For Krishna

Baulsphere by Mimlu Sen

Paban Das Baul

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Still looks good

Unposted drafts have piled up and they ask to be weeded out. It's a tedious process with this blog, yet it has to be done. I came across the following video while I was cleaning out a few of the earlier pages off their unpublished drafts.

Still looks and sounds as good as it did then....Flintoff, Yuvraj, Broad, Collingwood, Bumble and Ravi Shastri included.

An encore ahead of the Tri-series and CT.

A foreign journalist, also a cricket forum member generally incognito behind the handle one can employ on forums, and overawed and battered by Yuvraj's prowess in hitting the long ones during India's recent Caribbean ODI sojourn, wondered aloud if Yuvraj's opposition to the WADA regime wasn't because he was playing under the influence of drugs since he looked "suddenly muscular", as soon as the opportunity to wonder so came along following Yuvi's press statements on behalf of the team!

We don't quite know yet which muscles of Yuvraj that journalist was watching so closely, and the sudden bulging of which caused him so much distress, for he has failed to reply to our query. Unfortunately, there isn't an RTI act in place on th web to extract commitment from those who throw their words around.

Coming back to the beautiful world...that video is worth a look again. It is an excellent study of human psychology.

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More about the new Caribbean cricket league

UPDATE

WICBSUCKS.com has just now kindly put up a recording of the interview.

Click on their To playback the interview click here link in their post.

To save and listen to the interview, right click and save target.

Klassportsradio.com carried an interview with Carla Henry-Baker, who was an Assistant Project Officer - Ticketing during the 2007 CWC, in which it is reported that she spoke about the possibility of a cricket league focussed on revival of the game.

Unconfirmed reports suggest that Trinidad and Tobagoian, Jack A Warner, may be behind the project.

WICBSUCKS.com put up a brief info-post....details are awaited. People in the caribbeancricket forums are waiting and watching the developments.

However, contrary to the initial build-up, apparently Ms Henry-Baker made it clear that WICB sanction would be necessary for the acceptance of the league and that she hoped it would materialize. According to her, all details of the league have been sent to the WICB for approval.
Also, it is reported, significantly too, that WIPA may not be a stakeholder in this league.

In a sense, it confirms our held feeling/premise on this blog that existing boards are designated "owners" of cricket and any talk of alternatives is mere altruism. Labels are ready in the world of today..."rebels" or "renegades" can at best force a change in functional methods or even maybe the organisatonal structure off their lethargic habits, but they cannot replace. They may of course hope for eventual assimilation, like the ICL is gradually sputtering to a dead end.

It is the principle of first-come-first-to-dominate-and-own which operates in cricket. Boards in existence will not be wound up for new boards. People may change, personnel may change...but cricket will be "owned/sanctioned" by boards. ICC will not chop its own components...not when governments of the world are falling over themselves to adopt the new American model/philosophy, put out by them, of bending over backwards to bail out and support poorly run private enterprises, irrespective of all and without many strings attached. The current model is not to let an organisation die but keep it going in some way or the other. and cricket is, nowadays, a close copier of corporate methods. It has always closely reflected adminstrative philosophies of kingdoms and governments.

Coming back, the proposal is to have teams based on nationalities...perhaps the same Stanford model till that point, but with perhaps a different direction and purpose. However, at some point in the radio talk, it was also mentioned that national restrictions wouldn't apply and the possibility of including some overseas players and teams from US could be considered.

The latter part is however more like the IPL model which has worked so very well. ^Forbes

The proposed structure could include five teams of 20 players each.

The investment could be somewhere in the region of 200 million USD.

This appears to be a "third-front" effort which hopes to take along the inertia-ridden first and second fronts along, and occupy the middle space popular with supporters of the game in the region. While it is certain that a business incentive exists, the premise of the proposed league appears to be mainly revival of WI cricket and widening its pool to include regions of America and maybe even Canada! Wherever Caribbean expat population has a strong traditional presence and therefore a cricketing infrastructure in place in the USA.

More details are awaited.

- - -

Meanwhile, as if on cue, or perhaps upon the receipt of the said proposal forwarded to WICB earlier, as revealed in the talk show, and emboldened by it significantly, Dr.Julian Hunte, almost incorrigibly...and some would say almost predictably, trots out his tired old tactic - India baiting and creating an anti-India atmosphere with his carefully selected and timed rhetoric within the ICC and cricket comminity.

Like he did alongside Stanford (and later backtracked upon with an "apology" after the ICC appointments and goal achieved), it appears he is trying to pre-empt any ICC meet on this issue. He perhaps expects resistance from BCCI when the recognition issue comes up before ICC for this league.

But why attack India? To what purpose?

It's the sly sidling strategy of a supreme survivor. Hunte was King, is king, wishes to be King again. Simply - He needs ICC (including its constituent boards) on his side in this deal and BCCI in a corner just in case they object. In fact it would quite suit his ambitions to have India erased out of the equation for he sees them as being on the other side in the race for America.

While that itself should be indication that Hunte is seriously considering sanctioning of the league (as hoped for by Carla Henry-Baker) with an official status and its assimilation into WICB official structure, Hunte also knows that BCCI/IPL are his main rivals for the American Pie of the deal. This could be an anticipatory move to generate public opinion within the ICC and its constituent boards against a possible examination by BCCI, and to push ICC on the defensive beforehand.^Cricinfo

The timing of this rhetoric of his, and the manner of its presentation using the pliancy of media in such matters, is so uncannily similar to his earlier tactics.

It is anticipated by this Caribbean third front that BCCI and ICC may raise objections to the recognition of the league (recall the ICL issue) and that ICC may have to backtrack on its own bold words from the April 18th ICC meeting at Dubai.

In that meeting, the ICC had stressed the "importance of protecting the fabric of the game" and had hoped to send a message to players that they "could not swap between official and unofficial cricket at will."

Hunte's job is to make ICC eat those words..it's own words. Hunte's value for the new front lies in the WICB shield of acceptance he can provide, with which, he can facilitate their recognition and existence as a league within, yet outside, WICB. The details of the service charges WICB may levy to bring this arrangement about would be interesting to know...rather what it does with the fee gained.

Hunte's utility comes in here...he can "incorporate" this entity into WICB as was done with Stanford, and unlike the lone-ranger/pariah status ICL enjoyed with BCCI and to a lesser extent with ICC, or more familiarly for Indian readers, the coalition poilitical formations we have bubbling and steaming here.(Edited to add following availability of recording of interview - specifically 3.38 to 4.32 mins)

So it does appear that the way things are shaping up, Hunte may take this face-saving escape route offered by this "third-front" formation (as will the beleagured WIPA) and slip out of the current egostical standoff. Of course he'll tar India again in the bargain, but for people like him, that's only so much collateral damage.

Hunte's machinations are a dead giveaway - this third/fourth front (fourth, if Stanford was the original third front) is certain of WICB "accreditation"! ICC is just a hop away from there.

We here, on TCWJ, hope West Indies cricket comes back resurgent, for it is not quite the same without their strong presence, and hopefully they'll be rid of all that ails them at this point of time.

We hope good things happen to West Indies cricket and more investors come into support its redevelopment. And hopefully, the growing assets will be better utilized by their adminstrators than now.

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Fallout - v 2.0

Ponting open to Clarke handling ODI, Twenty20 captaincy - Cricinfo

If the pitch had been read correctly, and the coin therefore dropped on the "right side" of the Ashes, it is possible Ricky Ponting may have handed over the captaincy to Clarke and retired - to be, either an Ashes Superhero well-settled into his legacy, or an experienced player sustaining a new captain for a while before eventual withdrawal.

Had the Ashes been won, one is almost certain this would have been significantly different.

Who knows, there might have been a third option, maybe Ponting might even have carried on as whole-sole captain without any such mention.

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Kesavan's Essay

This cricket journalist, Mukul Kesavan, has many memorable innings to his credit. Though a few of those may have been out of form efforts, most essays of his have been swashbuckling, debate-generating, meaningful ones of great clarity, balance and insight.

Writing for Cricinfo, his last scripted innings is a perfect test match study - with a bit of everything.

He opens with a nerve-concentrating boundary with the title - Haunted by virtue - and quickly follows it up with an elucidating stroke - "A drug-testing regime as invasive as WADA's needs to be vigorously debated, and thanks to the opposition from India's cricketers maybe it will now be."

The debate is truly on with those two opening shots and those with points to bowl are already on the backfoot.

