Saturday, November 12, 2011
Delhi cricket future
I am surprised with the way Delhi have been doing in this Ranji season. It seems their bench-strength leaves a lot to be desired. Honestly speaking that was expected because the new generation is confused between T20 and days' games. After the golden generation that Delhi cricket is producing, it'll be tough to find the men for future.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Sehwag getting fit
http://www.hindustantimes.com/News-Feed/cricketnews/Batting-bowling-fine-throwing-still-hurts-Virender-Sehwag/Article1-760150.aspx
On Unmukt Chand
http://www.hindustantimes.com/News-Feed/cricketnews/The-high-potential-Colts-skipper/Article1-758132.aspx
Friday, September 30, 2011
Excerpts from Shoaib's book
Page 123: Chapter 8
…I remember it being very hot and humid in Dambulla and as is customary with the pitches of the subcontinent, it was an awfully slow track. We were playing New Zealand and we needed results. Out of desperation, I began fussing with the ball. Yes, for those of you who want to know, I did tamper with the ball during that match. And yes, I know it’s against the rules and it is not something to be proud of – I apologized for it. I have tampered with the ball on many occasions, have been warned several times, and even been caught twice – Dambulla was one such instance. I was suspended for a match and fined seventy-five per cent of the match fee. But I can’t seem to help it; I’ve got to do something with the ball. I will make a big noise, but I won’t lie about it….
Page 124
Almost all Pakistani fast bowlers have tampered with the ball. I may be the first one to openly admit to it, but everybody is doing it. I won’t name him, but one Pakistani cricketer actually switched the ball in the umpire’s pocket with one that reversed like crazy! Umpires usually keep the ball in their coat pocket and then hang their coat up for lunch. That was when the transfer occurred. After this incident, they now leave their coasts in a locked room. To be honest with you, every team in the world tampers with the ball. We probably started it, but today, koi team dudh ki dhuli nahin hai. No team is innocent, and virtually every fast bowler does it. That is the only way to survive because the wickets are so slow….The pitches are dead and slow, and made to order for batting. It’s the bowlers who are curtailed. It’s like giving match practice to people: we are hit all over the ground.
Back home in Pakistan, bowlers have very few options other than learning how to ‘take care of the ball’… Shouldn’t the batsmen have the skill to play in difficult conditions? The result of all this whining and complaining by the batsmen is that most of the pitches are made for the, and to hell with the bowlers! We have never complained. Do we not give our best on pitches that are made to give batsmen the advantage? This is why I respect batsmen who played in the 1970s, on uncovered pitches….
Page 125
There are so many ways to prepare the ball; it’s not just a matter of scratching it. I have used my boot nails and the zip of my back pocket. Many bowlers put Vaseline or gum on the ball. The only way to stop this is for the ICC to ensure that at least some pitches are prepared in favour of bowlers. That would make the game less one sided and more balanced. The game, especially now, has become very unequal and only favours the batsmen – if you bowl a no-ball, the batsman gets a free free hit; bouncers have been curtailed; and a bowler can’t even touch his hair before picking up the ball. They have restricted us so mercilessly that I find it very difficult to feel entirely guilty about ball tampering. Since we can’t seem to stop doing it, maybe it’s not a bad idea to legalise it and set rules for it. After all, it’s still an art to use that ball. You need the pace and the skill. Not everyone can do it. Perhaps some manipulation of the ball, like scratching it with your nails, could be legally allowed….
Page 128
Kirsten and Langer are two of the bravest batsmen I have ever played against. Tough and gritty and both perfect gentlemen
Page 130
But the Indians, though they always have a great selection of talent, especially in the batting department, often play for themselves first and then for the team. In our dressing room, when we sat around discussing strategies, we always remarked upon the fact that some of the Indians would play to get runs for themselves and this would help us win the match…..India has had great batsmen, but whenever one of them walked in, we used to feel that he was going to waste many overs searching for records. I think players like Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid weren’t exactly match winners to start with, nor did they know the art of finishing a game. Things changed when younger players like Virender sehwag and Yuvraj arrived on the scene. These guys didn’t play for records, they played to win. With the coming of the younger players, the Indian team took the No. 1 Test spot – that’s the difference they’ve wrought. And Sachin has started scoring quickly, and playing the role of a match winner for his team. I can’t recall a series from his earlier playing days when he helped win matches. But now, with the help of Sehwag, Yuvraj, Gambhir, Virat Kohli and others, who are terrific batsmen and keep things, he wins matches for India. He has taken a leaf out of their book and bats beautifully.… He (Sachin) might have had more runs and records but lacked the ability to finish a game. Apne run liye aur out ho gaya. But in the last three years, I can see that he has changed his game.
