Yuvraj and Ishant take a step forward

India won the second ODI. Yuvraj played M&M well.

Ishant took wickets at either end of the innings and bowled a beauty at the crunch.

Mahela and Kandamy almost won a fabulous match for Lanka. Well played.

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Lanka Settling in Behind Mahela

After a rough start to their chase, Lanka are rebuilding well with a confident Mahela.

Kandambi is giving able support.

72-3 off 20

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Serena Back in Win Mode

What an amazing athlete she is!

Can win almost at will...she is proof of many things. Went away, dabbled in this and that, succeeded there, and then came back to win. Overturns all concepts of pro sport.

This year's Australian Open proved to be her's.

Congratulations!

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India vs Sri Lanka 2008-09: The Examination Continues

India vs Sri Lanka 2008-09 ODI series, Second ODI, Colombo

For me there is only one purpose to this series, which I have clearly spelt out in the review of the first ODI - how the Indian XI shape up to BAW Mendis.

The first part of the examination had some good answers and some others not so good.

Today I will look for how Sehwag and Sachin shape up, both didn't get a chance last match, and will pick out those who throw their wickets away after settling in, for the virtual duncecap.

And then there is Murali of course who will always test the boys...he's looking to overtake Wasim Akram today. He's two short of it.



Cricinfo Image

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Rafa

Some old friends with whom I discuss things other than cricket have me identified as a Rafa maniac for some time now. Perhaps the solitary flag bearer for him in that circle.

I hope y'all watched the semi-final at the Ozzie Open 2009. :)

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Innings Break

Michael Vaughan said he did not put himself forward for next week's Indian Premier League auction because his primary focus is a recall to England's Test team.

..... and .....

...he nevertheless opted out of the chance for a handsome paycheque in India because he still believes he can fight his way back into the England team for the Ashes this summer

Cricinfo

Michael Vaughan - Cricinfo Player Profile and T20 performance.

Moving on...

I recall a certain Ravi Bopara having made such noises as the second quoted extract above, sometime earlier on when he felt he was in with a chance to play in the England team rather than sit on its fringes.

Today, Ravi Boapara is in the England team and also in IPL way, in these times pregnant with economic stimulus bills and such talk, without any doubts or contradictions.

Ravi Bopara turns down IPL offer

England all-rounder Ravi Bopara has rejected a lucrative offer to play in the Indian Premier League, fearing it would jeopardise his international future

The Telegraph 07 May 2008

.....

Bopara still tempted by the IPL

'If things continue as they are, and the offer comes along again, then ... I may have to reconsider my options'

Ravi Bopara in The Guardian, Tuesday 20 May 2008

.....

Bopara Waits On IPL Windfall

Ravi Bopara faces an anxious wait to discover whether he will become part of the excitement of the Indian Premier League after being named as one of 20 English cricketers being put forward for auction

Yahoo UK & Ireland Sport, Fri 30 Jan, 05:09 AM

.....

Bopara looks beyond IPL cash

Ravi Bopara admits it is impossible not to think about the financial rewards on offer in the Indian Premier League - but insists he will be taking part for the love of the game.

.....

“All this talk of big money is new to cricket, it’s new to me and it’s new to all cricketers, but it’s a great opportunity,” said Bopara, who was yesterday also nominated alongside England one-day team-mates Owais Shah and Samit Patel for the British Asian Sports Personality of the year.

“If I said it (money) isn’t important then I would be lying, because it makes a big difference to a lot of cricketers, to their future and their families.

“But if you’re a real cricket lover and you play it because you love the game, you just take all that in your stride.

“It’s a great opportunity to earn money, and we’ll all have a smile about it. But the main thing you play for and what gives you the fire in the belly is wanting to achieve things as a cricketer and become the best player you can on any stage.”



30th January 2009, News @ ECB.co.uk

I thought before we moved on to England vs West Indies Yutes Day Two, and India vs Sri Lanka 2nd ODi in 12 hours time...and...the IPL Player Signings on Feb 6, we could reflect upon man.

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Australia vs South Africa Yootes

The hall mark of champion teams is their bench strength of youngsters can easily sustain or expand on what their regular team can do.

As Australia squared up to face the youthful team of South Africa, without eminent players such as Graeme Smith, Dale Steyn, Makhaya Ntini, Mark Boucher and Jaques Kallis, one couldn't help recall how a little earlier in history, a similar band of yootes without big names, had proved to be the nemesis of Australia - the unravelers of champions. The final chapter in the attritional seige of champions began there, and was concluded today at the hands of a youthful South African side.

To be frank, when I read this morning about the match being at WACA, Perth, and that SA were likely to go into it without their regulars, it didn't excite in me any hope that Australia would win. For two reasons - 1) WACA has ceased to be an Australian fortress in the past two years - Tests and ODIs and 2) Australia increasingly are not doing well against opposition when they are behind and specifically when there are youngsters in an able opposition.

The ground stats may be a small sample but a highly significant story they tell.

In the past two years, Australia has performed under par in ODIs as shown by this basic chart which unfortunately excludes Zimbos and Bangladesh for obvious reasons. I must however add at this point that Bangladesh, as they competed recently against Sri Lanka, could jot up their first series win against Australia if they had the chance.

I do not know how to extract stats of "performance coming from behind in a series", but if you examine series by series in which they have been under such pressure, the story is evident. There was no reason to expect anything different for the ageing gentleman team of Australia haven't shown an ability to turn it around under sustained pressure with their game prowess on the field...and many of current players, even though they are baggageless rookies (of belonging to so-and-so version of the Incredibles), are not Yootes either. They are finding it difficult to summon the energy required to overturn trends. There is neither guile of experience nor vitality of young hearts to believe in such a possibilities or make it come about.

In fact, there were signals prior to the WC 2007 which they won so emphatically - NZ and England checked them out. But that WC win hid many developing ills. For starters, there was the delusion that Stuart Clark would be a perfect replacement for Glenda. That any and every Australian player would be a natural born genius honed to perfection as the great players were.

So I did not watch the early part of the match and chose to focus on my work instead.

However during my noon break, I caught a bit of it, just when JP Duminy went ballistic over the Ozzies yet again.

This man, JP Duminy, will be among those in world cricket who will continue to thrill audiences and draw the people into the stadiums after veterans leave the stage. I am not tiring of this man in a hurry.

When I returned to finally catch the match, it was over - yet again Australia lost to youthful rookies. Yet again Australia had failed to come from behind in an ODI series. I missed the young man called Tsotsobe on his ODI debut.




 

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A bit of Sir Vidia in the Caribbeans

England Tour of West Indies: West Indies A v England

In the on-going West Indies A vs England tour match, two much-talked about West Indian lads, Adrian Barath and Lendl Simmons have chalked up runs.


In the West Indies of current times, lads must quickly grow up to be men and set off for man's work. Scoring runs brings a few problems - you must be ready to give up the security of two finishing seasons of essential cricket university and plunge into the insecurity of West Indian international cricket.

Sir Vidia, in his novel The Enigma of Arrival, wrote in a different context but is descriptive of the atmosphere in the West Indies - 'a dream of glory together with a general pessimism, a wishing to hope and a nervousness about hoping'.

The fans of WI cricket are in a similar quandary these days. There is an irresistible urge, bordering on necessity some might say, to call for the selection of the first tall scorer - they call it a "Higher Standards" player these days - which is tempered firstly, by a realization in some that children need to mature first to cope with the harsh treatment likely to be meted out by their board and fans on their first non-Higher Standards score, and second, by the fear that these higher standards don't mean a thing in a set up of mediocrity. But then there is the tug of hope of a big big score...

In West Indies today, you need the men (or boys) who can play now, today, for survival; you fear then that they might be cast aside as numerous players have been at the first sign of failure to cope (inter-islandic bias and ethnicity is said to play a significant part as well), you fear that their brilliance is merely an otherwise average performance in mediocrity, you wish to hold on just a little longer so the children can complete their cricketing education before going off to work. Tall scores could rip you away from a method (with which one has grown comfortable as a concept), and throw you into uncertain seas.

It's an uneasy hopefulness, perhaps a little guilty too, having to bank upon your kids to bail you out. But kids are kids till the time you test them, while some men remain kids forever. Yet...