Kesavan follows it up with setting on the table the main objections.


WADA requires athletes and sportsmen to submit a schedule for three months that specifies an hour each day when they can be randomly tested for drugs. The Indian players have objected, arguing that they play cricket nine months of the year and don't want their leisure time to be invaded by WADA. The other objection that's been tabled is that Indian cricketers in general, and men like MS Dhoni and Sachin Tendulkar in particular, have security needs that could be infringed by rigid, shared schedules.

WADA has made it clear that there will be no exceptions made for cricket. Every other cricket team, despite reservations, has signed up to the anti-doping regime, but the BCCI has asked the ICC to reject WADA's demands and create a drug-testing regime custom-made for cricket.


These are points we have tried to initiate a debate on before as well. Unfortunately, it is quite fashionable (and sometimes not without reason) to trot out the flea-bitten dogma that Indian cricketers are fussy brats and the like. Discussion is closed of course for such.

Then comes that part of the essay where the innings appears to be meandering, and the batsman seized by a sudden inertia. Half-hearted shots follow, distinctly designed to satisfy the top hats in the high stands of local society, who prefer their cricket to be less adventuresome, mute, and on the whole most preferably invisible.

Well, if not to please, at least not to upset them, or maybe just to convey a sense of balance to the argument. Here it comes -


Randhir Singh, secretary general of the Olympic Council of Asia, has made a statement saying that he thinks the BCCI should fall in line, and his reasons are unexceptionable: why should cricketers expect special treatment when hugely paid athletes in most other sports abide by the same rules? Similarly India's sports minister, MS Gill, has urged the BCCI not to hold out for special treatment.

Gill and Singh and WADA have decent arguments to make, and what's more, some great names to back them up with.


A bit of fudging follows as Mukul K nudges past these close-in fielders breathing down his neck, but we will take this part up and offer our unsolicited opinion. After all, isn't that what spectators in the stands do? Offer their "expert suggestions" when an exciting innings stutters in a mediocre cliched rut? We watchers from the stands express our opinions clearly from the stands...we yell out how the game is to be played from the concrete bleachers.

Before I repeat myself here from earlier blogposts, let me lead you to an embedded videobyte extracted from Times Now: -



Right, now on to the loudmouthing business from the bleachers.

First, it is a known fact that IOC and a certain kind of public personality in India are not favourably inclined towards cricket. The honourable minister conveys "his sense" and doesn't read the printed document. Like hockey players, cricketers should also agree. Bung in a mention of Bindra and Gopichand's views and the most necessary impression of egalitarianism is almost complete - the views of cricketers have been pulled down and suitably embedded in the background of Sportspersons' views (Sportspersons with a capital "S" for they are the real sportspersons - I never understood how this section of Indian population views cricket as not a sport and its players only as mere cannon fodder for their envious guns).

Second, there is that accreditation issue involved. The investment into facilities. The possible income from such resourced work.

Third, he wants to keep the "world olympic body" happy...see, there are some ambitious games coming up for India and hopefully much more than Commonwealth in days ahead. A miffed "world olympic body", also arm-twisted by a haughty body like WADA, could pull the rug from under India's ambitions. And cricket isn't an olympic sport! And cricket is hardly "governed" by the ministry! So, bag them!

But the honorable minister is careful to suggest that those bodies wishing to discuss should do so and his only condition being that if it is moulded for cricketers, then all sportsmen should be included.

Now...what does that mean? We aren't suggesting anything, but some chaps in the stands beside me are murmuring that it sounds very much like other sports will let the cricketers take the lead and see if they succeed...if they do, they jump on to the bandwagon...if they do not, they can go to hell. Like we said many days ago, India is a country sharply divided between the cricket-enabled and the cricket-disabled. One of the two is forever envious of the other and refuses to support despite accepting the largesses of the other.

Fourth, security hasn't been that much of an issue with other sportspersons of India. Simply because here were very few a terrorist could target to make a statement loud enough to reverberate around the globe.

I am not downplaying other Indian sportsmen...terrorists want to make a splash with their activities and Bindra is only just getting to that zone and, Saina may just get there with a couple of tournament wins more. Either the terrorists target an entire Indian contingent to make their statement, or mix them up with foreign athletes in India, or find someone who has risen to that public altar in people's consciousness. This may not go down well with people, but I presume these terrorist organisations - LeT, HuJi, IM etc. - must think like this. Cricketers have been in the cross-hairs for long.

The honorable minister doesn't touch upon the security aspect at all.

Maybe, the Times Now video title is suitably stalled at it's start - Cricketers must fall...take a look above or at the daily screenshot below.



The consensus from the stands is, Mukul Kesavan chose to take singles to slip through a tricky phase of play.

But he makes it up subsequently....Mukul Kesavan unleashes a tour de force of succint arguments to reach that landmark of a point well made.

WADA needs to address concerns rather that stamp roughshod over those who express them. Entertain a discussion and clarify clearly,or be open to improvements WADA...but don't be a brat. You are too important for world sports to be just that.

Haunted by virtue by Mukul Kesavan @ Cricinfo

And another excellent Kesavan innings brough to us by good friend Straight Points of the eponymous blog.

Article 21 and the fleshing out of Privacy Law in the Constitution of India

The Constitution of India

One previous blogpost - Olympian shooter Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore explains...

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Deja vu

WICBSUCKS.com has this article, Million Dollar League – thanks to WICB’s ineptitude
up.

If one assumes there is substance in what is right now simply talk and rumour, we go back to a situation where a board and a rival are at contretemps with each other, until an eventual reconciliation.

West Indies itself saw one such "battle" where the WICB capitualted easily enough and incorporated Stanford within it, thus making it convenient to have Stanford 20/20 recognized by ICC. How will this pan out? If and when such a league comes about, is it comprehensible to consider a similar assimilation, considering the distance between WIPA and WICB? People are conjecturing that WIPA will replace WICB eventually for assimilation to happen...or, the current management gives way to a new management which could be more considerate.

History suggests, from Packer through Stanford to ICL, that ICC tends not to to unsettle established boards, but it can look the other way in West Indies' case, considering their heritage, contribution to cricket and knowing the difficulties they are facing in the region, in running the game. Rivals are kept outside the door.

In a way, legitimacy is confined to established boards or organisations as part of them. This tilt of ICC should also answer the questions of those who ask about the legitimacy of BCCI or any other like board. If PCB has state sanction and ECB and CA are national institutions, let it be clear that BCCI is India's representative in cricket. Likewise perhaps the WICB?

Ponder...but rescue West Indies cricket.

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The Fallout!

ICC Test Match Rankings August 23, 2009

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Congratulations England!

Jonathan Trott, Stuart Broad, Swann, and a captain who simply wanted to win over everything else - Andrew Strauss: they will form the personality of my memories of this Ashes.

Oh yeah, Flintoff will not be there next time England tour these parts. He was a crowd puller and tipped the scales for England yesterday on his way out. I'll certainly miss his colourful character on field - he'd go florid with energetic excitement ever so often...like a bright cherry atop an English cream pudding. He'll be missed for the difference he used to bring to the field.

Andrew Flintoff - Retired 2009

And what about Andy Flower - How much did his influence come to bear upon the firm resolve emanating from the English dressing room?

Ricky Ponting could be the first modern Australian captain to have twice lost the Ashes in successive expeditions to the isle of England. But he has the backing to remain in charge. Maybe it is the TINA factor kicking in here as well.

Better luck next time Australia.

Scorecard: Fifth and Final Test

__Ashes 2009 Concluded__

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Is it time to say, Goodbye Lee?

Five Ashes matches gone without him playing. And he professed to be fit for the tail end of the series.

The way things are shaping up, it looks like he isn't an automatic choice anymore. Like Symo, he must peddle his wares in the patri games to remain in public consciousness.

The wagn has moved on and Lee is left behind.

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Can the Kangaroos develop batting fangs instead?

Along the way to an Ashes climax, the Kangaroos went soft on little Broad, and find themselves with a heavy price to pay for their distraction. It wasn't long, just a quick session, but it laid waste the generally teetering charge of the Kangaroos.

The Australians were desperate to conceal their mediocrity coming into this series. The win against South Africa in South Africa was almost godsent for them. The world perceived it as the Australians hoped they would, that this Australian arrangement could prove potent under auspicious constellation. It was necessary to carry the smokescreen across to England, to spirit away the Ashes from under the bulldog noses of an anticipating England.

