Pakistan’s chronic ‘multi-skipper’ symptom raises its ugly head again
If you are talking about a side that has issues due to a staggering number of present, ex and wannabe skippers in the team, then Pakistan is the unquestioned focus of such discussion. The present side has been under a lot of pressure due to reasons that are beyond their talent or their inherent abilities—I guess, we all understand that in terms of raw talent, there is no team that can catch-up with Pakistan. The team did have some degree of success playing in the T20 matches and Afridi looked like someone who could take charge in an unchallenged manner in the ODIs and T20s and Younis Khan seemed to be doing reasonably well as the test captain. But then, the old symptom of Pakistani selectors doing something totally inconceivable and avoidable happened—Mohammud Yousuf has been made the new skipper and Afridi’s displeasure about the entire issue is crystal clear. Yousuf is a great batsman no doubt, but his leadership is passive. Further, there really was no need to bring him in at a time when the team is in a difficult situations, trying to reassemble itself. The results of this utter stupidity by the PCB administrators is there to be seen—the Pakistani team is playing like a bunch of reluctant schoolboys and the Aussies are walking all over them in each match since the day the Pakistan team landed Down Under.
Ready for another IPL overdose?
The third season of IPL is about to begin and I just want to know one thing—how many people actually follow this league? Yes, there are the occasional viewers like me how just like to keep in touch regarding the final score or the match result but how about the hardcore IPL fans, I mean if there are any around? For starters, the matches are scheduled at a time that was supposed to facilitate the viewership in terms of post-working hours but then after a day’s work or even if you aren’t in a back-breaking employment like mine, do you really get excited by the prospect of international players overloaded with huge sums of money playing in a league wherein club rivalries are yet an unknown quantity and besides the trophy winner’s prize booty there seems to be no other motivating factor?
To make matters worse, Modi has schedules close to 60 matches this time with each franchise playing more than 10 matches—how many non-international games can an average, no matter how avid, cricket follower digest?
To make matters worse, Modi has schedules close to 60 matches this time with each franchise playing more than 10 matches—how many non-international games can an average, no matter how avid, cricket follower digest?
The ‘Singles Approach’ — a Kirsten thing?
If you recall, the entry of South Africa during the 1992 World Cup heralded a new fashion of setting-up decent scores in ODI without taking too many risks — the idea was to take as many quick singles and secures the wickets for the slog overs. Before this, the Australians were regarded as the best team in terms of running, seemingly-risky but actually, safe singles and running the opposition teams, ragged. Yes, there were some players from the sub-continent like Miandad who had created a niche for themselves by being canny single seekers but beyond a few names, this approach was limited to Australia. After the 1992 season, Hansie Cronje’s South Africa gave a new definition to this approach wherein under the coaching of Bob Woolmer, the team started believing that if you could take a single off every ball, a score of around 300 was easily achievable and that too when a score of ODI game was within the realm of 225 – 250. Those who have a good cricket memory would recall that one of South Africa keenest followers of this approach and a dedicated innings architect for nearly a decade was India’s preset coach, Gary Kirsten. The man literally grew upon the opposition not through magnanimous shots that are played by the likes of Sehewag or Hayden, but through this, singles approach. It seems that the current Indian team is beginning to understand the virtue of this noble approach. For starters, for the first time in probably a decade, the team looks hungry to rotate the strike and their batting appetite is being satiated through taking a boundary but along with preceding and following the boundary shot by placing the ball into gaps and running lots of ones/twos.
I personally believe that this is a direct effect of Kirsten’s presence in the squad. He has somehow managed to appeal to the senses of the boundary-and-sixes hitters in the team that the entire idea is to keep the game moving even if it means sacrificing your ‘glory’ shots and running a lot, for the team’s cause. The result is very evident — batsmen like Gambhir and Sehewag are becoming more comprehensive batters, learning how to mix-up their innings which previously, often bordered on being one-way traffic. The idea was introduced by Greg Chappell also but somehow his much-maligned approach didn’t work with the team.