Well, England may have taken it easy but they are not mediocre even as Daren Powell may have us believe.^{Jamaica Observer, Cricinfo} There is some talk that the pitch is responsible for the scores - but it does take application to score runs on a cement track too isn't it?

In most countries when your teenie-boppers do that, You mark them out for further checking-out at higher, but subordinate, levels like ODIs, more A fixtures, closer inspection of domestic form and tour matches, for at least a year or two before making up your mind about them.

If WI looks to the immediate, then it cannot afford such "luxury", but if it looks ahead and beyond, it must allow lads what they need. Unfortunately, the pressures faced, both in terms of results and sponsorship issues, keep WI cricket focussed on the immediacy of it all.

By the way, Adrian Barath's father is said to be closely monitoring his son's career just like Shiv Chanderpaul's father did. Which is good news, for there is less chance of dissolution.

Here's hoping Barath can achieve similar to what Shiv has, and in a winning combination as well. I am following that bwoy's career.

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IPL Second Player Signings

Candiddates available as per Cricinfo -

List of players for second auction

Australia: Brad Haddin, Michael Clarke, Nathan Hauritz, Stuart Clark, Brad Hogg, Beau Casson, Mark Cameron, Peter Forrest, Lee Carseldine, Doug Bowler, Michael Dighton, Jason Krejza, Nathan Reardon, Chris Hartley, Shaun Tait, Ashley Noffke, Bryce McGain, George Bailey, Travis Birt, Michael Hill, Chris Swan, Michael Klinger, Ben Edmondson, Aiden Blizzard, Mark Cosgrove, Adam Voges, Shane Harwood

England: Kevin Pietersen, Andrew Flintoff, Steve Harmison, Ravi Bopara, Monty Panesar, Robert Key, James Foster, Sajid Mahmood, Matt Prior, Ian Bell, Paul Collingwood, Owais Shah, Darren Gough, Ryan Sidebottom, Graeme Swann, Luke Wright, James Anderson, Ed Joyce, Dominic Cork

Bangladesh: Shakib Al Hasan, Mohammad Ashraful, Mashrafe Mortaza, Tamim Iqbal, Junaid Siddique, Mehrab Hossain jnr, Rajin Saleh, Ziaur Rehman, Mahmudullah, Mushfiqur Rahim, Raqibul Hasan, Nadif Chowdhury

New Zealand: Mark Gillespie, Tim Southee, Jesse Ryder, Jeetan Patel, Kyle Mills, Chris Martin, Jamie How, Peter Fulton, James Franklin

Pakistan: Asim Kamal, Mohammad Hafeez, Yasir Hameed, Danish Kaneria, Yasir Arafat

South Africa: Gulam Bodi, Rory Kleinveldt, Charl Langeveldt, Ashwell Prince, JP Duminy, Martin van Jaarsveld, Roelof van der Merwe, Andre Nel, Neil McKenzie, Yusuf Abdullah, Paul Harris, Johan Botha, Morne van Wyk, Tyron Henderson

Sri Lanka: Thilan Thushara, Nuwan Kulasekara, Mahela Udawatte, Dammika Prasad, Thilina Kandamby, Kaushalya Weeraratne, Jehan Mubarak, Dilhara Lokuhettige, Malinga Bandara, Malinda Warnapura, Michael Vandort, Prasanna Jayawardene, Upul Tharanga, Kaushal Lokuarachchi, Jeevantha Kulatunga

West Indies: Sylvester Joseph, Darren Sammy, Andre Fletcher, Kieron Pollard, Kieran Powell, Fidel Edwards, Dwayne Smith, Kemar Roach

Zimbabwe: Vusi Sibanda


Interesting set that, particularly the West Indies set for they are good T20 players there. Sly Joseph, Fletcher, Roach, Sammy...

And Vusi Sibanda is in the reckoning!

I am not so certain the large contingent from Australia is all meritorious. The also large contingent of England is less controversial.

However, I am curious to see who picks up a unidimensional force like Monty.

Kevin Pietersen is set to be the prima donna of IPL starting from a reserve price of 1.3 mills. Deccan Chargers (or has the name changed? They were supposed to be sold off to a new owner, isn't it? ) had paid as much for Symonds. Not sure if they will be left holding a dud again this year, like last year when he left after the initial phase, if Symonds opts to go into therapy or some such thing. But the killer argument at a forum was when a person asked - if KP's worth as he is said to be, surely Robert Key should be worth double that! After all Key has been a collosus of sorts in the Englih CC system.

The BD players could be the surprise pack of this IPL....like RRs of last year.

All in all, interesting stuff awaits.

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Disillusioned Holding

"Stanford is not interested in West Indies cricket. As soon as he got in bed with the England and Wales Cricket Board I knew he would walk away from West Indies cricket. He no longer needed it. It was a stepping stone to international cricket. "I don't regret getting involved. But when I realised what it was all about I quickly reversed."

The ECB do not escape Holding's anger either.

"Look what happened to the Stanford 20/20," he said. "The ECB gave the excuse that they got involved to help West Indies cricket. How is that going to help West Indies cricket? They got involved because they saw the money and they wanted to give their players a chance to win big dollars and take their minds off the IPL."

Money. The game's driving force. It is what attracted so many of Holding's old team-mates and heroes to sign up for the Stanford cause.

"I don't think they will regret staying," he said. "I think they had different motives to me. I will say no more than that. You had great names in West Indies cricket and I don't want to pass disparaging remarks about them."

The respect is still there for men like Sir Garry Sobers and Sir Viv Richards who were turned into Stanford props. But now the greatness has gone. Holding is doubtful it will return. This is not ranting, it is just a cold, hard analysis of the dire state of West Indies cricket. ^{Michael Holding in Telegraph.co.uk}

Why does he need to do commentary...who needs money with three houmes in three countries? But once again he speaks about his association with the Stanford scheme.

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India vs Sri Lanka 2008-09, First ODI, Dambulla

My entire interest at the commencement of this series was focussed on the tussle between BAW Mendis and the Indian batting XI. This was a good opportunity to judge what the young men have done in the time since their last encounter. So, despite a tough day and night's work yesterday, I stayed awake, albeit in a couch, to catch the match today instead of crashing out.

Dhoni opts to chase

This man will chase if he is unsure of the pitch, it appears. If he is certain of it, he will opt to bat first upon winning the toss provided there are no other mitigating conditions. Simple, straight and unfettered by the compulsion of win-toss-and-bat-first-always philosophy, which could leave you squirming in doubt on your seat in the dressing room if there is uncertainity about the pitch. Now that's how he thinks and it works well for him and his team. He did the same today when there was plenty of talk about underground water levels and groundsman working on the pitch - Dhoni said, "let's see how it behaves first." In the process, he declared immense faith in his team's capability to chase, M&M notwithstanding.

Matara Marauder

If you thought M&M meant the salty Murali or gritty Mendis, think again...the original M&M is the Man from Matara - Sanath Jayasuriya. They say he's almost 40...damn lies! I bet they floated that canard just so they could let other guys play. The man continues to play like a 20 year old! He logged in a century today against his old favorite - India - but one didn't quite mind it today as much as one "minded" the decimating half-century in the 1996 WC he played against us. For much as his body may be supporting him, we all know that thse gems he is playing are among the final chapters of his legacy. Savour them! Even if you are at the receiving end. His 28th ODI century they say it was, and a backbone innings it was rather than a frothy instigation to his teammates.

Captain Mahela fails to capitalize

Sangakkara held on with him, the Indian bowling was more tight than penetrative, and the pitch behaviour, according to Sanath, made them add more caution to their batting which has anyway been brittle in recent times. While this partnership helped set up the total in the first place, it also restricted the total to itself, despite Mahroof's late flourish in the company of his late-order peers.

Sangakkara was a tad slow - a SR of about 50-odd - and the man following this constructive partnership, Kandamby, was almost identical.

The captain, Mahela, is unsure of himself. His string of poor form (spiked by the odd big innings to stave off comment) in recent times clearly weighed him down from his no.4 spot. One would have expected Jayawerdene to lead from the front in accelerating the scaore from the build-up Sanath and Sanga gave. Instead, he pushed himself below even Mahroof to no.6! One thing about Mahela you have to admit, he always talks positive...in anything he utters over the electronic media or writes in print, there is always a generous sprinkling of positive change therapy talk. It's the positive actions we wish to see more often.