The series went this way and that, the smokescreen was blown away, advantage changed hands even as a more balanced England team struggled to quell and conquer.

Broad bowled inspiredly enough to seduce Australia. Jonathan Trott was just the general England needed at the vanguard of their last-ditch charge from the depths of Headingley. England had to determine, and with a gambler's instinct of a hemmed-in warrior, between the familiar discomfort of explaining away to their pride for decades or an almost unfamilar refusal to surrender to a game but mediocre team.

Jonathan was not the first name that Trotted out of the various pundits' vaults; whoever picked him out of the hat knows a thing or two about how men could perform in a given situation - if Strauss be that man, a generous applause and doffing of the hat to him. A century on debut and a bold innings first up nipped by a run out are creditable. It changed the lower-middle order output of the English team.

Strauss has been often an angry man this series...we observed thus...he sought support and often found less than expected...defeat didn't go down well with him...lack of support didn't either. He was willing to swap...change forces...he wants to be installed as an Ashes winning captain. Ricky Ponting, on the other hand, wants to prevent a further slide down.

Now they are facing off from opposite ends...one final innings to be wound up...Strauss is looking down, almost Australian, and Ponting is looking up with a bulldog mien. It isn't often that an Australian captain has lost two consecutive Ashes series in England and survived to lead on.

Strange things have happened in cricket before...while Australia will have to play exceptionally, more than that, it will be abject play from England which can deny the inevitable, as it stands now.

Australia could be the fourth ranked team in the world...if it fights hard and does the uncommon, it might delay regression to that significantly.

To do that, the Kangaroos will have to keep batting till kingdom come...Mike Mr.Cricketer Hussey, Ricky Punter Ponting, Simon Krab Katich, Michael Pup Clarke, will have to bat on and on and on and avoid being seduced once again by little Broad, or by any another Swann.

Ashes 2009

State of Match - Australia require another 466 runs with 10 wickets remaining.

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Cricket in Australia: NSW State Library Exhibition

Australia are back in the Ashes 2009. They outplayed a sluggish England caught sitting on its earlier victory, in the fourth test match. The purpose with which Australia played the fourth test was palpable and impressive - they didn't like being behind the Englishmen. Mitch Johnson even found the slippery discipline!

Both sides are planning to win the fifth and final test and send the other spiralling away. England is making all the changes, and the talk, while Australia is playing possum. They haven't said anything beyond the possibility of Stu Clark making way for Hauritz (could be a psyche game, but also makes sense), and reporting the approach bookies made to them. The kangaroos are not conceding an iota of information to their rivals who are desperately looking for clues.

While the current team is withholding all information ahead of the final test, the New South Wales State Library has an exhibition on Cricket in Australia, which conveys through visual arts (photos, paintings and collections) information about early Australian cricket and a sense of those times.

For instance, the ball with which Robert Glendon Scott took five wickets with five consecutive balls playing for Newington College, Sydney, against The King's School, Parramatta in 1907 and some Albumen photoprints^Infolink of that match. ^{RG Scott}

Or this section on Victor Trumper, the elegantly aggressive Aussie.^{Trumper Exhibition} His character, it is said, was reflected in his batsmanship.

Then this section - some details from the Bodyline Series.^1932-33


I am sure it must be an interesting exhibiton for those who can see it and with an interest in cricketing history and also the development of imaging.

Coming back to the Ashes 2009, England, if not exactly seething, are also not liking the position they find themselves in. England always tend to begin a series very well and taper off...this time they truly believed they could put one across their nemesis. They might have by now but for the lack of application showed by some players. The brunt of anger has been borne by Boapara while Bell escapes notice. Collingwood is rescued by past innings archived in the history books. Furious changes have been made - Jonathan Trott is brought in as a man with much FC experience.

Trott's selection is not without murmurs. It is felt special standards have been applied in this case over say, Ed Joyce and others at par. It is a gamble and could come off. Strauss is confident and appears to smell something good in Trott.^Cricinfo I quote from there - "When I made my debut I felt in the best form of my life and that carried me a huge distance into the Test match," Strauss said. "It is a step into the unknown, but when you're in great nick you back your game plan against anyone, and I think that's where Trott is at the moment. He's played brilliantly in the nets, and played brilliantly all season, and he's a confident guy. It's a big game but he's got the game to play any bowler. I'm very confident he can do well."


Strauss is suitably angry before the final test as any captain in his position should be. Andrew Strauss is suitably hungry for a win ahead of the final test...the loss of patience with Bopara is a sign of that. He expects his batsmen to share the task with him. Add to that the return of Flintoff and the extreme final energy bound to be present in his playing his farewell test match....England may just decide to fight tooth and nail in the final test. The bulldog attitude may come to the fore...the crowds will be there and completely behind the home team...So Australia, Beware!

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Did Vettori do the right thing?

New Zealand vs Sri Lanka 2009-2010: Day One, First Test at Galle

Scorecard

After winning the toss and opting to field?

That's what he did in the first test between Sri Lanka and New Zealand at Galle when the general convention is to bat first if one has the opportunity for the relaid wicket here (post-tsunami) is at its best in the initial stages of the match.

India won the toss and batted first here and later Ishant and Harbhajan wreaked havoc to wrap Lanka under 150. Harbhajan took a ten-fer.

Rangana Herath pulled the rug from beneath the visiting Pakistanis recently when their captain, Younis Khan, won the toss and opted to field first like Daniel Vettori did.

The pitch is said to deteriorate from day one onwards.

New Zealand began well on the back of Chris Martin's incisive opening spell. He was the best of the Kiwi bowlers. Daniel vettori has slipped into a holding operations role for New Zealand long time ago. Jeetan Patel and Ian O'Brian were mainly pointless. Ryder, in fact, made the batsmen play him carefully due to the subtle movement and change of height and pace, even though he couldn't sustain it through an over - a four ball was always coming.

TM Dilshan continues his second innings in cricket. He had the hundred for the asking but was undone. Mahela played beuatifully and is on and unbeaten century. The over Martin bowled to him just before close of play was excellent and almost sent him back twice. No wonder he was the most outstanding of Kiwi bowlers.

Thilan samaraweera was the sweeter, more secure batsman, to watch for me. And it is not because he is in my Fantasy League Team at Cricket-Match-Special! Some of the drives he played were pure timing and grace.

Good friend Jonathan asked me about Vettori's captaincy just the other day.^Link The answers are coming in thick and fast.

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ICC should not be naive

Cricinfo reports thus - Australia report bookie approach to ICC.

Similar news has trickled in before. My concern is with haroon Lorgat's statement as reported by Cricinfo - Lorgat last week announced there was "absolutely no substance" to reports that Pakistan players had been approached by illegal bookmakers at their team hotel in Colombo during the recent series against Sri Lanka. The matter was investigated by the ACSU.


The finality of that statement could be for the press, and I hope that is how it is, for it would be utterly naive of ICC to think the wolves aren't on the prowl again.

What about the news reports that during the World Cup 2007, some men with links to a group specializing in, besides illegal/terrorist activities, in world-wide cricket betting were spotted in Jamaica? This group with many roots, links to major terrorist organisations of the day in a logistical role, and with generous support of some nations, has long been involved in large-scale cricket fixing as a matter of well-earning hobby! News just stops coming though after an initial report or two...I really wonder why? Do major world media groups not believe or take such reports seriously even now?

Curiously, such reports ceased to be reported in the press back in 2007 as well. Perhaps because events of great magnitude overtook us all in that WC 2007.

Whatever it is, ICC should take this up seriously...covertly if required with the help of intelligence from various countries and their security agencies...and not soft pedal on this. Take this seriously and investigate thoroughly. Cricket has only just recovered from the last match-fixing scandal. Whoever is involved, of whichever nationality...for they are all usually linked together, should be brought out and whatever punishment is sanctioned by law, apportioned to them. Another scandal could consign cricket to the category of sham wrestling seen on TV.

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10 Questions to WICB

In response to Sir Hilary Beckles' article in Nation News, a two-article post at WICBSUCKS.com asks 10 questions of the author.

An Open Letter to Sir Hilary Beckles: Part I

An Open Letter to Sir Hilary Beckles: Part II

WICBSUCKS.com, we have described earlier, is where supporters of WI cricket have gathered. They come from all directions - WIPA supporters, WICB supporters and simply WI cricket aficionados.

From a distance and an admirer of the way West Indians used to play the game, I wish wisdom prevails in the region and cricket comes out stronger than ever before.

