A Tale of a "gifted" Indian farmer

A Tale of a "gifted" Indian farmer

This is the story of an Indian farmer who has dedicated all his life to his profession. He started understanding the basics as well as the technicalities of it at a very raw age of eight. At that age, many of us would have played marbles in the sand, many of us would have played Hide-n-seek in the garden, counting the numbers loudly with one eye shut and the other peeping at the hiding places of friends from the space between the fingers. Many of us would have inserted a comic book inside one of those boring History text books, pretending to study when Mom was around and then after fooling them, bursting into innocuous animal like laughter. That was the age of innocence, an age to run, tumble, jump all day and get back home exhausted, with bruised knees and elbows, yet finding enough energy to run around the house, screaming with disdain, when Mom comes and hands over a glass of pure, plain, unadulterated milk. But this child (the farmer) was gifted. He, along with all these naughty pranks could do something that children of his age can’t even fathom. He took his profession as seriously as a P.T Teacher would take his exercises and training sessions.

When he grew up, there were various comparisons drawn between him and his fellow mates who were also engaged in the same profession. But the line of demarcation between good farmers and better farmers cannot be drawn when the conditions are ideal for farming. In fact, it could be drawn only when the conditions are tricky, simply because “Even an ordinary farmer can produce surplus when the conditions are ideal, but what would be interesting to see is, whether that same farmer can still produce the same amount with the same quality when the conditions are not conducive ?” As I said, this child was gifted, he could turn the tide in his favour with his sheer determination.

“Inside the stomach of some geniuses, smoulders a defiance that is abnormal, a will so powerful that no ordinary barometer can register it.” There were torrential downpours, floods, lightening and thunder. There were long dry spells, scanty rains and there were landslides too. But that never stopped this man. He fought against all odds with great fortitude. He tackled every problem with a positive mindset and never relinquished in the battle of strife. To every question raised, he had an answer, to every problem encountered he had a solution, and to every plan plotted he had a strategy. Someone rightly said “He is a magician, he could well convert a barren land into a lush green paradise”.

Yes he is none other than Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar. Sealed as a child prodigy, he never took his feet off the ground and enjoyed the blissful and euphoric thunderstorms with intense serenity. It would have been very easy for him to sail in the boat of exaltation that always kept surrounding him, but he chose the difficult path by turning a blind eye to it and concentrating on his main job. He never drenched himself in the incessant showers of name and fame that he received everywhere in the World. Now, you might be wondering how Sachin is a farmer and what is his relation with farming ? My answer to this question would be that I have used the word “farmer” as a metaphor for Sachin. But even Sachin has done the job of a farmer for Indian Cricket.

Just like a young, passionate farmer, he ploughed his way in the Indian side first, and then in no time, ploughed his way in a billion hearts. Later, with his captivating vigour, he sowed the seeds of passion that he had for the game, which gave rise to the seeds of expectations in many spectator’s hearts and whenever he came into bat, there was an air of jubilation, an air of his exuberance. This passion made the game so popular in India that every youngster wanted to play and be like him. The height of obsession finally reached its apogee. He never disappointed his fans and took complete care of the seed, he watered it regularly with his consistent performances and looked after its growth and progress at every step. Today, after the germination and further transitions, the seed has transformed into a huge tree, a tree that binds more than a billion branches together. The fruits that it bears are being bestowed to every Cricket lover who admires the game and wants to get involved in it. He has reached the pinnacle of success, the epitome of glory and there is hardly anything left for him to accomplish. But the hunger to do the unthinkable that rests in his soul separates him from the rest. The game is played in a very different way from the way it was played in the earlier days, but this man has adapted to it superbly, much like what a farmer does at the time of adversity. He has an exotic range of strokes in his bag which includes both the traditional as well as modern style of play - much like the implements of a farmer which includes the traditional as well as modern ones for effective farming.

So finally, is he the farmer of Indian Cricket ? You decide. Because, to me he already is more than just a farmer. A farmer puts in a lot of effort while performing his tasks, but even in those delightful years when the productivity increases three folds and reaches new highs, he can’t guarantee food for all and alleviate hunger in the country. But this man brings in smile and ensures satisfaction to even those, who work hard all day, uncertain and unaware as to whether there will be enough money to have any food at night ? A farmer cannot bring back the vision of a blind, but this man brings joy and ecstasy even in those eyes, which can’t see him, but can always feel the emotions in their hearts. Adjectives and superlatives aren't enough to describe the caliber of this man who has been carrying Indian cricket on his shoulders for the past 22 years. Therefore one title that suits him best is “GOD of Cricket”.