Zak and Ishant

Sharma is the third power-play bowler for Dhoni. Always uses him and the lad is learning all the tricks of the trade to stay in the game when batsmen are having a go at him from both ends of the innings. He is developing variety and using it with control. That's a good sign, for it shows he isn't just a dumb beanpole speed merchant - Ishant wants to be a legend!

Zak is probably enjoying his best phase of ODIs since his initial years. He had ceased to be a reliable limited overs bowler. But the past two years has been a journey of revelation by this man. You begin to wonder how he can be mean from a five-six steps of run-up. The man is so in tune with the vibes around him, the environment he is playing in, that he has an instinctive solution for every different combination of problems presented. Cold, hot, humid, windy, flat deck, grassy knoll, wet track dusty desert, attritional batsman or a cavalier knight...he's in such a zone of nirvana that he has an instinctive solution for them all. One can only hope that he retains this alertness and enthusiasm to lead India in 2011. He has to make amends for SA 2003 you know...

Munaf turned up on his soft side today. He's a bit of a tortoise, and when correctly aligned, can take plenty with his hard shell and still bulldoze on...but today he was turned turtle exposing his vulnerable underbelly. Sanath plunged his claws into the tender flesh early, and Munaf knew he was playing catch-up from there. It is here that Dhoni's mystique comes to the fore, as does the hidden talents of this developing Indian team. He has no qualms in correcting an error...no bull-headed blundering on like Kevin Pietersen did in the ODIs in India.

Munaf was de-plugged pronto and allowed to roll off into the outfield. The deficit was used by employing Suresh Raina and Rohit Sharma! Don't be surprised, he has used Rohit before...but it is all about his instinct and knowledge of what they practice and how they practice in the nets. I am sure all these chaps are asked to bowl seriously in the nets. This Ranji, Raina and Rohit also bowled a bit. That isn't a coincidence...it is an extention of the Plan...a task assigned to them to go out and polish specific skills. It worked, for they have practised to make it work for 3-4 overs....two such players and one quota of overs is done with!

Ojha did well too...he broke the only significant partnership of the Lankan innings. Well, the next one was a fifty one but it was more a one-man show, that one.


Kumara Dharamasena

Remember him? He was a key member of the Sri Lankan WC winning team of 1996 (he got the important wicket of Steve Waugh in the final), and many victories afterwards. He was one of Anna's favorite. He was also one of the two off-spinners Anna had to stand up for. Unfortunately for Kumara Dharmasena, he was no Murali, and had to be the sacrificial lamb of appeasement...whispers say...so that Murali could play. Now we don't know if these whispers are true, but he Kumara's pleas were gradually muted. Today he resurfaced as an umpire, in his first ODI.

We wish him well in this alternative career, and urge him to learn from the first decision he ever gave against an opposition batsman in an ODI as an umpire, and take guard against such becoming his signature.....he doesn't need a second questionable calling card in his life, does he?


Post Sachin's Dismissal

I mentioned that I wanted to see how India responded to BAW Mendis. Well, Sachin was declared 'OUT' before I could gather my wits after the innings break, but that also opened up the young boys of India to a serious test.

This was as tough as it gets...an uncertain pitch (as per the centurion Jayasuriya), Sri Lanka at home, BAW Mendis and Murali in peak form, the partisan spectators already aroused by the old man's chocolate innings and Dharmasenaed Sachin...the youngsters were lined up to topple over like domines yet again.

It didn't quite happen that way and there wasn't anything too uncertain about why it didn't happen that way.

The young India boys have clearly studied well for their exams and are prepared to move ahead and beyond BAW Mendis. Gambhir, Raina (most heartening to see the young man shrug off a poor domestic season ending and make his opportunities count), MSD, and even Yuvraj...paced themselves well and never appeared stressed out.

India won the first ODI encounter handsomely and without a crease on their brow.

What I wanted most to see in this match was best described by this, 10-0-47-0. For the first time, Mendis went wicketless against India. It is important that India learnt quickly to match Mendis for any hope of continued success in bilateral, trilateral and multilateral contests. The initial inability of India to overcome Murali and Sanath in the late 90s, and the effect of that on India's fortunes, is still fresh in my mind.

Now onto the next match, where my focus remains as such.

MOM - Sanath Jayasuriya ( R: 107 Min: 166 B: 114 4s: 10 6s: 1 SR: 93.85 )

 

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Wazzup Delhi Daredevils?

"By getting Nannes, Delhi have managed to cover for the absence of Mohammad Asif, who quit the IPL for personal reasons, and now also have an express fast bowler in their ranks to join the likes of Glenn McGrath, Farveez Maharoof, Brett Geeves and Ashish Nehra."^Cricinfo


Now I'm confused, did you not trade in a performing resident batsman, Shikhar Dhawan, for a bowler to cover up for Asif? You got in Nehra that way, isn't it? Nobody told it was actually a trade off for an Australian youngster called Dave Warner instead of a promising Delhi youngster.

Why haven't Australia used him even once in the current series, given those glowing words? Australia have been thin in their fast bowling resources the past six months.

Is Australification of Delhi Daredevils, at the expense of talented local players or someone like JP Duminy from other countries, the best way forward for the team? ( Gee! I just sounded like Symo back there...)

Australians in Delhi :-

Glenda (OK)
Brett Geeves (not much to go on)
Warner (Will he be better than Dhawan? That's the big Q. Thin resume.)
Dirk Nannes (Now we are introduced, tell me bit more about him)

Others:-

TM Dilshan (worked himself into the purplest patch of his life)
Mahroof (proven goods)
Malik (Doing well)
ABD (Firing again)
Sehwag (Cappo)
Gambo (Swashbuckler)
Nehra (Not bad...ummm...good move to get him back from MI)
YoMa (News? been anonymous this Ranji season as well)
Mishra (Now a Big Boy)
DK (Good season)
Bhatia, Manhas

Don't see them improving as a fielding team though.

Better win that cup this year - you have some form players and some written about players in your team.

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March of Time

Australia are down. There they are, now squirming on the same fields they once sharked haughtily upon.

At times such as these, in the Australia of days gone by, the various tribes involved in the hunt would gather around their kill for a victory war dance and a final kick in the ribs of the vanquished brave.

All the tribes in this ancient Ozzie sporting custom - The newspaper men who would gee-up the hunt off to an early start, the commentators who could see only one colour - yellow - in opponents, while it shone like gold on the Australian team, Australian cricket fans pickled in beer and swollen proudly looking for meat (they still do), the umpires of many games, and finally, the Australian cricket players, whose strange philosophy it is to kick you in the crotch first and offer putrid barley water as salve later - they would all gather around, arm in arm, bloodcurdling sledges rising to the sky, punches flailing onto the defeated warrior at their feet, before cutting him up into stock for that winning-streak chowder Australians always like to cook up in their cricketing celebration.

What do we do now? Do we do an Ausstrayyyylian on them? Or let them go graciously, as one does with vanquished warriors?

Today Australia gave up their second one-day series at home within a year.

Customs will have to be modified to accommodate change.

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Andrew Symonds: Was he set up?

There are some aspects to this.

1) From the interview it appears Andrew Symonds can be easily set up to say/do something daft.

2) Evereybody knows he is an ill man and with an addiction.

3) Media, and maybe teammates, wind him up knowing his weaknesses and get their job done through him.

4) Doesn't forgive Symonds though from talking loosely on radio - clear lack of judgement there which could be due to his illness - for he is a worldy-wise, well-travelled, comprehensively media-trained public figure with previous experience with written and electronic media.

5) But he was clearly set up there...fired up the hill bit by bit, interviewers playing upon his vulnerabilities, and then letting him off into a free-fall.

I wonder why? Listen for yourself. All for an interview which would be spoken about?

6) When the man can obviously not control himself, he shouldn't appear in interviews. Or, the interviewers must not toy with him...he's ill for chrissakes! I wonder why they go for his goat?

I have said this once before that I now look upon him as a person who needs be helped in learning how to help himself be a more even person. People must stop pulling the mickey out of a person who clearly cannot cope with it.

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Do you also suffer the "Doosra"?

We're talking blogs here, cricket blogs to be precise, just so you may be aware.

Som of Doosra has a growing collection of...not quite the wrong 'uns...but certainly unexpected ones like doosra, teesras and switch-hitting at his blog.