Page 132
An important thing that happened to Indian cricket was the captaincy of Ganguly. I think he was a superb captain….One of the greatest gifts to his side was the very brave decision to bring in youngsters, and he backed them as well. This has changed the face of their team…
Page 135
Most of the batsmen I have bowled to were uncomfortable facing me. Rightly so – I was bowling close to 100 mph. I felt that half the Indian batting line-up was uncomfortable, and surprisingly, even the Australians shuffled.
Page 138
The following morning, I woke up and tuned in to the local news on television and my jaw dropped. A young girl had alleged that a Pakistani cricketer had raped her. I hadn’t yet closed my mouth when our team manager, followed closely by our coach Haroun Rashid, burst into my room. Rashid saw me and blurted out, “What have you done?” My response was clueless: “What on earth are you talking about?” He hissed, “This is serious – it’s a rape case!”…Trhe news was on all the television channels, especially the Indian ones, and all of them insinuated that I was the rapist. I was worried, really worried. I had never been given a break by the media and that wasn’t about to change. I immediately made an effort to contact the girl in question. I got through to her spokesperson and heaved a sigh of relief when he said that the poor girl didn’t even know me and it was another guy from my team. Eventually, the board found out the name of the player, but they didn’t bother to send out a press note saying I was innocent. They got their act together and hid his name from the media – no such protection was offered to me, and I was innocent!
Chapter 9:
Drug abuse
Page 152
I was bowling well and all seemed wonderful when one fine morning I got up and there was this news buzzing amongst the players that I had tested positive for drugs. I had failed the dope test along with Mohammad Asif. The two of us were immediately called back home and then the agony began….Some people, of course, were delighted at my predicament. Intikhab Alam was one such well-wisher…And he made it sure I would get in the neck….While the hearingw as in progress, he kept winking at me and whipsring, “It’s oka, it’s okay, you are good.” The truth was, he was mercilessly back-stabbing me, feeding false information all around. Even as he reassured me, he was talking to the news media against me, saying ridiculous things like Shoaib’s testosterone levels are very high because of the druge, and he has a very active sex life”.
Page 153
… I was made to sit for three hours outside the room, in the passage, and people kept walking by, gawking at me. Nobody cared to offer me a glass of water. How ruthless they can get! If the PCB gets hold of someone, it really knows how to finish him off – voh soctein hain maar dalo sale ko. Ek star fass gaya hai, beizzati karo iski…finally I was handed a two-year ban. Strangely, Asif, the other guy who faced the same charges, got away with a year’s ban. Different judgments for the same charges!
On Sachin (Ch: 9)
Page 148
…We managed to psychologically browbeat him. We bounced the ball at him and were able to unnerve him. I returned to the dressing room that first day with the knowledge that Sachin was not comfortable facing the fast and rising ball. And he was distinctly uncomfortable against me. That was enough to build on.”
Wasim Akram
Page 62
Wasim succeeded in keeping me out of the first Test….Wasim pushed the issue further and said five other members of the team were threatening to not play if Shoaib was allowed to…The atmosphere in the dressing room was horrible; the rest of the team ganged up against me and made things as uncomfortable as they possibly could…
On Shah Rukh Khan & Lalit Modi
Page 166
Lalit Modi had a contract that didn’t resemble mine. There was nothing in the contract that I had which indicated that the five-year ban by my board would be upheld by the IPL as well. But Modi declared that I had to be reinstated by my board before I coul play in this league….
…I remember it being very hot and humid in Dambulla and as is customary with the pitches of the subcontinent, it was an awfully slow track. We were playing New Zealand and we needed results. Out of desperation, I began fussing with the ball. Yes, for those of you who want to know, I did tamper with the ball during that match. And yes, I know it’s against the rules and it is not something to be proud of – I apologized for it. I have tampered with the ball on many occasions, have been warned several times, and even been caught twice – Dambulla was one such instance. I was suspended for a match and fined seventy-five per cent of the match fee. But I can’t seem to help it; I’ve got to do something with the ball. I will make a big noise, but I won’t lie about it….