The value of cricket is hitting home - all supporters of the game are examining their own attachment.

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With due apologies

...for allowing this match to slip under my radar.

Saeed Anwar's ODI effort has been equalled by Zimbo, Charles Coventry. Yet his team lost. Tamim Iqbal countered well.

Well played both Iqbal and Coventry.

- - -

And Steve Tikolo's century in both innings during his swansong year.

The Kenyan star would perhaps like to be remebered for this - the potential he represented if Kenya had progressed as Bangladesh had done up the cricket ladder.

The man's First Class average is 50.45. Steve Tikolo's profile at Cricinfo.

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Need to know more details about this


Miffed over selection policy, Viru wants to quit Delhi


Source: CNN-IBN

If it does happen, Delhi's loss would be Haryana's gain...maybe someone else's.

Will Mumbai take him?

One hopes he doesn't have to quit Delhi.

- - -

EDITED to ADD

News channels report that non-inclusion of a couple of players is the reason. They also report a seeding approach made to him last year by the adjacent state association. A representative comes on air and mentions that Haryana is a a team without any stars and the like, and they are keen to rebuild. The implication is clear - the captain will have flexibility to express himself.

Delhi is a structure...albeit a radically changed structure now...

Mayank Tehlan is certainly a prospect and Sangwan will need to grow a bit more - it is no secret that Delhi has a long history of interference in selection matters and brinkmanship of bollywood kinds has also been part of its recorded history. But one generally thought the existing governors and Sehwag were on the same wavelength.

So much so that perhaps at the behest of the leader of what was once called Outer Delhi ( a large swath of Delhi bordering Haryana and indistinguishable from it in character until recent times ) the Late Ch. Sahib Singh Verma ( former Chief Minister and Union Minister and a respected leader in Delhi and Haryana ) Sehwag was reported to have dabbled in party politics as well, and Jaitley belongs to the same organisation. One really thought wavelength would never be a problem.

There are various pressures in selection of the team in Delhi. That is undeniable. And the source of these pressures change with many factors outside cricket - from the nature of governments at the centre, the state, to the demographic profile of those being able to influence DDCA and cricket in Delhi.

Problems over these two players' non-selection could also just be the facade behind which some of these issues are to be sorted out and the lure of leading Haryana considered.

From the position Sehwag has taken, it appears there is no coming back - like I said earlier, Delhi's loss is Haryana's gain.

Sad but true. Cricket in Delhi also prepares for life after bat-ball games.

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Upon the State of Commentary

A senior academician, teacher, cricket and social historian of a wide region ( no, not Ramachandra Guha or the current Boria M ), wondered aloud at the state of today's commentary at a forum.

I responded thus -



Perhaps a related question - what makes a good cricket commentator?

Nearly all ex-players who take up commentary are almost identical in their emphasis on technical aspects of the game. The degree of observation may vary with the eye.

The art of description today reflects the nature of most education systems of the world - functionality and conveyance of data are more important than stimulation of the mind. Societies raised on such principles perhaps have little time for different methods.

What made for good commentary? It is true that I used to mute the radio only out of fear of discovery when I was young, but I now often mute commentary to preserve myself.

This is probably a topic you are uniquely positioned to speak about - being an academician and a sensitive student of the game.

It would be interesting to read your views in greater detail.



While I invite the highly respected Professor's views here as well (it would be an honour), in case the Professor happens to visit this blog during sessions of net browsing, I would like to add to the above that it is mostly former players who appear to be preferred commentators by those who capture impressions and transmit them to us.

Professionals like to sound likewise. Jargon comes in necessarily, and dimensions of description of a game are defined strictly according to the parameters of the way they played it. To do any differently, it is suggested though never aired, is to appear less professional. And amateurs are dime a dozen and that's the worth of how they look at the game.

Commentary is now almost an inherited estate....inherited from their business of playing the game. And those who are its intended "beneficiaries" can only reflect upon its state.

Does this not all also reflect the point you like to raise often Professor, that cricket (or sports for that matter) and wider education must travel as companions rather than replacements of each other?

I look forward to the Professor's visit.

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Why the Indian Grizzlies aren't done yet

Good friend Straight Point who writes an excellent eponymous blog, makes us search our reasons with his dissection - decoding Dravid selection...

He has been kind enough to share his thoughts on an earlier post here as well.

The crux of his prosecution is this -

"first and foremost i don't see his selection is due to the alleged failure of youngsters in facing short pitch stuff...for the simple reason that we have not lost a single odi series in past one year...with relatively young middle order..."

He goes on to flesh it out with hard-hitting points -

i said alleged coz first its not only indians who have some problems facing quality short pitch bowling... second...the inclusion of dravid alone can not guaranty that the overall performance of team against short pitch bowling will improve... third...we would not have won 5 series on trot with sachin tendulkar effectively making contribution only in nz series... and last being...how come this short coming of our youngsters escaped being noticed...in the age of 'laptop' coaching and instant analysis for such a long time...?

These are the same points he made here in his comments....or their summary.

They made me think a little bit. I had to visualize the matches I saw of the past few ODI series India participated in and try to recall the images (they are already becoming dull and forgotten, and my mind, I realize increasingly now, is ceding recent memory at an alarming pace) and what one observed, felt and deduced at that time of live viewing.

I am also having to stretch a little further back...but we'll come to that in good time. First the questions which came up as I read that excellent blog.

Why are the Great Indian Grizzlies - Sachin and Dravid - still around?

I myself had expected them to be suitably retiring, if not selectively retired already by now.

I myself had anticipated rows of gleaming new young players in metallic blue uniforms to have by now systematically occupied the great halls of Indian limited overs cricket with their limitlessly high roofs. There wasn't supposed to be any confusion. The arrangements were supposed to be neat and orderly with replacements, responsibilities, roles and tasks allotted, performed, slotted or slipping seamlessly to and fro and in between the various components embedded in this matrix, as if powered by the smoothness of a well designed software and computed by a superchip.

But the third version of the Indian superteam continued to be incapable of keeping this visualied discipline.

India haven't lost many in recent times...the system works even when corrupted by a trojan...they just have lost too many of the significant ones. And in repetitive patterns.

I agree, it is not that the youngsters cannot play the short ball that is the problem. Haven't we seen them belt short balls over the mid-wicket boundary ropes before? Let us dig a little deeper back to two years. Did we not think a new fearless India has emerged which plays the international game (even if at the expense of its suppossed traditional strengths of straight batsmanship) with all its pulls, hooks and cuts? Who can deny it? What bothers is not their inability to play short balls but their inability to anticipate and respond appropriately to them in recent times. The bowlers guessed them out while they themselves couldn't reciprocate....or quickly enough to prosper instead of foundering in disaster.

I am struggling with a failing memory in recent times...my mind is often slow and deliberate and prefers to move in well-defined grooves (If I were to disclose, that preference for grooves is born out of fear of forgetting something important...of failing to achieve what I must, being in the state I am in. A simple discipline, I find, keeps things in easier order). Response times have increased, recollections have dulled, reflexes have become numb and anticipation is often hindsight. In less than two years, my experience, my skills and abilities come to me more as an afterthought than premonitional instincts.

I construct sentences now when I used to merely flick them off my tongue...just a couple of years ago it was when I could easily swivel all around on the pivot of my mind and send the words racing off the broad face of my keyboard to the distant boundaries of virtual worlds! When I saw my youthful Indian players recently, I empathized...I felt they were afflicted similarly.

They did not forget how to pull and hook - what stood out was that they weren't ready for such a ball anymore.

The doctor I consulted, also a friend, examined me thoroughly and investigated me some. He asked me not to worry too much for there was little wrong in the images in front of him. I asked him if he could map my mind so? He said he could lay it out in words on paper but could never confirm with certainity. The mind, he told me, is a more open book than before, but still a vault firmly shut to confirmatory glances. I was working too hard, he said, I was tired, he added. I'll improve with remodelling my methods he suggested.

My good friend knows what he says...he's achieved fame, and continues to make a fortune out of what he does. I believe him and am back to the drawing board he has suggested for me. (One of the reason I do not spend as much time on the net is this restructuring going on).

I am sure many young Indian cricket players, who were made took like novices...like Pentium IIIs in an era streaking beyond Core 2 Duos, were simply tired. In pro sport, infinitesimal delays, which otherwise are not detectable by the layman, are starkly revealed in jaw dropping fashion.