His latest, Dyscalculia hits cricket! is just one among many such.

If A Bisht appealed you via images, Som will tickle your thinking neurons with wordcraft instead.

Make sure you visit there - at least every Sunday morning - so your day could begin well.

Doosra-itis is a pleasant affliction to suffer from!

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I Am Here!

Where I belong...



...TM Dilshan, at the next level.

We, as long time supporters of his, and also he being a fellow Daredeviler, our congratulations to him on powering through to the next level of performance.

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England in IPL

Old news that now. We saw the players had been aching for a while and now they have wrested a three week's romp. None...and I mean it...none says it better than the eminent cricket cartoonist A Bisht of Cricket UA.

Five-star work. We need to see more of this.

Ever wondered why all the major cricket news portals like Cricinfo, Cricketnext.com, Dreamcricket.com, Cricketnirvana.com don't have a cartoon section?

Is it that humour has has no place in the game? Has it been reduced to unsatirical word-jibes?

Take a break from it all, laugh but also reflect, on what Bisht conjures up.

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To prevent cricket from becoming extinct

In the Zimbabwe region of the sport, the Indian board has agreed to invite representative Zimbabwe sides to play in its key domestic tournaments in an effort to help in the redevelopment of cricket in Zimbabwe.^Cricinfo

A Zimbabwe President's XI will participate in this season's Deodhar Trophy, an inter-zonal one-day tournament, starting in March. The team will also play in the Duleep Trophy, the inter-zonal first-class tournament, from next season.

Visiting Zimbabwe players will be allowed to make use of the facilities at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore and a team will participate in the invitational Buchi Babu tournament, hosted by Tamil Nadu, next season.

- Cricinfo

The big bad BCCI again, the greedy fellows who are only interested to make money! But we wish to focus on the game of cricket and what BCCI is doing to prevent its fossilization in a full member country in trouble.

It has thrown open its portals to Zimbabwean cricketer for use.

What is worth ruminating over is if England (ECB) or Australia (CA) had made a similar offer to the poor Zimbabwean cricketers who are suffering in it all, even the concerned news portal might have had a series of articles out by this time.

That's just the way it is.

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Albie's got a bit of Dhoni about him

I don't mean just the ability to send the ball out of the park irrespective of the bowler as we saw today at Sydney but the aura of confidence and not more than appropriate patience with fools.

At the awards ceremony after Saffers won the third ODI match in a canter on the thrust of Albie's blade against Australia at Sydney, ^Scorecard one saw the Channel Niners dividing up the interviews among themselves.

Mark Nicholas appeared to award himself the role of stand-up comedian who would steal the thunder from the Saffer's win. About as flat as an open beer can from three weeks ago can be, a patronizing froth which couldn't bubble - what's with the juvenile "recognition" awarded through nicknames business in Oz - garnering instead Albie's pity, Morkel's eyes showered pity as one can only on a talentless comic, such was he, our Markie.

With just a momentary twitch of the masseter, Morkel created a question to give a sensible sounding answer out of all that. Calm, cool...just like he smashed the artificial closeness out of SCG today with a purposeful bat. All the half-naked beerflys in the stand who were "preparing" for something close - rubbing their hands in anticipation as Bracken, Hauritz and Tait returned...have they forgotten how ODI games go?...run a ball ain't any insurance anymore babies - saw their hopes fly repeatedly over mid-wicket.

This man reminds me of Dhoni both with the bat and coolness...if Smith can't play, Morkel should be skip of the ODI team. He's got it.

SA lead the five match ODI series 2-1.

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The World of Australia according to Roy

We don't say anything, we just listen and read -

Andrew Symonds will be quizzed by Cricket Australia today over a bizarre radio rant in which he labelled big-hitting Kiwi Brendon McCullum a "lump of s... ".


"Yep, we love to hate them, but he's the lump of s..., sorry, lump of cow dirt, that people are thinking of."

No, we don't say anything for there are sensitive skins out there. Just read. We just read.

Final Comment:

Roy is such a hypocrite after all when you consider his performances he was taking someone else's spot in the aussie cricket side this season .

Posted by: Hypocrite of Sydney 8:45am today

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Good, bad, or ugly?

Brendon McCullum takes umbrage at suggestions he is a cricket mercenary by choosing to play for New South Wales tomorrow ahead of Otago. - Jonathan Millmow


The wacky world of professional cricket scaled new heights yesterday when McCullum was cleared to play for New South Wales in Australia's domestic Twenty20 final instead of a State Shield match at Invercargill, where Otago can book a home semi-final.

By playing in Sydney, McCullum qualifies to play for NSW in the lucrative Indian Champions League in October if his IPL franchise Kolkata fail to qualify.

Helping stitch the deal together was McCullum's agent, former teammate Stephen Fleming, but the proviso was always that Otago had to qualify for the semifinal before NSW could ask the question.

Otago Cricket chief executive Ross Dykes and Otago coach Mike Hesson are both comfortable with the arrangement and McCullum said his teammates were also supportive.
- Stuff.co.nz

We've heard many things said about such situations over almost the past two years. Shrilly and often unfoundedly so. Even recently there was some chatter and rhetoric smogging the web when Shane Bond issued a statement that he'd like to move on in life. It is good to see that the world is beginning to respond to all this in a positive way and finding solutions rather than complain incessantly without the slightest care to swim forward.

Or is BCCI and IPL going to cop it again eh, over a matter between Australia and New Zealand?

There are still some corners murmuring...some even surprised that Pollard of WI is also in the running. I think Pollard is OK for T20.

"In any case, West Indies may have similar problems. Five of their leading players - Chris Gayle, the captain, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Dwayne Bravo and Dwayne Smith - already have IPL contracts and others, such as Kieron Pollard, are expected to feature in the auction." - Timesonline.co.uk

Suppose Keiron Pollard were unable to play tests for West Indies this summer, would we hear screams for the head, and soul of BCCI? I mean he IS a certainity for the Test XI and all that, isn't it?

Some wise forummers are unfazed, people like them ask - "Indians are out of their mind or wha? (Rolling Eyes Smiley)"

I just read on...

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Sakib, The Shining Star

Literally, that's what he is - A Shining Star!

We do not generally attach much importance to ratings and stuff unless that is your area of interest, but the system has its uses. Especially in highlighting an outstanding performer for a team.

Today, Shiv Chanderpaul stands out as a beacon in what is basically a swampy mire of WI cricket. These ratings reflect his excelllence and hand out a hope and inspiration to those with the will in WI cricket. But WI cricket has seen resplendent years - it is only the contrast which makes him Shiv shine even more lusturously.

However, with Sakib Al Hassan of Bangladesh, it is very different.

Bangaldesh has not known a topper to date unlike West Indies.

A Bangaldeshi has as yet not stood on top of the cricketing world.

But today Sakib is a master of all he surveys from the top of the all-rounder's heap. Imagine what Bangaldesh must be talking about right now. Imagine how Sakib must be influencing the Bangladeshi children discussing his name, poring over his posters, analyzing his stats...somewhere the seed of greater standards of achievement is being sown. It is almost like it was when Kapil stepped onto the international stage - Indian kids realized that fantasies could also be made real.

Somewhere, discoontent with mediocrity is being cultivated.

Wait a while, we may yet see a bounteous harvest.

Congratulations to Sakib but there is no resting yet.

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Mumbai Mirror likes the leaky Coach post

Mumbai Mirror picked up A Coach Shouldn't Be a Leaking Jalopy and featured it in their January 21st issue.

Som, of Doosra was gracious to convey that Metro Now also had picked it up in today's issue (which is their last by the way for they are shutting down!).

To me both appear to be sister organisations of the Times of India group.

Thanks Som for leading me to the news, and we continue to be chuffed since CNN.

 

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Australia were never beaten..., Dravid wrote

A fictionalized narrative with real elements in two distinct parts. My sincere apologies to 1) Victoria (I may have taken some liberties to set the scene for Steve Waugh and Rahul Dravid's entry into this post), 2) my apologies also to Steve Waugh and Rahul Dravid - I assure them this is only a hobby blog which doesn't make a cent or intends to but shall remove the foreword if they wish, and 3) my apologies certainly to the readers for testing their patience and goodwill with a long ramble.