I personally believe that this is a direct effect of Kirsten’s presence in the squad. He has somehow managed to appeal to the senses of the boundary-and-sixes hitters in the team that the entire idea is to keep the game moving even if it means sacrificing your ‘glory’ shots and running a lot, for the team’s cause. The result is very evident — batsmen like Gambhir and Sehewag are becoming more comprehensive batters, learning how to mix-up their innings which previously, often bordered on being one-way traffic. The idea was introduced by Greg Chappell also but somehow his much-maligned approach didn’t work with the team.
Siddle’s Energy Bursts Worth Watching
I remember some commentator saying that Peter Siddle was built like a small horse but his bowling performances are far better than to be horsing about the issue. He has incredible bouts of energy and seeing him bowl, almost makes you wish you were so athletic, packed with so much stamina and could do what he does best — constantly bowl at 142 + km/hr without showing any signs of drop in intensity or energy. Siddle reminds a bit of the young Ntini from SA who had started out in a very similar style but then eventually the workload of the balling probably slowed him down. Hillfenhaus, the other recently introduced Aussie bowler too is impressive but he is more of the McGrath type with a measured length and line being his main thing. Siddle is a bit like Brett Lee and Waqar Younis rolled into though his wickets tally usually don’t match the wicket-taking fame of these two ultra-quick bowlers.
Watson and Marsh—Next ‘Big’ Aussie Opening Pair?
They aren’t Hayden & Gilchrist by a long shot, but still, the Aussie opening pair of Shane Watson and Shaun Marsh could the opening solution that Australia had been searching for some time. While Watson has impressed everyone with his graduation into a mainstream batsman, Marsh was always considered the next big thing to arrive from the competitive Aussie domestic circuit. I first saw him in the first season of IPL and he still looks as impressive he did when I first saw him straight-lift bowlers over their heads, making the ball often step over the boundary ropes. Both the batsmen don’t have any particular vulnerability to spin or pace and with Watson having proven himself in the test match arena recently, this could well be the opening pair that will be uniformly used in T20s, tests and ODIs. The only unsightly thing—that absolutely ridiculous dance cum hopping routine that Watson bursts into while bowling.
IPL3 undervalued? Shockingly yes, according to Mr. Modi
It is very difficult to decipher whether Lalit Modi means business or he is just obsessing with his baby—the IPL. According to him and some financial analysts, the TV rights for IPL3 have actually been under-valued and marketed at nearly 90% less than its actual worth. This announcement came on top of the fact that in the next few seasons, one IPL team would be worth around $300 million and that is just a conservative estimation, if Mr. Modi is to be believed! What I still cannot fathom is how the IPL is making so much cash considering that I have rarely seen someone truly emphatic about the fate of IPL matches and just cannot recall even person who is a real follower of this league. Do these figures represent any kind of facts whatsoever or is this another one of Modi’s brainwaves to engage some more media attention towards the IPL, may be even at the cause of raising curiosity among folks for no apparent cause?
Afridi—no longer the Pakistani roaring tiger?
He has a tiger imprint on his bat and the bat reads “sher” too which essentially means a lion and that is the type of cricketer Shahid Afridi is believed to be—till the time he started complaining about the unfair treatment against him and his teammates in being ridiculed against in the IPL auctions. It was almost unbelievable to hear the usually ferocious ‘pathan’ complaining like a meek cat on an Indian FM channel. He even had the nerves to say that he believes his team has more fans in India than in Pakistan and thus, their participation in the IPL is vital!! I always counted Afridi along the likes of Saeed Anwar and Wasim Akram—players whose performance and on-field antics reached a new height every time they played against India. I always believed that Afridi must be on the Indian team’s most vicious, almost hated opponent, considering the amount of verbal abuse he displays against the Indians. It now seems that the lure of easy IPL cash has mellowed down the Pathani tiger—they do say money can make you do strange things, don’t they?
India versus SA 2010: is it really a ‘world championship’ series?