Some components of the Indian team were quite burnt out, or clearly inadequate for the next generation of computing required in an atmosphere where bowlers are quickly changing strategies and tactics every second...they are going back to the good old short ball in all its avatars just when that was being considered passe. And Indian batsmen had just moved forward to tackle the vagaries of line and length and swing at some some changes of pace. They were caught, repeatedly, like the proverbial cute white rabbit with a fluffy bobbing tail in the crossbeams of a speeding highway star. The roadkill was gruesome: heartrending to see such young men look so helpless when straying from their natural environment onto open stretches of road without any place to hide or duck into.

India won...yes, inspite of, but is India continuing to win preventing improvement of our little joeys?

As SP said, it was Sehwag and Gambhir's absence which exposed these injured and formless components. If they are injured and formless, it cannot be an error to replace them. It also means perhaps that the two masked a certain inadequacy deeper down for some time now. With the lid now blown off by a combination of injury to one and formlessness of the other, the stench was amazing...just a couple of guys kept it all moving. Often the bowlers kept us in it, but battingwise only a few were performing and some same names were not.

You can argue that we must give time and exercise patience. I too say we must...we must give them the rest and recuperation they need. We must provide all the resources they need, from computer analysis to bowling machines to match situations, to come back like finely tuned shogun ninjas. Till then, some other personnel must man the ramparts - the old generals must come down from their high ministries and don the armour again, and continue the fight which is still raging and refuses to end - both for the men and nation.

Bilateral series have been won but without guarantees of the same in a wider situation. The Indian Grizzlies are there on competence and aren't paperboard trojans to scare away the opposition. They may well function that way ultimately...offering just the amount of distraction to the opposition required so that the youngsters can freely jump out from beneath their shade and pour themselves all over the other teams.

Rahul Dravid, it is reported, is one such general. Who has been preparing quietly for such an eventuality. His duties never end, but when he can get away from the limelight of his current limited overs performances and form, he is often found strengthening, preparing, plotting strategies to cunter and dominate evolving world methods to suppress...of world bowlers who look to continually repress those Indian batsmen who waver...devising, for young soldiers too, to emulate and learn from...at the National Cricket Academy. He is keeping his mind, body and game, nimble.

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Dravid Returns - ODI Team Announced for Champions Trophy

The Indian ODI team for the Tri-series and Champion's Trophy is as follows:-

1) MS Dhoni (Captain, batsman, keeper)
2) Sachin Tendulkar (RHB and mixed bag bowler)
3) Rahul Dravid (RHB and keeper)
4) Yuvraj Singh (LHB and SLO)
5) Gautam Gambhir (LHB)
6) Dinesh Kaarthik (RHB and keeper)
7) Abhishek M Nayar (all rounder - medium paced)
8) Yusuf Pathan (all rounder - spinning)
9) Suresh Raina (LHB and he bowls too)
10) Harbhajan Singh (Off spinner and hitting batsman)
11) Ishant Sharma (pacer)
12) RP Singh (pacer-swinger L)
13) Praveen Kumar (swinger)
14) Ashish Nehra (pacer-swinger L)
15) Amit Mishra (leggie and biffer)

Finally, Rohit Sharma is dropped. That lad has oodles of talent but needs to augment that with many more things his coaches might have told him, or his own intellect, which must have been analyzing his experiences thus far.

Pragyan Ojha is young and lost out to Mishra perhaps for team composition purposes.

Dravid returns and that signals three things - 1) Indian selectors cannot see any solidly reliable players at key batting positions 2) the faith they reposed in some have not been reciprocated by their proteges through performances, and importantly 3) the man, Dravid, is coming in on MERIT!

Rahul Dravid, in all the opportunities he these days has had in the limited form of the game, has played in a thought-provoking manner. It was as if he was saying "take a look at me again (now)" rather than merely "abhi to main jawaan hoon" some players like to sing out stubbornly.

From all parameters, you cannot ignore the man unless you have other options of stable quality...and we know Cheteshwar Pujara probably isn't fit yet or his star hasn't risen yet in the selection panel's firmament.

What man, Cheeka...tum umko batata bhi nahin, men. Pujara kaisa hai?

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A Formidable Gravitation

If and when it does happen, that is John Wright and Sourav Ganguly come together again, this time possibly for brand KKR, the combined constellation will signify a regenerative shift in the balance of performance within the universe of IPL.

It might also mean that Shah Rukh Khan, for whom a prominent newspaper Tarot reader had predicted a stormy 2009 overall at the beginning of this year, might finally be thinking cricket and how to win by playing the game of cricket rather than run serial games of theories and countertheories. The said Tarot reader had predicted (I cannot recall now if it was Hindustan Times or The Times of India or The Hindu's New Year celebrity pages) headstrong destructive traits, much misunderstanding, with loss of stature and plenty of stress, which might be reflected even in his looks, as Shah Rukh's portion for the year. The Reader advised extreme caution in all new ventures, in interactions with public at large and people who matter to him, and to avoid controversial positions.

Now I am not a believer in all this, but I just happened to recall after observing the coincidences. It does appear however, if and when the two pioneering giants of Indian cricket's modern transformation do get together, that Shah Rookh may be exiting through the unfavourable phase and is actually also beginning to heed correct and sensible advice besides thinking constructively again.

John Buchanan's theories are admirable and wholesome material for discussion in the cafe outside the stadium, with a cup of piping hot chai and biscuits, in the intervals between overs while watching the latest match on a TV in a high corner during the nukkad session. The boys, meanwhile, are playing actual cricket on the ground inside the stadium.

To develop leadership qualities within one's workforce is an appreciable intent and a challenge. To develop as many leaders of the same team is however akin to inviting chaos to your own wedding. You can only have so many dads of the family for its coherent functioning.

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Indian Summers by John Wright

This is a book I always recommend and frequently gift, for it is such a delightful read. One of the better cricket books of recent times which somehow ends up examining the touchiest topics of Indian cricket without the slightest odour of stress and offence.

John Wright's Indian Summers

Publisher: Penguin (India)

Price: Rs 495 But you can get discounts at your regular book store. (Tip - Always pays to be a regular customer of one!)

AMAZON UK

I quote from the Penguin plug of the book -


Bucking all doomsday prophecies, an unusual partnership between a high-profile team and a low-profile coach survived five years. In this time, Indian cricket was rebuilt after the match-fixing scandal and enjoyed its best results in decades, changing forever the way the world looked at it.

Throughout the years that he coached India, Wright kept a detailed diary that formed the basis of his account. With honesty and humour, he provides a unique insight into the extraordinary world of Indian cricket—the vast scale and enormous riches, the passionate fans, the Byzantine politics—and outlines the tough road to the top in a cricket-mad country of a billion hopefuls.

...

Indian Summers is more than one man's story. It is an account of the dramas and disappointments of a coach and his team who worked and played in an environment where keeping your head is as vital as keeping your wicket.


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Only a matter of time

Ashes 2009: Prior to the Fifth and Final Test with the series tied 1-1

The British newspaper, The Guradian, mentions thus -

England drop Ravi Bopara and bring in Jonathan Trott for Ashes finale

• Warwickshire batsman replaces Essex man in middle order
• Ian Bell will bat at No3 in final Ashes Test


Shall we say it is not unexpected when a batsman is insistent on quick-fix methods as opposed to endurance efforts? At least for working himself out of the trough he has fallen into before spreading his wings again?

We have covered his inertia well under our Ashes 2009 series of articles.

All I can do is replay one paragraph from it - Ravi Boapara plays as if on unfamiliar pitches, but it is actually more careless play from him. He didn't quite account for the lift or nature of the pitch and at a team total of 16 just in the 7th over, he plays an extravagant drive square into the gully. Obviously Ravi Boapara hasn't yet read our observations on him and Vasu Paranjape's wise words contained within it.

But like they say, make your own mistakes and learn as you go. The problem, in this case, could be with "learning" from those mistakes.

Jonathan Trott was a name discussed in forums and on blogs. England are shoring up the breach with long first-class experience. However, Bell remains, and isn't that contradictory to repairs?

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Independence Day: August 15th

Ramparts of the Red Fort

15^th August 1947, India regained its independence after centuries of British colonialism (among others, but mainly British in the concluding portion of its significant history of invasion, slavery and colonialism). French, Dutch and Portugese influences waned either before or after this day. Invaders before the Europeans had either assimilated into the local society or been marginalized to their own source states by then.