Wish cricket could begin and excuse us from writing semi-fiction :)



Part 1


A couple of days ago, Victoria-Minerva paid a visit to this blog upon her return from a rather longish vacation. The ‘Recent Comments’ widget on the right declared that she had typed in a comment. Instead of reading that, I rushed to her blog straightaway, for I had been waiting to catch up with her and read what she might have to say upon Rahul Dravid’s most recent hundred in what many of us, including yours truly, had designated as the final innings of a formless period, at the start of it. You see, she is chief among the congregation of Rahul Dravid fans in our circle on the web, and a staunch unflinching supporter of his. She had decided to vacation about that time Rahul scored a hundred, if you recall, and we missed her celebrations.

As you can see, she came up with a lucid and understated blogpost on him, a quality so characteristic of Dravid himself, clubbed with other significant cricketing events in the period since. She was actually there to watch it…

Anyway, I began to retrace my hurried steps to her blog, perhaps a little disappointed…just little mind you, for in my mind I had painted a warm glow of exultation which might shine like a beacon showing the way.

Little did I realize that such gaudiness is limited to me – Dravid and his fans are aren’t given to excesses, and Victoria had captured the essence to perfection.

While I was dragging my feet back to my blog, I came across a video clip of Dravid displayed at YouTube. It was showing there…he, RD, was on the marquee! I lingered to watch the short clip as I was in no hurry to return to a blog which wasn’t going to see a lot of action anymore for the evening anyway. He was playing a one-dayer against the New Zealanders and was in the process of scoring an uncharacteristic 50 off 22 balls. That was an important innings under some pressure of place too, if you recall. In the frames on either side, were shots of Dravid from different matches. My desire to relive those moments was aroused and I dived into YouTube to catch the late evening show.

The wide screen of YouTube reeled them off – 217 at The Oval, 233 at Adelaide, 270 vs Pakistan, his partnership with Laxman in the Kolkatta Test, a clever flash montage of his best strokes set to a fine background score and Steven Spielbergian special effects, a scene called ‘Moment of Pride’ captured the moments immediately before and after Dravid first overcame Australia in Australia, Virender Sehwag slamming the selectors for dropping Rahul Dravid…it was an absorbing show which stretched deep into the night.

But I had to get back to my blog, it was quite late, and I began to hurry – the mind whirling with all the grandeur I had just witnessed in the dark chamber of YouTube. At times such as these, curious coincidences can happen. I espied an open page on the web. I stopped and peered into the glass screen…there, it was an article on Dravid! I read on, squinting and screwing up my eyes against the glare falling out of the window.

As I began to walk on, I discovered to my amazement that there were a sequence of open pages, all on Dravid, lining my walk back to my blog on the web. Mesmerized, I began to read each one of them. Soon the sky split into a murky winter dawn and the pages vanished. It was time for work, the screen went blank.

Something was bothering me right through at work. It was about Dravid and all that I read about him. I wanted to find something he had written, but could not find. But I knew in the back of my mind that he had written something…only where?

But of course, it was Steve Waugh’s autobiography!

Dravid had penned a foreword to it. I rushed back as soon as I could to my private cupboard of cricket books and plucked out the massive tome, which incidentally I got for a bargain price of Rs.395 from Om Book Shop, my regular browse, and immediately flipped to the foreword to refresh my memory. There are two Forewords to the granth, the first by Rahul Dravid and the second by Tim May.

Part 2


The significance of Dravid penning the foreword to Steve Waugh’s book cannot be escaped. Steve Waugh is not only his professed idol but also an idol he has emulated very well. The foreword is revealing as to the qualities he observed in Steve Waugh, many of which we observe in Rahul hiself, and has almost replicated the same aura which surrounds his hero.

It is all captured in Dravid’s own words, which I present to you.

Out of my comfort zone by Steve Waugh

Foreword by Rahul Dravid

I was 14 years old –sweating at the nets and dreaming, like schoolboys do, of playing for my country – when I first saw Steve Waugh. It was the 1987 World Cup in India, which Australia won, and while Steve was in his early twenties he had already caught my eye. This was not merely because of his ability with bat and ball (his slower deliveries bowled with various actions would soon be replicated in nets around India), but also for his grit under pressure. Steve appeared to relish the big occasion, seemed to thrive in such situations, but I had no idea back then that it would be this characteristic that would become his signature or that years later I would be privileged to see it first hand.

Greatness is a label easily bestowed in these ‘exaggerated’ times, but Steve earned such high praise. History will remember him as one of the game’s finest practitioners. He averaged over 50 in Test cricket, the mark of a superb batsman, and played a significant role in two World Cup victories, 12 years apart. As captain, he inherited a gifted Australian team from Mark Taylor and forged it into an even more aggressive and successful side. He was influential beyond his shores, a man looked up to.

Steve was a hard man and respected because he had done it the hard way. Greatness wasn’t handed to him; he pursued it diligently, single-mindedly. Dropped from the team, he worked his way back. The story of his resolute journey, among other things, makes for interesting reading.

With 32 Test centuries, there is no shortage of impressive innings to remember, but the one that stands out for me is the 67 not out in 273 minutes he made against us in a one-off Test in Delhi in 1996. On a turning wicket, alive with uneven bounce, he constructed an innings that was masterful in both its technique and its complete concentration. Watching it from silly point as he fended off gifted spinners like Anil Kumble was an education, a lesson for a youngster like me playing his first season of international cricket.

For me, when Steve batted, a couple of things stood out. There was the infinite care he put into his defense, each ball carefully watched and played as if his life depended on it. The acceleration of his bat was interesting as well, for sometimes you thought he was going to be late for the ball, but then his bat would descend at tremendous speed to meet it. Most of the time we left him alone, not speaking to him on the field, for we knew he fed off any conversation, and enjoyed confrontation and challenge that came with it. Australia was never beaten while he was there at the crease.

Off the field, his manner was introverted, his emotions tightly locked. He appeared to live the cliché of ‘No quarter given and none asked’. But off the field, if you sought him out for a chat, he was never reluctant to share his thoughts.

On Australia’s 1998 tour to India I was keen to pick his brain on batting and cricket in general, and Steve promised to let me do so once the series was over. But Australia lost the series and he was injured and missed the last Test, in Bangalore. I would have understood if he had forgotten about this eager youngster, and I thought it was inappropriate to remind him, but on the third day of the Test, unprompted, he called me and we met for dinner. It was a discussion that would have a lasting influence on me.

His ruthless style, combined with a passion for the game, has won him a staggering, almost unrivalled, following in India. But this is a reverence that does not only stem from cricket but also from generosity of spirit. Steve’s work with the children of Udayan in Calcutta has been widely admired, and he has also sought to discover India, to learn about us and go beyond the tired, stereotypical image of this beautiful country that so many visiting cricketers carry with them.

Steve’s legacy is hard to define, but I will remember him because he gave grit a good name. He proved that it is not only the pretty player who can capture the imagination, but also the tough and determined. Suddenly these qualities became as vital, as spoken about, as silken grace and sublime timing. He was leathery tough, played the game aggressively, and would do whatever it took within the rules to win. He built a team that has achieved legendary status, raised the level of young cricketers who played under him, and also embraced the traditions of the game and highlighted their importance.

I will remember the pain of not beating him in that last Test of his, in Sydney in January 2004, but also recall fondly his final innings in cricket against us, for it was a typical Steve Waugh innings: mind over matter, a man not in form but soldiering on, taking his team to safety. I will remember, too, that when I hit the winning runs in the Test at Adelaide n that same series, Steve found the ball and handed it to me. I have it still and is signed by him.

Steve Waugh is an interesting man who has lived an interesting life; a man of cricket but not just of cricket. For 18 years he has traveled the world, won and lost and learnt and led. He has faced cameras, critics and fast bowlers, and he has brought to it all a commitment to excellence.

Fascinating!

Remarks

1) I apologize for the length and thank you for your patience.

2) Out of My Comfort Zone

Author: Steve Waugh

Published: 31 July 2006

Format: Paperback , 816 pages
RRP: $39.95
ISBN-13: 9780143005742
Imprint: Penguin
Publisher: Penguin Aus.
Origin: Australia
Categories: Autobiography: Sport Cricket

3) It cost me Rs. 395 after hefty discount from my regular book shop. original price Rs. 595.00.
It is worth a read and possessing.