Page 124
Almost all Pakistani fast bowlers have tampered with the ball. I may be the first one to openly admit to it, but everybody is doing it. I won’t name him, but one Pakistani cricketer actually switched the ball in the umpire’s pocket with one that reversed like crazy! Umpires usually keep the ball in their coat pocket and then hang their coat up for lunch. That was when the transfer occurred. After this incident, they now leave their coasts in a locked room. To be honest with you, every team in the world tampers with the ball. We probably started it, but today, koi team dudh ki dhuli nahin hai. No team is innocent, and virtually every fast bowler does it. That is the only way to survive because the wickets are so slow….The pitches are dead and slow, and made to order for batting. It’s the bowlers who are curtailed. It’s like giving match practice to people: we are hit all over the ground.
Back home in Pakistan, bowlers have very few options other than learning how to ‘take care of the ball’… Shouldn’t the batsmen have the skill to play in difficult conditions? The result of all this whining and complaining by the batsmen is that most of the pitches are made for the, and to hell with the bowlers! We have never complained. Do we not give our best on pitches that are made to give batsmen the advantage? This is why I respect batsmen who played in the 1970s, on uncovered pitches….
Page 125
There are so many ways to prepare the ball; it’s not just a matter of scratching it. I have used my boot nails and the zip of my back pocket. Many bowlers put Vaseline or gum on the ball. The only way to stop this is for the ICC to ensure that at least some pitches are prepared in favour of bowlers. That would make the game less one sided and more balanced. The game, especially now, has become very unequal and only favours the batsmen – if you bowl a no-ball, the batsman gets a free free hit; bouncers have been curtailed; and a bowler can’t even touch his hair before picking up the ball. They have restricted us so mercilessly that I find it very difficult to feel entirely guilty about ball tampering. Since we can’t seem to stop doing it, maybe it’s not a bad idea to legalise it and set rules for it. After all, it’s still an art to use that ball. You need the pace and the skill. Not everyone can do it. Perhaps some manipulation of the ball, like scratching it with your nails, could be legally allowed….
Page 128
Kirsten and Langer are two of the bravest batsmen I have ever played against. Tough and gritty and both perfect gentlemen
Page 130
But the Indians, though they always have a great selection of talent, especially in the batting department, often play for themselves first and then for the team. In our dressing room, when we sat around discussing strategies, we always remarked upon the fact that some of the Indians would play to get runs for themselves and this would help us win the match…..India has had great batsmen, but whenever one of them walked in, we used to feel that he was going to waste many overs searching for records. I think players like Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid weren’t exactly match winners to start with, nor did they know the art of finishing a game. Things changed when younger players like Virender sehwag and Yuvraj arrived on the scene. These guys didn’t play for records, they played to win. With the coming of the younger players, the Indian team took the No. 1 Test spot – that’s the difference they’ve wrought. And Sachin has started scoring quickly, and playing the role of a match winner for his team. I can’t recall a series from his earlier playing days when he helped win matches. But now, with the help of Sehwag, Yuvraj, Gambhir, Virat Kohli and others, who are terrific batsmen and keep things, he wins matches for India. He has taken a leaf out of their book and bats beautifully.… He (Sachin) might have had more runs and records but lacked the ability to finish a game. Apne run liye aur out ho gaya. But in the last three years, I can see that he has changed his game.
Page 132
An important thing that happened to Indian cricket was the captaincy of Ganguly. I think he was a superb captain….One of the greatest gifts to his side was the very brave decision to bring in youngsters, and he backed them as well. This has changed the face of their team…
Page 135
Most of the batsmen I have bowled to were uncomfortable facing me. Rightly so – I was bowling close to 100 mph. I felt that half the Indian batting line-up was uncomfortable, and surprisingly, even the Australians shuffled.
Page 138
The following morning, I woke up and tuned in to the local news on television and my jaw dropped. A young girl had alleged that a Pakistani cricketer had raped her. I hadn’t yet closed my mouth when our team manager, followed closely by our coach Haroun Rashid, burst into my room. Rashid saw me and blurted out, “What have you done?” My response was clueless: “What on earth are you talking about?” He hissed, “This is serious – it’s a rape case!”…Trhe news was on all the television channels, especially the Indian ones, and all of them insinuated that I was the rapist. I was worried, really worried. I had never been given a break by the media and that wasn’t about to change. I immediately made an effort to contact the girl in question. I got through to her spokesperson and heaved a sigh of relief when he said that the poor girl didn’t even know me and it was another guy from my team. Eventually, the board found out the name of the player, but they didn’t bother to send out a press note saying I was innocent. They got their act together and hid his name from the media – no such protection was offered to me, and I was innocent!
