sehwag.

Sunday, August 7, 2011

Tendulkar vs Anderson


Wasim Akram has just said that Sachin Tendulkar might not be able to complete his 100th international ton at Edgbaston. According to him, Sachin will get to the landmark in the fourth Test at Oval, where the wicket will be placid enough and India out of the pressure of a comeback.
But there’s another hurdle the Mumbai marauder has to cross before he can breast the tape.
James Anderson.
Amongst pacemen, the Englishman has got him the most times. He is just a couple away before he surpasses Muralitharan as the bowler to have got the best batsman of this generation on most occasions.
In the past, Anderson has frustrated his bunny by bowling an off-stump line, mostly back of a length and often good length.
The moment he’s pitched around the middle and leg, he’s been punished. Remember the 82 Sachin made during the 2007 series. Anderson let him off the hook by bowling on his pads.
But since then, he’s zeroed in on the right place mixing the movement to confuse the Mumbai star.

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Praveen swings...ahem...


Imagine Praveen Kumar walking upto Wasim Akram, holding him by the collar and threatening to sue him.
I know it looks far-fetched but if Praveen heard what Akram said about him during the ongoing Test series between India and England, this could be a possibility.
Akram was guilty of suggesting twice that Praveen isn’t straight.
What if PK’s family gets to know about this? What if his girlfriend or fiancĂ©e gets to know that?
Just imagine.
Of course, then PK is justified in catching hold of Wasim Bhai’s collar.
Hang on, before you ostracise me for getting wild with my imagination, truth be told.
The Pak legend was apparently appreciating PK’s ability to swing the ball. But unfortunately, nuances of grammar don’t come so easily to him as the beautiful art of swing bowling did.
He’d said, while admiring PK, “Parveen (read Praveen) is doing a great job, he is swinging both ways.”
All I can say is: LOL….