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ICC Yanks Out The Soul

"Our building was designed around the trophy. - Peter Young"


On Indian television and moving media, there is a popular advertisement for a brand of sealing wax called Feviseal, in which a father is lying on his deathbead in a huge mansion surrounded by his beloved ones at an emergency reading of the will etc. etc. - I have a You Tube of it which I shall embed here for better understanding.

Sydney Morning Herald reports that ICC, like the red glitzy-shirted smooth operating favorite son in that advert embedded above, turned up at the Cricket Australia HQ and yanked out the soul of that building by taking away the ICC Test Championship Trophy.

"ICC removalists turn up early to carry off furniture" is how they captioned their report.

I must say, it is indeed a funny person who builds a house around a piece of furniture.

Be that as it may, it is the sentiment I guess which matters...a piece of "furniture" Cricket Australia and its selectees have collectively toiled upon to birth and earn the right to keep, can arouse deep affections in the manner of Dhritarashtra, who had like for his eldest son.

It must hurt very much for one to end up calling the soul, the very raison d'être, a piece of mere furniture. But we understand where they are coming from. Down Under, they have a different way of showing affection.

The furniturebaggers of ICC might have yet taken the trophy only for maintenance services and added polish effects, and CA plus Ozmedia in true Ozzie fashion are making a whale and shark out of a small guppy, but the spirit on the whole, including the early "build up" to their African safari, is highly admirable.

The Champions are down, almost out of their soul, but still with a gasp and two lungs. They could come back from the land of eternal bliss....

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Sledge...Hammer

I like stories, especially cricketing stories. A wonderful soul at a webspace I visit drew my attention to one. Normally, recommended cricketing stories should be taken with a pinch of salt for they can often turn out flat. What attracted the recommender's like may escape the recommended to's, or arouse his dislike.

The story is a narrative by Wasim Akram, the former Pakistan wizard of the new and old ball, reported in Gulfnews.com, and a firm all-time favorite bowler of mine along with Michael Holding of West Indies. Naturally I was quick to head over and read the story. I wasn't disappointed!

The occasion was the Shyam Bhatia awards for UAE's outstanding performers in domestic cricket.

Akram narrates: "I was only nineteen when I played in the 1988 Barbados Test match during the tour of West Indies. It was in this Test match that I realised I've got the pace to disturb the batsmen.

"When only 45 minutes were left to go for close of play, Richards came out to bat. My skipper Imran Khan gave me the ball and asked me to have a go.

I bowled a bouncer at Richards and his cap fell while avoiding it. I went up to him and abused him. I was very skinny at that time and he looked at me and said: 'I will see [you] out man.'

I immediately went to Imran Khan and related the incident."

Wasimbhai continues -

"Imran told me to go ahead and scare him. So I bowled another bouncer and his cap fell again and so I went up to him and with a lot of action, provoked him.

Richards looked at me and spat to the side with contempt. That was a time when there were no match referees nor close up television."

It must take great courage for a teen to tangle with The Swagger! Also, this is revealing of Imran's approach and influence on youngsters. No wonder everybody still rates him as one of the most inspirational captains. But enough of my interjection, let's listen to the story.

Imran Khan yet again asked Akram to bowl - the last over of the day.

"I bowled a bouncer again and then returned to the dressing room. While removing my shoes, the room attendant said that someone is waiting for me outside the dressing room.

"When I went out, I saw Richards in only his pad and no shirt and with a bat in hand. I ran to Imran and told him about it, but he quietly said: 'it is better you handle him.' I was shocked and so I went and told Richards very politely that I am sorry for what happened & and [that] it won't happen again.

"Richards looked at me and said: "If it happens next time, I will kill you.

"It never happened again," said Akram.

Source credit: Gulfnews.com

That's the way. it was done in those days...today you rush to X, Y and Zeeeee; quick, go speak to scribe and TV!

Sir Viv didn't bash him up or anything as the scorecard shows. Wasim bhai got 'im both innings.

Now that's how a paceman should be, and how a smart captain uses every trick in the book. And that's how they deal with it too if things don't come off as expected.

- 0 -

There are a few noteworthy points in that about Imran's captaincy. He sensed the young boy had realized he could bully a man and was rearing to go. He encouraged the savage instincts required to be a good fast bowler day in and day out. He blew into the flames that wished to dominate a batsman. And...and most importantly, he taught responsibility...responsibility for one's actions - If Akram thought he could get away with boorishness on the field, Imran taught him how to handle the fallout and let him learn the difference between aggression in play and gentlemanliness outside it.

- 0 -

Wisden reports briefly upon the match in its Almanack. I'll extract the drama from it.

Pakistan's hope of becoming the first team from their country to win a series in the West Indies was dashed at the last by a match-winning stand of 61 between Dujon and Benjamin, who came together at 207 for eight with West Indies needing another 59 to win and defeat in sight. Their unbeaten ninth-wicket stand enabled West Indies to square the series half an hour after lunch on the final day.

...eighth-wicket partnership for 67 between Salim Yousuf and Wasim Akram to ensure that earlier good work by Ramiz, Shoaib and Aamer was not wasted. They put on 50 in five overs, but in attempting to hook Marshall, Yousuf managed only to deflect the ball on to his face, breaking his nose in two places. Marshall followed up with two wickets to end the innings, Qadir becoming his 250th Test wicket. With Yousuf injured, Aamer Malik kept wicket in both innings for Pakistan.

West Indies finished just 3 runs adrift, and when Pakistan slumped to 177 for six by the close, they appeared to have gained the upper hand.

On the fourth morning, Imran and injured Yousuf added 52 for the eighth wicket, with Yousuf, dropped first ball by Richards and having to bat some of the time with a runner because of dizziness

Benjamin and Dujon snatched it away from them, Benjamin finally hitting the winning boundary off Qadir.

It had not been a happy day for the Pakistani leg-spinner. Denied two confident appeals for lbw and a catch off Dujon, he had allowed himself to get involved with a heckler on the boundary. A punch was thrown, the heckler was hit, and $US1,000 were paid to the offended party in an out-of-court settlement so that Qadir would not have to remain in Barbados to face charges.

As you can make out, it was quite a match....where a few lads became men.

Finally, an open request to Wasim Akram, if he ever happens to read, or to anyone else who may have a DVD recording of it - could we have the dramatic moments of the match up on YouTube or some such.

Of course my request to Wasim Akram would be for an autographed copy if he has one! :)



 

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A Coach Shouldn't Be a Leaking Jalopy

Cricketnext.com features an interview which probes Sehwag on the relative effects two India coaches had on the dressing room. You can read the interview here.


When asked about Greg Chappell's methods, he says "He talked and that hurt the trust. I wasn't comfortable with him."

Bit by bit we are getting to know about the destructive role Greg Chappell played in the dressing room in cahoots with Kiran More, who was the CoS that time. While Chappell has some positives to his credit, especially awakening the Indian team and BCCI to the "hire and fire" principles of existence and the need to measure up to the demands of that philosophy, the negative impact of his actions have dominated his legacy.

About Rudi Webster, psychologist on Chappell's board, Sehwag has the same thing to say - " But I found out that Webster couldn't keep things confidential."

This is a more serious allegation for Webster could have been unethical in revealing details.

The situation explains the sudden and persistent dip after the initial honeymoon of Chappell's tenure was over. Only now has it begun to change from that permanent decline. Makes you wonder at how significant a coach's role is...if a coach cannot do any good, he is certainly capable of doing bad.

There have been destructive coaches like Chappell, highly effective coaches like John Wright, and irrelevant/ineffective ones like Kapil Dev. I guess plenty depends upon the individual. Technical expertise is probably just one aspect of being a good coach - it appears, especially when you see the success Wright enjoyed or Kirsten is enjoying, and Mickey Arthur with SA, that players prefer coaches to be fine-tuners and blackboards for their own thought processes. Tactics and discipline is perhaps another area.

Personally, I feel it is better not to have a coach in cricket if you do not have the right person. Like an idle or rotten man attracts flies, an ineffective person or a destructive person can be the magnet for many more troubles than you'd want.

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A Cartoonist Par Excellence

Most of you may already be familiar with A Bisht of Cricket U/A

He captures the life and times of the game we all love in his own artistic way...succint, humorous, and with a unblinking searching eye.

