World Cup 2011: The IRISH are definitely impressive!

It started with the men in green defeating the English side and continued with the spirited Irish reply to the challenge put forth by the Indians but the fact remains that the Irish team has established itself as the real surprise package of the tournament. These are players who aren't fully profesional cricketers, many of them doing odd jobs for a few months in the year and a couple who play in the B-grade English leagues. However, most of them have presented themselves as rather worthy of playing on the big stage. If they could just defeat one more of the major teams, it would seriously enhance their
reputation of being the real dark horses of the World Cup, a title that was supposed to be that of Bangladesh who in fact, have played rather poorly. The islander cricketers had said a lot about the home pitches playing to their strengths but they seem to lack the stomach to put it past the the bigger sides. One factor that is missing sorely in the progress of Irish cricket is that they are not receiving invitations for cricket haves like India and Australia where such emerging teams should be invited to play in the state or league matches. This will give the Irish players to get accustomed to varying pitch conditions and get a more realistic idea about their shortcomings.

Pakistan Fixing Scandal: Hardly Surprising

 While this may sound unkind and outrightly rude to some folks, the fact is that most people who have been keenly following the game in and around the sub-continent have always believed or at least suspected that running of the game in Pakistan has always been clouded by match-fixers and the betting mafia that is very strong in these parts. It should be noted that the recent string of skeletons that seem to be tumbling out of the Pakistani dressing room are largely because of the kind of investigative media we have these days and not because the match-fixing has suddenly arisen. A few years ago, in Sharjah and in India, when such matters were reported, the technology available to the reporters and the sting journalists
was hardly penetrative as it is now. It was just a matter of time before those involved in making money by fooling the game's followers slipped in their methods and the ever-vigilant media dogs caught them red-handed...don't read too much into what is going to happen to the Pakistani players accused in this scandal...they will be banned for different durations only to be brought together as the World Cup 2011 draws near...again, not because the world cup is a very important tournament but also because it is going to be a big money-spinner for these spinsters.

India ODI Matches ‘dry runs’ to World Cup 2011: Really Mr. Shastri??

This is referring to a recent published article that listed the views of India’s former captain, Mr. Ravi Shastri, wherein he has mentioned that the 18 or so ODIs that India has before the forthcoming WC 2011 matches are essentially practice matches. In fact, he used the term ‘dry runs’ to describe these matches.What I cannot figure out is how have 18 international matches been reduced to the pedestal of just being trial matches or what they now popular call ‘testing the bench strength’. Isn't every international match being played with the India cap and isn't it supposed to put the best available national talent on the field?

I can understand that some international-scale matches between European nations are often played as ‘friendlies’. However, the use of this term to label the matches ensures that the spectators understand the reality that the level of intensity and commitment they expect in an international encounter might be missing to some extent. At least, this labeling ensures that the spectators and national followers of the game aren’t misled in any way. Similarly, a tobacco product has to carry an official warning about the injurious nature of the product. Whether this makes a difference to the judgment of a consumer or not is beyond the purview of this official warning.

Has the BCCI or any national representative of the game even bothered to inform that the forthcoming ‘non-friendlies’ featuring India are prone to be used as some sort of a testing ground for newer talents?

Lack of sponsors for Indian team..hard to believe!

It is really hard to comprehend the story that is being put forth by the BCCI wherein they say that they have just somehow managed to get an extended sponsorship deal from Sahara for another six months due to severe shortage of capable sponsors who are willing to pay the deamanded amount. This is when the BCCI is supposed to be the strongest and the most cash-rich body in the cricketing world and is about to host the next World Cup (2011)!

What is even more baffling is the fact that analysts say that this has little to do with aftermath of the economic recession and more to do with team sponsors not getting enough media exposure or positive market sentiments out of their association with the Indian team> again, something shocking considering how the Indian cricket players are worshipped at home and by Indian fan community across the globe.