Chapter 9:
Drug abuse
Page 152
I was bowling well and all seemed wonderful when one fine morning I got up and there was this news buzzing amongst the players that I had tested positive for drugs. I had failed the dope test along with Mohammad Asif. The two of us were immediately called back home and then the agony began….Some people, of course, were delighted at my predicament. Intikhab Alam was one such well-wisher…And he made it sure I would get in the neck….While the hearingw as in progress, he kept winking at me and whipsring, “It’s oka, it’s okay, you are good.” The truth was, he was mercilessly back-stabbing me, feeding false information all around. Even as he reassured me, he was talking to the news media against me, saying ridiculous things like Shoaib’s testosterone levels are very high because of the druge, and he has a very active sex life”.
Page 153
… I was made to sit for three hours outside the room, in the passage, and people kept walking by, gawking at me. Nobody cared to offer me a glass of water. How ruthless they can get! If the PCB gets hold of someone, it really knows how to finish him off – voh soctein hain maar dalo sale ko. Ek star fass gaya hai, beizzati karo iski…finally I was handed a two-year ban. Strangely, Asif, the other guy who faced the same charges, got away with a year’s ban. Different judgments for the same charges!
On Sachin (Ch: 9)
Page 148
…We managed to psychologically browbeat him. We bounced the ball at him and were able to unnerve him. I returned to the dressing room that first day with the knowledge that Sachin was not comfortable facing the fast and rising ball. And he was distinctly uncomfortable against me. That was enough to build on.”
Wasim Akram
Page 62
Wasim succeeded in keeping me out of the first Test….Wasim pushed the issue further and said five other members of the team were threatening to not play if Shoaib was allowed to…The atmosphere in the dressing room was horrible; the rest of the team ganged up against me and made things as uncomfortable as they possibly could…
On Shah Rukh Khan & Lalit Modi
Page 166
Lalit Modi had a contract that didn’t resemble mine. There was nothing in the contract that I had which indicated that the five-year ban by my board would be upheld by the IPL as well. But Modi declared that I had to be reinstated by my board before I coul play in this league….
Monday, September 19, 2011
Indisciplined DDCA kids?
Do Delhi 14-year-olds have the temerity to make a pass at an air-hostess? Cheaply Live suggests that the kids are always overaged in cricket, especially Delhi cricket, so it could be 16-year-olds making a pass, and that’s normal.
Sometimes, Cheaply speaks a lot of sense and I admire the channel for that.
But honestly when the three kids were hauled up for eve teasing in Srinagar while they were touring for Dhruv Pandove Trophy, I was shocked and couldn’t help and exclaim, ‘bloody desperate losers’.
So it happened that they too were packed off after the two coaches had been packed off a day earlier for trying to discipline them.
Now, whatever transpired. I spoke to one of the members there.
“See the kids were in a room close to air hostess’s and were shouting ‘bhootni, bhootni’. The dame mistook it for something (wonder what could it be…oh…shit!) and complained. Now, Raju Tandonji (the man who’s fighting for a piece Gautam Gambhir, and rightfully to some extent), who was with the team as a coach went berserk and shouted at the kids. He lost it and just kept slapping one of the kids, a 12-year-old who, honestly, didn’t deserve to be in the team but was backed by the Cricket Improvement Committee. The other coach got embroiled in it because he ticked off (read hit) a kid while on an outing.”
Now, Cheaply says all this is confusing. He says that it is a matter of two groups who just keep fighting. A solid reporter’s analysis, who just doesn’t want to dig deep.
But man, I tell you these 14-year-old kids. Bunch of despos!!!
Sometimes, Cheaply speaks a lot of sense and I admire the channel for that.
But honestly when the three kids were hauled up for eve teasing in Srinagar while they were touring for Dhruv Pandove Trophy, I was shocked and couldn’t help and exclaim, ‘bloody desperate losers’.
So it happened that they too were packed off after the two coaches had been packed off a day earlier for trying to discipline them.
Now, whatever transpired. I spoke to one of the members there.
“See the kids were in a room close to air hostess’s and were shouting ‘bhootni, bhootni’. The dame mistook it for something (wonder what could it be…oh…shit!) and complained. Now, Raju Tandonji (the man who’s fighting for a piece Gautam Gambhir, and rightfully to some extent), who was with the team as a coach went berserk and shouted at the kids. He lost it and just kept slapping one of the kids, a 12-year-old who, honestly, didn’t deserve to be in the team but was backed by the Cricket Improvement Committee. The other coach got embroiled in it because he ticked off (read hit) a kid while on an outing.”