Check it out if you haven't...today he's there...tomorrow you might have to wait for the next issue or volume! Yup, one of the very best cartoonists to have surfaced from India in a very long time. No hyperbole this...check his work yourself at Cricket U/A.

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Fools Rule The Game From Dubai Roost

One cannot say it was suspected for the body called ICC have given periodic evidence of it since they came into being, but sometimes their deeds are so bizarre that they make your lower jaw hang out in wonderment - at how such idiotic fools can rule the game from their Dubai headquarters, and get paid handsome monies for being so stupid? If only everyone had a job like theirs!

Obviously I refer to the nonsensical shyte recently excreted by ICC called Reliance Mobile ICC Best-Ever Test Championship Rating.


Rating in Cricket is riddled with unaccountable variants

By the way, I am not a great believer in rating systems...especially in a game like cricket which is so different from football (where 20 players are doing the same thing called kicking the ball and two are also holding it), a highly standardized, unchanging, indoor game like basketball (where the only variables are the amount of air beneath your soles and soup-uppers pumping through your arteries, or again, a highly stylized game like baseball where the variables are drastically limited...the lack of pitch for starters.

I never believed you could formulate a rating system for cricket which not only varies widely across the different eras but dramatically does so in the long eras of groups of players as well. Where in a game 11 guys are doing something different to the other 11 guys playing it, unlike in football; where weather, local conditions etc. play such an important role.

The nature of opposition plays an important role as well. Where match situations and team quality affect your effectivity.

Too many variants and any formula can only be a subjective pipedream based on assumptions even if they tell you otherwise.


Lazy ICC doesn't even pause to think

As if so many uncertainities are not enough, and which cannot be bound by one formula unless you are in a madofficious mood and adept at stretching and skewing to accomodate, the fools of ICC first went ahead and devised a formula to rate a player who played in early 1900s with the same formula as one who plays a hundred years later. The fools do not realize that the game hasn't been that unchanging as they presume....first mistake.

Then they go on to find the easiest stupidest way to arrange them as their best ever...simply pick out the peaks and let it represent the players entire career! How much more doltish can they be? How did they pass Math in school? How did they get their jobs? Or is lazy fudgery a prerequite for an ICC job?

You see this is indeed a lazy effort - to not bother to apply elementary thought to what they are doing. How can a peak represent an entire career?

How have they analyzed what that peak means? So a 15 wicket haul against Bangladesh and a 350 effort against Zimbabwe is better that 10 wickets against Australia or 250 at Perth?

So, on the strength of that 15 wickie haul against a bunch of learners and all those runs against the other could propel me, along with decent performance for the rest of the year to some 1000 rating for the year....that peak could lob me to the top of the very best of best! Even better if I get to play BD and Zim the same year! It doesn't matter how I fared five years before and five years after...that one peak can get me right above the don.

Wasim Akram is a bowler inferior to Adcock

How else can you explain a bowler like Wasim Akram inferior to Neil Adcock? I'm sure Adcock was a good bowler and had his peak moment which got him into the rankings...but Wasim, who bowled 20 different balls in an over all his career? Beats the logic out of any discussion!

In fact the dodos of ICC decided that he isn't good enough to be in the top 50 even!

Then you have Michael Holding far inferior to Steyn!

I may be accused of bias in the above two examples....Akram and Holding being my all-time favourites...but really, even Allan Donald is found inferior to Steyn. Dale Steyn may eventually go on to be the greatest ever bowler...I hope he does that for I also support the man, but surely, on the basis of one peak year, he cannot be how the lazy lugs at ICC have put him out to be?

It also takes me some doing to understand how a certain Bert Ironmonger, who played all of 14 matches....sample size bias be damned....and all of them on only four Australian grounds is a better bowler than Bishen Singh Bedi?

If you can understand what the ICC eedyuts want you to understand and believe, please do not bother explaining!

Lara is inferior to Sangakkara and Hayden: Sachin squirms beneath Pietersen!

And the laziness of the ICC shytehounds is even more glaring in the batting stakes I believe - It is one in which Brian Lara and Sachin Tendulkar do not figure in the top 20...I mean these two players should have forgotten about playing consistently all these years and simply concentrated on getting one good batting year in to have that peak year which would have put them up there!

Actually enough said about the stupidest of things yet put out by ICC...the fact that Lara and Sachin do not even figure where the likes of Hayden and Sangakkara do...boy, it is a cushy job that ICC stuff...no thinking to do, no effort required, no work to be done...just eat, travel and snooze. You even get decorated I believe for loafing around this way...

If they have any brains at all they'll realize that one peak year cannot be the way to rate. In fact, rating in cricket does not work...especially across ages.

If any stats man tells you he can include the includables and exclude the excludables and conjure a formula up for you...my only advice to you is to be careful with your money while that stats man is around. He's obviously foolin' yuh!

And at the end, I'm still to come to terms with my two favourite bowlers - Wasim Akram and Michael Holding - consigned to the rubbish bin behind.....I even forget the names of those bowlers!

But this one has to beat everything - If you observe the "ICC best ever ratings" closely, Steve Harmison rates as an all time greater great than Akram and Holding!

If that incongruity...no call it monstrosity...didn't alert the morons of ICC, not even god can raise a brain at this advanced stage in that intellectual desert!

Edit/Update

1) Sam-Triplicani has picked one small aspect of the ratings as an example and immediately reveals the foolness of it all. read it here at his blog - Digitising Thoughts.


2) This is the ICC set of officials.

One of them or all of them in cahoots is responsible for this lazy stinking pile the game is now stuck with.

If ICC were an investment company/bank this rotten muckheap might have translated into a giant ponzi scam we all hear about these days.

This entire set of Presidents, CEOs and whatever Os more are there need to be booted out forwith for hoisting this petard over this game we love.

Mark the fellows...take a good look at the "smart" guys who devised and put out this "system". Some might say, it is beginning to look like a rogue's gallery. And if what Jonathan says about ICC-Sponsor nexus is true, who knows, it might actually be one, when things finally come to light.

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How quick was Roger Binny?

There weren't speed guns back then so one wouldn't know.

I'm watching this match on Star Cricket right now -

ODI # 315
Benson & Hedges World Championship of Cricket, 1984/85, 9th Match
Australia v India, Group A
Melbourne Cricket Ground
3 March 1985 (50-overs match)^Scorecard

He sent those stumps of Border and Wood along for long long walks in the park.

Coincidentally one has been worrying over India's quicks recently in the discussions on Balajhi's article.^{India's 'quick' problem}

When you see Roger Binny sending the timber cartwheeling in all directions, and you consider that he was never rated a "quick", it brings me back to 1) Balajhi's dismay over the classification system employed by the commies for Indian bowlers as a youngster and 2) all hope need not be lost then...there must be someone similarly underrated out there in the maidans who's probably sending the stumps flying to all corners of the ground.

The problem lies in locating and bringing forward such a person without bias or prejudice.

Roger Binny, incidentally, was the leading paceman of that tournament as in the '83 WC preceding it.^{1985 B&H WChamp., 1983 Prudential WC}

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Was that Hayden's last innings?

Fourth Day, Third Test, Sydney, Australia vs South Africa 2008-09

Scorecard

The insinuation was that anything less than an emphatic innings would be a signal for his dismissal from Australia duties. Emphatic in numbers, emphatic in execution and emphatic in impact.

Ian Chappell, representing the questioning voices, stated as much in the 13^th over of the Australian innings.

Hayden responded with three typical fours off the next over bowled by Morne Morkel.

Tony Grieg paused his commentary to tell us how he would have responded to Hayden's walk-in cowslog shot over mid-on. Nothing too technical, just laid it out simply for everyone to follow - he said he wouldn't have liked it one bit.

Then Kallis came on instead of Morkel and one thought that was that for the young bowler. The commentator made it a point to mention that Hayden had achieved his personal highest for the season, and now the suggestion appeared to be that the clouds were clearing over his career. The grim shots of the camera looking askance towards Ms.Hayden frequently, distinctly gave way to relieved celebratory toings and froings from the action to her applauding self.

Then Morkel came back again in lace of Steyn, he was switched around to the other end, and on the fifth ball he planted his fot forward again to execute his other variation - the non walk-in cowslog over mid-on. Because the ball rattled into the stumps off the inside edge instead of bouncing away to the boundary, the commentators tone adopted the crispness of finality. The camera panned back to Ms Hayden look for any giveaway clues as to a similar finality to Hayden's career. Nothing was picked up and hence we leave the title in question form.