For those who are tuned into Neo Sports, the cricketing channel controlled by the BCCI, would know that for the last few days, the channel has been advertising the upcoming test series between South African and India 2010. as the world’s test championship series. What they are essentially referring to is the fact that while India currently occupies the number test ranking, SA are at number two and the competition among these two teams to be called the top-ranked
test team is going to be intense. However, if you try to be very precise about things, it really isn’t a test championship in any way, is it? For starters, even after repeated demands from many present and ex cricketers, there is no league format for a dedicated championship tournament to decide the world’s top, test match team. Secondly, unless Australia is a part of the mix, no test championship tournament can be complete, simply because they are the biggest threat at the moment, consistently winning at home and away, with a renewed vigor. It would have been much better hand India, SA and Australia would have been made to play some sort of a triangular test championship and the eventual prize — the baton and the rightful, unargued status as the world’s best test team of 2010!!
test team is going to be intense. However, if you try to be very precise about things, it really isn’t a test championship in any way, is it? For starters, even after repeated demands from many present and ex cricketers, there is no league format for a dedicated championship tournament to decide the world’s top, test match team. Secondly, unless Australia is a part of the mix, no test championship tournament can be complete, simply because they are the biggest threat at the moment, consistently winning at home and away, with a renewed vigor. It would have been much better hand India, SA and Australia would have been made to play some sort of a triangular test championship and the eventual prize — the baton and the rightful, unargued status as the world’s best test team of 2010!!
Stop whining about India’s batting versus Bangladesh, it makes the game interesting
A lot of people in India, particularly the over-critical media, has been voicing their disappointment about how the Indian batsmen faltered against a mediocre team like Bangladesh. However, I believe that things need to be looked at from a much larger perspective.
For starters, the Idea test series has very little to offer in terms of exciting encounters since the Bangladeshi cricket team hardly has any renowned players. With the Indian batsmen getting out to a score of less than 250 runs, the game has been set-up in a manner that at least makes it a bit engaging, at least in terms of TV viewership. And further, all these emotional outbursts about India faring so averagely after graduating to the number one test team spot is getting a bit too repetitive — India haven’t even spent two straight months at this ranking. It is just an occasional thing and one day of average batting performance is not going to sink the ship… seriously, some folks need to take things a bit less seriously!
For starters, the Idea test series has very little to offer in terms of exciting encounters since the Bangladeshi cricket team hardly has any renowned players. With the Indian batsmen getting out to a score of less than 250 runs, the game has been set-up in a manner that at least makes it a bit engaging, at least in terms of TV viewership. And further, all these emotional outbursts about India faring so averagely after graduating to the number one test team spot is getting a bit too repetitive — India haven’t even spent two straight months at this ranking. It is just an occasional thing and one day of average batting performance is not going to sink the ship… seriously, some folks need to take things a bit less seriously!
How ‘global’ really is IPL3?
The third edition of the IPL is upon us and if you look at the configuration of the tournament in terms of international players participating, an immediate question comes to the mind—how ‘international’ is the International Premier League? I am not talking about the widespread disregard for T20 and the utter dismay of some former players, frowning upon how IPL is spoiling international cricketers by paying them excessively. I am concerned about its status as a globally competitive event. For starters, most of the current Australian cricketers have opted out,
stating that they would rather take rest and prolong their careers for their national teams rather than wallow in the riches of IPLIII. Secondly, you really cannot expect lots of Pakistani players to be playing, considering the current unrest in the relations of India-Pakistan. Further, England players too have refrained from participating in the aftermath of the two of their biggest stars, Flintoff and Pieterson failing miserably in the first edition—you may already know that Flintoff is away with a serious injury and Kevin Pieterson is badly out of form. Considering that nearly every current Indian player is playing and the number of international players that can be fielded isn’t a major proportion by any means, is this actually a global-scale cricketing event? I would rather look upon it as a India’s premier T20 championship that allows some international cricket players to participate. But I guess, when so much money is involved, the reality really doesn’t matter, does it Mr. Modi?
stating that they would rather take rest and prolong their careers for their national teams rather than wallow in the riches of IPLIII. Secondly, you really cannot expect lots of Pakistani players to be playing, considering the current unrest in the relations of India-Pakistan. Further, England players too have refrained from participating in the aftermath of the two of their biggest stars, Flintoff and Pieterson failing miserably in the first edition—you may already know that Flintoff is away with a serious injury and Kevin Pieterson is badly out of form. Considering that nearly every current Indian player is playing and the number of international players that can be fielded isn’t a major proportion by any means, is this actually a global-scale cricketing event? I would rather look upon it as a India’s premier T20 championship that allows some international cricket players to participate. But I guess, when so much money is involved, the reality really doesn’t matter, does it Mr. Modi?
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