My greetings to all Indians, in India and everywhere else in the world, on this auspicious day which symbolizes the realisation of self-determination. India, finally, ceased to be a slave to colonizing forces of any kind.

However, it was also on that fateful midnight of August 14th and 15th that the receding British Imperialists symbolically implemented the Indian Independence Act 1947 enacted by the Parliament of the United Kingdom earlier, which oversaw the division of Hindustan (undivided India) into India and Pakistan, on the sure-to-succeed theory of exploiting religious differences, which was part of the larger philosophy of engendering and exploiting any and every difference within subjects of their colonies.

Even though representatives of various Indian sections and Pakistan (subsequently) sections were also present in accepting Lord Mountbatten's plan, later enacted by Clement Attlee's government into the said legistlation, it is no secret that successive Imperialist British adminstrations had coaxed various parties to such a cleft-stick situation through their divide-and-rule policy, and machinations incorporated therein, employed by them to maintain control over their colonies, that to achieve freedom from their slavery also meant chopping off parts of oneself - ultimately, a successful culmination of all that the "master" contrived to, as an alternative to his continued rule if such a situation arose, with the help of local sympathizers and beneficiaries. This was a well tried method by Imperialists in all their colonies - divide and rule. (African Nationalist, CLR James briefly outlines similar practices employed in African societies by the British during the era of their world domination in his book review ^{"Civilizing" the "Blacks"})

We have moved on since a long long way - my greetings, therefore, also to our friends of Pakistan on their Independence Day which fell on 14th August.

It is true that India faces invasion of a modern kind yet again. Division, Disintegration, Invasion and Colonization from without and within continue to be our enemies. Let us, Indians, on this day, reaffirm our personal commitment to our nation and oneness under the umbrella of our beloved Tricolour.

Indian National Anthem - Instrumental (Real Player)



English translation available here.

- - -

Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru: "Tryst With Destiny" Speech on India's Independence

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Video Documentary: Formation of India and Pakistan.

Notice the religious lines clearly enunciated by the narrator as the basis for division.

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Olympian Shooter Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore explains

India's Silver medallist shooter from the 2004 Olympics at Greece, Colonel Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, writes an educative, balanced and thoughtful piece titled - WADA and the ‘price’ sportspersons pay to compete - on the current WADA-India issue on his blog.

Colonel Rathore, with his Army-Athlete background, is a man superbly positioned to understand various aspects of the situation - from security to privacy to WADA and its methods and falliability - and explain to those who want to know sincerely.

It was old friend Prabu who introduced me to both, this excellent article and Chilli Saab's blog.

It also makes redundant the research I was undertaking for a lengthy article of my own. Nearly all aspects are well considered in the article.

Thanks Prabu.

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Degrees of Separation

I was reading these two articles pointed out on a WI forum, where finally rhetoric, instrangience and brinkmanship from empty positions by all sides is giving way to constructive media discussion finally - Kaieteur News and Starbroek News. (Rumour has it that WICB has bunged in a bid for a second hand jet to fly its directors around during the season and well-heeled sahibs and memsahibs, during the off season. But we'll disregard rumours till confirmation and assume WICB's gearing up for the coming cricket season)

The Trinidadian subtlety appears to have jolted the constituent members of the region and their respective supporters to finally examine the past and relate it to the present and future with open eyes and new glasses.

Following the West Indian cricket crisis makes me wonder - What is the degree of separation between pay and performance? How closely are they linked? And to what physiological and philosophical limits?

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25 gracious words are hard to come by in a sporting desert

I came across this news in my paper, The Hindu.

The Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) on Wednesday revealed that the All India Football Federation has sought from them a Rs 25 crore grant for the development of the game in the country.

Last year, one had earlier discussed a similar news briefly at TCWJ. The news is mentioned in The Hindu article again.


The BCCI had created a corpus of Rs 50 crore in 2008 by setting up the National Sports Development Fund for supporing five games - swimming, archery, judo, wrestling and shooting.

It has also given individual grants in the past to tennis player Karan Rastogi (Rs 40 lakh), squash player Aditya Jagtap (Rs 26 lakh) and shuttler Anand Pawar (Rs 14 lakh) as part of its policy to finance their training and participation


My point is - WHY?

Why do cricketers and BCCI have to be always curteous and supportive of those who have forever pelted stones at them at the drop of a hat. Give the rest of Indian sportspersons a whiff of opportunity and they'll, as if following a doctrine instead of thoughtful, do little more than curse or be "mischievous" with the same.

Their hangers-on, people from their sphere of influence, their adminstrators are far worse. Persons with a green voice abound, just so because they have and can, who basically appear to be those with private griefs about cricket and prone to public posturing. May be they gain something from such acts.

Indian Cricket and cricketers, on the other hand have been generally polite, appreciative, supportive and far more progressive than the lot who likes to paint themselves patriotic colours with their own brushes or of their admirers, but spares no effort to tar the cricketers.

Did Sushil Kumar suffer any indignity at the hands of cricketers to have mouthed off the way he did? I bet there is little more than the envy of his soul and the tradition of blind self-centerd parrotting from ages. Why is the wrestling federation being supported by BCCI money when their brisghtest star thinks little of talking ill of cricket and cricketers on TV?

It is surprising that Abhinav Bindra (he was careful though, we must admit, of the choice of words he employed to convey his feelings) and Sonia Nehwal, modern new generation sports achievers, are really no different compared to older, fervidly envious, sportspersons when it comes to cricket. They may not have been supported by cricket at any stage, but one can be certain, not one cricketer would have initiated churlishness and thoughless talk about them as they do not mind in letting go as if it was mere fun and laughter.

All these incompetent sporting federations and their politricking sportspersons...only come to the fore when they have to publicly talk ill of cricket and cricketers. Not one of them will do anything to change the rot in their sport. There are exceptions of course, we respect and appreciate some sportspeople doing much for their sportr and its players in adversity, (like M Ferreira likes to say on TV, he respects a few cricketers who also happen to be his personal friends...we respect too even if they aren't personal friends), but most have been incompetent in most aspects...including the ability to analyse a situation through. They are not stupid...just too cunning and mean-spirited...preferring to bad-mouth than discuss and debate what many around the world have been.

FIFA has raised questions, Sports Illustrated-CNN (SI.com) suggests many more are also keen on discussing the system.

WADA changed its own system to improve upon the older one...so it doesn't have to mean this system is the best and cannot be improved upon. That will happen when there is proper debate instead of bull.

And I haven't even touched upon security, WADA info-leakiness, Indian Constitution and the like, for this is not the scope of this post. There will be a seaparate and long post on WADA India!

The question here is why support agencies and sportspersons who turn around and do you harm? Why have any tuck with other Indian sportspersons and their moribund organisations?

WHY? When they cannot spare 25 gracious words or 25 seconds of whatever thought and analysis they are capable of?

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Building Tall on Weak Foundations

Eight out of ten times, a sequence like Bopara, Bell and Collingwood ahead of the tail would mean with certainity a degree of collapse in one's construction. Out of those three Collingwood can produce the odd really big innings at intervals convenient to him, while Bell is certified and stamped as regards the quality he can provide consistently, and Bopara is getting to that point. If you need three girders to hold up a structure, you would want a reliable degree of quality from all three. How does it matter if only Collingwood is sometimes capable?

KP isn't playing. That is the reason Bell has been recalled. That's what we are being told from the commie box. It is strange logic. If the man has been included to play, even as a substitute to an injured regular, then he must be considered capable of performing that job. And mind you, this is not exactly a virulent strain of Australian bowling attack. And England, for this rare instance, are actually leading the series than having to cope with the double pressure of being Poms in battle with the Roos, and of having to summon extra vigor to surge ahead from behind. On top of all this they are playing at home on pitches and in conditions familiar to them and, some, of their own making. I cannot see conditions ever getting better that this for the three to produce the goods they are said to be capable of. They didn't of course...twice too in the same match...when their team needed them most when friendly conditions suddenly turned morbid before quickly progressing on their weak spines to mortal degrees.

England have thrown away the Ashes. They could have already ahead of the last test, unless their saviour Freddie Flintoff returns and conjures Bothamine magic in his final test. But that's like building a life on an anticipated lottery, the ticket of which was handed out to you through a carton of supermarket cereal.

Australia have fought back. I will give credit to Ponting here. He has marshalled his men, bonded them together on a Cheshire football field, and came back to Headingley and cricket with a front of sorts. With shields and axes, his team has consistently attacked the English castles and brought the towers down with brilliant psychology driving the dour determination. The batsmen ground it out and made the English bowlers look as casual about the Ashes as the English batsmen. They knew better what to do with Headingley than the Englishmen.