Now, Cheaply says all this is confusing. He says that it is a matter of two groups who just keep fighting. A solid reporter’s analysis, who just doesn’t want to dig deep.
But man, I tell you these 14-year-old kids. Bunch of despos!!!
Monday, September 12, 2011
Railways cricket pitch being relaid
Pitch is again in the news at Railways cricket. Try as it might, the government body could never turn it into the ideal, utopian one that benefits everyone. Instead, it has always come up with dead tracks that has put everyone, notably reporters, to sleep.
Think it was done on purpose as Railways almost always came out trumps on dead tracks, Cheaply Live commented last evening.
Honestly, I’d rather not comment on it as I have friends there and I asked Cheaply to shut up and not dig deep into it.
But the fact of the matter is that Railways is planning some change this year. They have got soil from beyond Palwal (a village district in Haryana on the outskirts of Delhi) and hope that the grass will grow on it and all that will support good cricket there.
It means the wicket at the Delhi’s Karnail Singh Stadium is being relayed and they are digging about one foot deep for it.
But heavy rains in the capital this year seem to have caused some disruption in plans.
They would have wanted to hold the trial games – for selection purposes --- in Delhi only but now they are being forced to shift it to Varanasi. The games will begin on September 16 and will comprise 36 players divided into groups of three each.
The Ranji, T20 and one-day squads will be picked from among the probables.
“We didn’t want to risk the pitch for the Ranji games will be held on it later this year,” Railways sports officer Ashok Diwan told me. “We want to conserve it for bigger games later in the year.”
Hope it provides us with better, livelier cricket this year. Their curator Malhotra, in fact, had attended BCCI’s pitch conclave recently.
But for now, the action and faction (oops! shit, here I go again) shifts to Varanasi.
Think it was done on purpose as Railways almost always came out trumps on dead tracks, Cheaply Live commented last evening.
Honestly, I’d rather not comment on it as I have friends there and I asked Cheaply to shut up and not dig deep into it.
But the fact of the matter is that Railways is planning some change this year. They have got soil from beyond Palwal (a village district in Haryana on the outskirts of Delhi) and hope that the grass will grow on it and all that will support good cricket there.
It means the wicket at the Delhi’s Karnail Singh Stadium is being relayed and they are digging about one foot deep for it.
But heavy rains in the capital this year seem to have caused some disruption in plans.
They would have wanted to hold the trial games – for selection purposes --- in Delhi only but now they are being forced to shift it to Varanasi. The games will begin on September 16 and will comprise 36 players divided into groups of three each.
The Ranji, T20 and one-day squads will be picked from among the probables.
“We didn’t want to risk the pitch for the Ranji games will be held on it later this year,” Railways sports officer Ashok Diwan told me. “We want to conserve it for bigger games later in the year.”
Hope it provides us with better, livelier cricket this year. Their curator Malhotra, in fact, had attended BCCI’s pitch conclave recently.
But for now, the action and faction (oops! shit, here I go again) shifts to Varanasi.
Friday, September 9, 2011
Ishant's new car
Delhi’s lanky paceman, Ishant Sharma, is working his injured foot and ankle on the clutch of his Audi RS-5 these days.
The metallic blue luxury sedan is his latest prized possession among four wheelers and he is driving his folks around.
“He bought it just before leaving for the West Indies and so couldn’t drive it,” a proud father Vijay Sharma told me the other day.
Now that he’s back, he should be seen whizzing around Dilli on the hot wheels.
It cost between 80-85 lakh, so, no matter what people say about the hiding in England and the reasons behind it, IPL ne itni badiya gaddi to de di.
Ishant had bought a Honda Civic Sport and then in 2008, got a Toyota Corolla as man of the series against Australia.
The metallic blue luxury sedan is his latest prized possession among four wheelers and he is driving his folks around.
“He bought it just before leaving for the West Indies and so couldn’t drive it,” a proud father Vijay Sharma told me the other day.
Now that he’s back, he should be seen whizzing around Dilli on the hot wheels.
It cost between 80-85 lakh, so, no matter what people say about the hiding in England and the reasons behind it, IPL ne itni badiya gaddi to de di.
Ishant had bought a Honda Civic Sport and then in 2008, got a Toyota Corolla as man of the series against Australia.
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.
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.
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’.
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!!!
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.
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 fiancée 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….
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