- - -

Next ball proved to us that Ricky Ponting has developed a cataract for that kind of delivery pelted down and into from the heights by tall lanky bowlers.^{Sliced again}

Just as he had almost scored a hundred in each innings,this time he missed by a similar whisker the chance to add yet another record to his glorous career - of golden ducks in both innings. The ball dived angularly down from the splice of the bat he appeared to be taking out of harms way, between the stumps and his back leg, and onwards to the fine-leg boundary for four amidst the applause of a few thousand long drawn sighs. None louder than Morne Morkel's.

These two overs from him were the interesting passage for this morning's play.

- - -

Kallis has bowled five maidens over from his end. Let's shift the 's' back to its rightful place - Kallis has bowled five maiden overs from his end.

Katich has decided to hold fort, anchor the team innings...obviously nothing much is happening at the moment so Ntini comes back in.

Australia should be able to add another 250 runs for the day bringing them 450 ahead of the rainbow warriors. Let's take up the chase from there.

Slats and co. are suggesting that there could be greater clarity following the CA selection committee meeting later in the day on Hayden.
 

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Australia Siddle-ing back into reckoning?

Third Day, Third Test, Sydney, Australia vs South Africa 2008-09

Scorecard

I make bold to suggest that Australia have worked themselves back into this match, purely because Graeme Smith will no longer be playing an active part on the field. He'll probably still be a rallying rock, but in the distant obscurity of the dressing room.

South Africa have been in such a situation before, Australia too have been in an almost identical situation on more than one occasion in the recent past; while the rainbow warriors have managed to gouge out a victory, Australia have failed to slam the door on the opposition. It is such a recent history which is the basis for so much nonchalance in favour of South Africa in the cricket talking world on the web.

I have my own two points to temper this confidence (which gobbles me up at times as well) with - 1) Graeme Smith is key to South Africa's performance and 2) through trial and error, the realtively inexperienced bowling attack of Australia may just be in possession of the right amount of experience of these matters (besides the scalds from the fire already lit under the team's cauldron by their own critics) to tip it in the right direction this time for themselves.

The South African cricket team is still a very much regimented society and Graeme Smith is the General. The troops showed bewilderment at the sudden vacancy by their marshal. It is a tricky thing to presume they might suddenly find a major capable of rallying the men in the general's absence. However, such can happen - cricket is not as unchangeably decisive as night and day.

And yes, his batting helps...

Mitch Johnson has this uncanny ability to raise his game when least expected. He's done that before in one innings or the other. It is possible he has learnt to strike off the heads two innings a row. It is also possible that a rank newcomer like Siddle may have that dream test match brewing.

On paper, it is a tough haul for both teams from here. Australia is a leap ahead at the moment - Steyn and co. could easily change that tomorrow. Just as easily, Australia could take the second leap forward.

This is almost unreal...being an instinctive underdog backer, I find myself in the unfamiliar situation of searching for how Australia could upset the champions.

Those cracks are what everyone's banking upon - Australia and South Africa - for when the ball pitches outside these cracks, there isn't much it does unless the batsman dozes off that instant.

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Gaurav's Theme

Describing his blogs, Naked Cricket and BCC! ...worth more than a hum along.

Naked Cricket Theme

Check out all his cricket songs.

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Ranji Trophy 2008-09 Semifinal Posts

Are up and running at The Ranji Trophy Chronicles

Most recent at the top -

Sachin thrills, Jaffer responds: Jan 5

A Sad Comment: Ranji Trophy 2008-09 Semifinals: Jan 4

Ranji Trophy 2008-09: Semi-finals: Jan 3

 

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Initiative Regained

Second Day, Third Test, Sydney, Australia vs South Africa 2008-09

Scorecard

After Australia's top order had frittered it away on the first day of the third test match, Michael Clarke and Mitch Johnson regained the initiative for Australia.

Michael Clarke's century in adversity continued the defiance he has exuded throughout the series. It wasn't pugnaciously belligerent nor was it resolutely persevering. Even though it contained both qualities, Clarke's hundred, to me, was clever and patient.

It was the innings of an outnumbered prey outwitting the party and turning the hunter instead.

Michael Clarke could not afford to be contentious. Not after he saw the top order and half the team evaporate after tremendous indecisiveness within 170 runs, not after he saw Hashim Amla bless him with another chance after a rash moment of nervy arrogance...no, the Pup quickly calculated that this game was to be played differently.

He did not, as a result, shrink into a stony camouflage - like an Athers or Boycs, blending into the background to allow the trial to pass while escaping detection - attritional intrepidity need not always be dourly immobile.

This was the thinker on his feet instead, who was willing to duck rather than take the blow on his chest, who was willing to smite just when you thought he hadn't any spunk or the imagination to find your chin.

The good balls were played back, the head balls were ducked, the channel balls were allowed to float by without succumbing to temptation, and the bad balls within range were sent spanking to the outreaches. This was a debate not a quarrel, this was audacity not irascibility...often the foe is left a panting second when it is this way.

South Africa suddenly looked worse for wear. Murmurs rose, whispering among themselves the motivational talents or otherwise of dead rubbers. Misleading all, while not completely undeniable.

You see, South Africa began as the champion test team they are yesterday. There were no concessions made to death of a rubber. So there is no reason to imagine that today such a suggestion is true...there is plenty at stake for them - a swifter and surer spot at the top of the heap with a self-declared Saffash.

On the other hand, there was nothing to support the argument yesterday that Australia would rise from the death of this rubber to play for that intangible thing called pride ( Australia doesn't believe any such sporting entity called "playing for pride" actually lives/exists, all they recognize is "play to win"), but that rumour too was laid to rest today.

Some men in the Australian team have plenty pride to play for. Mitch Johnson is one of them just as Pup Clarke is the other.

I have been looking forward to Mitch Johnson's promotion up the batting order for a long time now. About as long since he began to play internationaly and found that he could face up to the Indian bowling rather well indeed. Today he got the boot up. And what a way he celebrated it - with a perfect batsman's fifty.

I have held that Mitch Johnson is the true all rounder Australia possesses, not the various Andrews who must be fit in to either slot reserved for all-rounders (I wonder why australia has a rigid reservation system such as this) or a slot reserved under an unknown purpose.

This man, Johnson, obviates the need to have such a prefixed position and allows either a proper batsman or a full extra bowler to play instead. I guess Australia needs both in the state their game is these days but they continue to decalre they need neither! In fact they appear to prefer the mascotty presence of Roy, Shane or McDonald, and like ilk (Watson is a better bet though).

At 368/6, Australia are a far distance from the freezing temperatures of 162-5. Not yet a breeze or a summer for there is bowling to be done, but this certainly will add spring to the soles of their fielding feet.

- - -

As I completed the above article, Australia was Duminitized (not Dimunitized or Demonetized, though the first is almost a synonym) again when JPD had Clarke caught and bowled. However, for a team that has struggled to touch 400 this series, Michael leaves it within reach.

- - -

And as I typed the preceding short para, Australia are also Steyned yet again - Mitch Johnson gives up and Australia are 381-8. So the peril remains...the danger that they may yet again fail to touch the 400 mark.

Well, if they do not, they'll lose this one too.

Ah well, the Mitch and Pup show was good while it lasted. How about Mitch at six down and Watson after on the card?
 

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Catch the Spirit 2009 - ICC Centenary website checked out

That's right. ICC has unveiled a website to commemorate it's centenary.

The address is http://www.catchthespirit.com/

Their frontpage is attractive (see screenshot below).



What is enthusing is that ICC has come out with its own official Hall of Fame.

This was an element sorely missing from our game.

This Hall of Fame certainly will give rise to many debates, but that comes with the turf. I hope ICC also has a proper induction ceremony as well.

Three Indians are already installed in it - Bishan Bedi, Sunny Gavaskar and Kapil Dev.

There is an audio section where some of the greats air their thoughts. This is an interesting section with great potential.

The video section is limited to ICC events and winners therein. This section too will probably populate itself over time.

Most of the rest is pretty much what one sees at the regular ICC site.

This multimedia section may not turn out like Cricinfo's but I guess both sites are different with different goals.


The Hall of Fame is probably the highlight of the site. Good going ICC on that score.

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