Good friend Greyblazer of Talk Cricket, a studious and mostly accurate reader of cricket and cricket players, pointed out to me in conversation at C-M-S that England has a curiously unwelcome legacy of careless performances at Headingley in recent times. He listed out the matches as thus during the conversation...with his permission in retrospective effect -


England at Headingley haven't played well in recent times unless you are talking about that Caribbean team or the Pakistani team.

In 2001 Autralia were too good.

Against India in 2002 England's bowlers bowled short and got punished and the batsmen didn't show discipline.

In 2003 England's bowlers bowled again too short and SA won.

In 2004 NZ had an understrength side without Bond and England won.

In 2006 Pakistan were likely going to struggle in conditions foreign to them and Pakistan lost.

In 2007 the Caribbean team was not good enough.

In 2008 again England's batsmen didn't show discipline and the bowlers bowled too short and SA won.

The pattern continues this year too!


Incidentally GB has a succint review up on the second day's play over at his blog.

It has been put out from the commie box again that Anderson is with a niggle. Pray why does he play then? Pray why the most balanced attack of the world not cover for him? Allowing a team to score 400+ on a pitch which is helping those bowlers who seek its aid (including spinners), means a complete failure of the touted bowling machine. Point out that Broad grabbed six...well he did of course, but it has also been suggested that there is growing discontent on his continued selection when others with similar records or even slightly better ones have been denied the same...he was bound to come good some day or the other! This match will alter the scales and stats in Stu Broad's favour of course, but yes, there is a feeling that he was actually playing for his place in the side and hence the kind of penetration we have been promised for 21 long test matches of his career.

I disagree with all that of course...it doesn't matter that Broad was averaging just over 40 with the ball and a strike rate of just over 72 before this test match, or that he bowls consistently short without a plan or purpose...you see he possesses the indefinable and flexible word called 'potential', and a bit more, to ensure continued selection in the England team. His batting is an asset too you see. Like we do with Kapil's name, they too like to label players...Stu Broad is the next designated Botham, now that Flintoff is retiring. And such labelling, when backed with enough substance alongwith evident skill, can ensure long and certain careers.

I think Stu Broad has plenty plenty more than Flintoff in this regard to be able to perform as he pleases. All he needs to do now, to move from great hallways into the small homes of people's hearts is to either score a defiant, in-your-face, not-going-down-without-a-fight, maybe-turn-things-around ton (or SuperTon) in addition to his six-fer, or at some point ride a pedalo. Maybe Stu Broad can do both to ensure he be firmly esconsed in the love of the common people rather than be a selectively adored snooty fixture on some high corridor wall.

Today, Sunday, on God's own holiday, we shall see Australia wrestling their way back into the Ashes 2009 with surprising ease and allowance. Or will the New Botham ^{Some New Botham Links} stand up yet again to complete the legacy he is being handed over?

The Task Required by the Legacy - England trail by 261 runs with 5 wickets remaining in their second innings on Day Two! The New Botham is yet to bat the second time. Over to you Stu...Baby Broad or Big Broad?

- - -

Some New Botham References in descending chronological order

1) Cricket 365: August 2009

2) Timesonline: July 2009

3) Telegraph UK: November 2007

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On a different tack

With respect to Where have all the clappers gone? and the gist of the article referred to within - Dominic Lawson: Boorish and chauvinist: the new breed of England cricket fan, there is a peculiar spin put out by one of the Booers and Silence Stionewallers mentioned there, in a BBC 606 public Cricket Forum article titled - We're the real cricket fans, NOT you.

The revolutions go something like this -

"Of course, this has most often been provoked by the booing of Ricky Ponting, but anybody who was there yesterday, like myself, would know it was all a joke! The only reason we did it was because we knew you lot sitting in your lovely comfy chairs at home, or enjoying your cucumber sandwiches in the hospitality box would be eager to have a whinge about us. Ponting knew it, we knew it, the only people who didn't were you lot, ready to complain about something, anything.

I know the whingers weren't there, because when Punter was dismissed, there was about 5 seconds of booing, for a joke of course, before a sustained period of warm applause for a good innings. Ponting himself acknowledged the standing crowd, even in the much berrated Western Terrace with a wave of his bat.

...

There is also a myth that has surfaced that this atmosphere is a relatively new phenomenom. That is absolute rubbish! My first memory of cricket at Edgbaston, as a little kid during the early 90's, hoofing an inflatable ball into the old Hollies stand, and recieving a huge cheer on a pretty dull day. My father often informs me that things have even calmed down since the 70's!


...

My point is this, every year, win or lose, playing terribly or not, we are there, actually supporting England. We are the fans the boys respond to on the field when they're on a roll, or need a bit of encouragement. We're the ones who actually make life difficult for the opposition, which is exactly what our team have to go through on tours to Australia for example. We are the ones in our seats all day, every test match. We don't spend half of the afternoon session enjoying our lunch behind the nursery end, we don't leave half an hour early to 'avoid the rush'.

So get used to it, we're here to stay. And btw, i'm not a member of the Barmy Army, i'm a member of the majority who actually go to watch England play cricket."


Reading the article, and the comments underneath, are as interesting as reading Mendis, Murali or Warney's offerings. You can find the entire article at BBC 606 Cricket

Just remember - it is YOU guys, sprawled upon soft couches in front of the TV for which you are paying through your respective noses for to see cricket matches on, or trapped in cucumber sandwiches of hospitality boxes, who are the real problem...the real cause of booing. BOO YA!

New "Stu Broad" Botham has a definite task on hand.

A note of intent can be found in an earlier "article" by the same gentleman at that British public portal - BORED with talk of 'crowd trouble' - in which he hopes thus:- I'll be at Headingley on Friday, my only hope is that Stewards haven't become EVEN more paranoid and power crazed than they already were.

Well now that England is looking to slip back and the next test at The Oval will decide the fate of this series, what does this player from the crowd have in mind to influence the game there from the stands?....Obviously you cannot "do it" from watching TVs of course...YOU GOT TO BE THERE you know, to be able to somehow "influence" the opposition, and the home team of course, and become a part of Ashes history yourself! We're all just joking about all this of course, but let's ask again, "what does our spinner have up his sleeve for Oval?"

Those of you who cannot see the joke in all this, the problem lies in the interface between your couches and backsides, or your cucumber sandwiches.

Maybe a worm i' the watery gourd upon the pale cheek of your hospitality bread...grab a bottle and you'll begin to see the joke clearly...loud or silent. PAPA told me so...so THERE!

Oh yes yes, New "Stu Broad" Botham definitely has a TASK on hand.

For starters, Stu Broad held HIS lip this time in trying to "influence" the opposition, and focussed on the task of getting them out with the ball instead.

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Ashes 2009: Day Three, Fourth Test,

Scorecard

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Where have all the clappers gone?

Not having followed very much recent events in cricket, and regular reportage upon, I must confess I was unaware that the absence of polite clappers from the heritage grounds of the game was already noticed long before I wondered aloud in England Siddle Away!

I asked that question, overwhelmed as I was by Australia's brilliant morning, when I saw Shane Watson play two cricketing shots of rounded personality and high character at the start of Australia's reply in this test match, and noticed the pin-drop silence of the stands in response.

I missed England immediately, for polite clapping at a cricket ground, even under the most adverse of circumstances, always stood out in stark contrast to the whimsies of the rest of the cricket watching world....including Australia.

Apparently notice was made of the other extreme much before - the loudness of sections of spectators in a directed manner - Dominic Lawson: Boorish and chauvinist: the new breed of England cricket fan.

I have attended games at a few centres in India. I cannot vouch for the crowds which throng here....I cannot vouch that they will, almost mechanically, applaud the opposition. They do of course, India has people with diverse views and opinions and methods of following the game, but I have known Indian crowds stunned into silence.

England wasn't stunned into silence, even though Bumble choked over words in the commentator's box as the wickets tumbled. No, clearly, it is part of a strategy...so well-defined is the manner in which silence attacks the opposition.

Along with booing, it is the crowd's version of doing the good thing by its heroes. I is the lending hand of the spectators...their participation in any eventual success, and therefore their paddle to reflected glory.

They do not ignore you actually...so seized by you are they that that is not possible...it is an attempt to perform contrary to tradition and plant instant distraction in the players' minds who generally identify and apportion certain personalities to countries and become familiar with those.

Noise and colour is eminently Indian, polite clapping is truly British. Booing is not generally English cricket.

I will now stir it up a bit, but what I will say is my personal experience and doesn't have to be generalized.

My first experience of stonewalling with silence was via the TV. I think it was during India's second tour to Pakistan after 1978-79, and the Sharjah events later, that I first observed this crowd tactic.

On India's successive tours of Lanka, I observed the same phenomenon.

I began to look for such behaviour among Indian crowds, and I wasn't disappointed.

I found it and more. But somehow in India it appears an unsustainable exercise to synchronize so many. But it is there...seriously there.

It was this aspect of English cricket watching that I really appreciated.

But it appears change is everywhere and England is not isolated.

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England Siddle Away!

Ashes 2009: Day One, Fourth Test,

Scorecard


102 all out on the first morning. Peter Siddle, the goateed paceman, takes 5/21 off 9.5 good overs.

Australia's bowling today was excellent. It was a far cry from the irresoluteness we saw it frequently sinking into in earlier tests. The ball was at the bowler's command and not the batsman's.

Australia have thought this out carefully and used the Headingley conditions extremely well. The attack has been coherent. There has been purpose and flair to the bowling. Pace bowling, in recent times, has rarely looked so attractive as a complete package. And this is an all pace attack. Nathan Hauritz had been dropped with Shane Watson being the fifth bowler, also a paceman, if required.

The Ozzies not just swung the ball to confound both batsmen and an umpire but also used bounce carefully and effectively. There was always a reason to bowl what they did. Stuart Broad should learn a bit about purposeful short-pitched bowling from what was on display today.

The commies mentioned some cloud cover - well, we have seen clouds overhanging each and every game. Australia didn't make best use then. Today they did. Even Mitch Johnson appeared to know what to do till he fell away into bad habits of course.

This has been a splendidly executed bowling attack from Australia.

Even as I type, Watson continues to attack on behalf of Australia with two opening fours slapped into far corners of this Headingley ground, off the first two balls of Anderson - the great hope of England (besides the perpetual Harmison of course)- shredding the absolute pin-drop silence from the spectators with the sweet and melodious well-timed "thock" emanating from his willow. That is the kind of sound which can travel across oceans and over mountains, and tells whoever hears it along its way that a good shot was played in a game of cricket somewhere.

Where have all the polite clappers among the guardians of the game gone?

Wait a minute...they are all there...it is not an empty stadium...the clappers are indeed there...you can hear them roar and clap away as Harmison plunges a steepler into Krab Katich's ribs. He fends, but akwardly. Taken by the leg slip brought in for the purpose.

Well well well, it is a different game now. England has found its throat and a loud voice nestling inside it.

Headingley resonates with happy masculine baritones. How long before the madeira takes over and silence blankets proceedings again? Guess the closer Australia get to 102.

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English Collapso: Luncheon is served at 72-6

Ashes 2009: Day One, Fourth Test,

Scorecard

The "in front" bug has bitten the Englishmen it appears. The intensity is wearing off. The Englishmen are tottering at 42-4, and that too after Skipper Strauss was reprieved off the first ball by Billy Bo's crooked finger.

England is finding it difficult to haul around an early victory behind them through a five match series. And it won't even rain adequately to shorten their labour!

The Kangaroos dodn't like losing. Not to the Poms definitely. England played the better cricket at crucial junctures and went ahead. Today the Roos are hitting back.

The body language is better. They look adequately grim. No unncesaary chatter or smiles or show of emotion. They want to use their energies and concentration well while it lasts.

It is called purpose, and it is that which makes Mitchell Johnson's ball swing back late into the right hander again. Thus far, Johnson has looked more committed and able that he has been the entire series...bar a brief session in the first test of course.

Ravi Boapara plays as if on unfamiliar pitches, but it is actually more careless play from him. He didn't quite account for the lift or nature of the pitch and at a team total of 16 just in the 7th over, he plays an extravagant drive square into the gully. Obviously Ravi Boapara hasn't yet read our observations on him and Vasu Paranjape's wise words contained within it.

The last thing the Roos would want to do now is allow prior and Cook to retrieve the situation. Prior is a pugnacious bat and if he gets his eye in and confidence pumping, he can quickly blow away the illusion of pressure Australia is attempting to create and hold on the Englishmen.

My interest is in the underdog taking the fight into the opposition camp and keeping the final test alive and competitive. Australia is the underdog in this series.

Bumble almost swallowed himself!

The fifth wicket just fell with the score at 63.

Cooksie edges Clark in the slips where Clarke takes a good low catch to his left.

Bumble was devastated. It was almost like the final hope was proved a lie. The last thread of the rope actually snapped.

The words refused to come out of Bumble and into the mike. Warney didn't say much either...that's purpose from the commentary box.

The ball incidentally is moving in all directions. I must say, Australia is lucky to be bowling and they are doing a good job of it. England and Anderson would have loved to do the same.

Make that 6

Stuart Broad was dismissed by Clark after being mesmerized by his ball movement over a short period of stay. Like the pendulum of the hypnotist, Stu Clark made Stuart Broad's whites go first one way, then the other way, and then finally he said the magic words "you are sleepy. You are sleeeeepy. You are sleeeeeeeeeeeepy"

Sure enough, when Stu Clark let one drift onto Stu Broad's pads, the English Sobers-in-the-making, couldn't resist a flick. It must be said that that was an extremely good catch at square leg. Maybe if he weren't mesmerized so by the balls immediately before this one, Stu Broad might have played that with more authority and sent it sailing over the fielder's baggy green. But such is life...especially in the fast lane.

Luncheon is served at 72-6. England hosting the visitors graciously.

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Whatever happened to the "Timed Out" rule?

Ashes 2009: Day One, Fourth Test

Scorecard

I rushed home today, through the Delhi traffic, under a scorching sun and in cloying humidity. No...that sentence doesn't sound quite right...how can you RUSH through Delhi traffic? But I did that anyway. Call it a Guiness feat if you want, for I wanted my fix of cricket and fast. So what if it was the Ashes and India wasn't featuring in it...cricket's cricket and lack of it can be testing and taxing.

Coming back to the point, I barely made it to tune in to the correct channel and headed off into the cooler innards of what is home for a refreshing douse with cold water. I just had time to watch Hilfenhaus go up like his house was on fire after bowling the first ball. Strauss was rapped on the pads plumb..."there goes one of my Fantasy League players and with negative points too," I said to myself, and a little disgusted, I headed off to refresh myself in lesser hurry.

Around ten minutes later I returned to the TV and found Strauss being given out to Siddle instead! Thanks to a catch!

I'm sure cricket laws do not allow a player to take almost ten minutes between being dismissed and walking off! And also playing a few balls in between!

But then I checked back at Cricinfo-on-the-net...the God of the Wicket for this test match happened to be BeLie Bode-n. That explains it...he has a crooked finger, does BeLie.



Cricinfo

0.1
Hilfenhaus to Strauss, no run, a big inswinger on middle stump! That's out, surely? But no! Inside edge, perhaps - there were two sounds. But replays show there was no bat on that

Sheesh. What a moment


"Billy Bowden's started with a shocker," says Warne. He's right, too. Strauss had practically tucked his bat under his arm!

3.6

Siddle to Strauss, OUT, catch - catch! What a total screamer from North! Strauss drove outside off and North took it high, with one hand, to his right, at second slip - and it stuck! Magnificent snaffle, reminiscent of Mark Waugh

AJ Strauss c North b Siddle 3 (17b 0x4 0x6) SR: 17.64




Rauf gave him out at the other end, and we are not going to go on and on about ICC and poor umpiring by its workers...and Billy Bo in particular. But Jonathan, are you watching? Was it an honest mistake or incompetence? The first ball of the test...all fresh and well rested and stuff like that?

Stu Clark gets a game

I have nothing against Stuart Clark playing cricket. In fact, I think he should play the Ashes in England at the head of an inexperienced attack sans Lee. If I have any objections to his bowling, it is against India. At home and away he has proved himself an expensive white elephant when playing India. Such is not the case when he plays England. Check his records - vs India and vs England. Never understood what kept him out of the team.

Lee ignored again

Brett Lee is having to earn his way back like a fallen minister. I don't know if it is his track record or recent record or his acceptance of IPL or just injuries, but the man who declared himself fit continues to warm the benches. And that's when 20 English wickets have to be taken twice from hereon in quick time.

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