Read More

Parthiv Patel: Patel Scope II

What a summer it has been for the Indian Cricket team in England. A summer of misery, misfortune and ignominy. Not only has the fall from the top of ICC Test ranking humbled the mighty Indians, it has also left them battered and bruised both physically and mentally. There have been pulled hamstrings, twisted ankles, broken fingers and bumped skulls. Those will be healed in time, mended back as the Lord made them. But the dents in the mind will be for there to stay. Suresh Raina will have nightmares about the booming bouncers, Sehwag will wonder why his bat kept on fishing outside the off stump, Yuvraj will not know if his any good at the five day stuff and Harbhajan Singh will search in vain for answers to his lost fang. As the tour has progressed the casualty list has grown longer but not longer than the faces of millions of Indian fans. As if the whitewash in the Tests had not been a wound deep enough, England managed to push the dagger further still with a thrilling win in the lone T20. Perhaps given this disaster raised to the power ten performance of the Indian team one cannot blame Sanjay Manjarekar for sounding out the defeatist statement that it is not fair for the Indian team to win the ODIs. In the back drop of this dark and sombre past when Parthiv Patel roars down the pitch to pull a towering Tim Bresnan out of ground imagine how many beats do the heart of the Indian fan skip. More than one for sure.

If size mattered in Cricket, Parthiv Patel would be playing a different game. Thankfully, it is the vertically challenged that have set Cricket grounds on fire. When Parthiv first came into the Indian Test team at the tender age of 17, commentators and viewers alike had him confused for a lost schoolboy. Navjot Singh Sidhu cut many jokes at the expense of the little man to great applause. He did not disappoint anyone but neither did he make himself proud. In spite of the trust of the captain he could not quite make a case for himself. Then Dhoni appeared on the scene and the wicketkeeper position of the team was permanently occupied. Since then chances have come in trickles and Parthiv has been ordinary at best. But this is not an article to discuss the Parthiv the wicketkeeper who failed to keep his place, this is a tribute to Parthiv the batsman who sneaked into the team and took everyoneÃÔ breath away, Patel style.

Do Parthiv Patel and Suresh Raina look alike? Stuart Broad and Jimmy Anderson certainly thought so, hence the short stuff came thick and fast©Ând went higher and faster. Anybody watching the Durham rubber when Parthiv was playing might as well have thought Brian Lara has decided to don the Indian colours. For a moment millions back in India wondered whether it was the same English attack that had India running short of tourniquet supply only a week and a half ago! It certainly was the same as Rohit Sharma found to his pain and agony. But before that, when Parthiv occupied the crease, it was as ordinary an attack as any. For once the English bowlers were not sure of their line and length and the ability to bowl 90 mph did not look like such a good thing. In a clear hangover from the Test matches they stuck to the idea of banging it short only to see the tiny Indian swivel like a helicopter rotor on his heels putting snorter after snorter away to the boundary. For all those who had their spirits low because of the absence of Gambhir and Tendulkar, these strokes must have come as unexpected bonus. And as if the disdain with power was not enough, the stylish manoeuvres towards third man showed that Parthiv Patel was not all brawn. When this mincing of the bowlers was going on one felt oddly surprised at the repeated mention of the big nought in the 100s columns in PatelÃÔ record book, in all forms of one day cricket. How could someone who can pummel these first rate English pacers with such consummate ease not have scored a century against the weak Indian provincial bowlers on the batting paradise of Indian pitches is indeed a case to ponder on. Equally peeving was the commentators mistrust on PatelÃÔ ability to clear the boundary. The first complaint could have been taken care of but for a mere five runs. The second one though did not go abegging.

Come Rose Bowl, Southampton and Patel Scope was extended to sixes. Tim Bresnan came steaming in, downed a short, saw Patel come steaming at him back and heave; ball crosses the boundary, all aerial. Tim Bresnan walked back, an unhappy big man. But it would go on to happen to him once more in the same over, four balls later. This time the ball does not rise as much, so Patel gets under it, pulls it up like a master, bisecting deep square leg and deep mid wicket. Brian Lara couldnÃÕ have done it any better. Commentators, the pocket rocket can launch cricket balls out of big grounds, mind it.

It is sweet Karmic justice that Parthiv Patel is finding his touch in the same place where he first entered international arena, England. Getting selected at 17 and dropped at 19, Parthiv was always a story unfinished. He is still 26 and has just got wings under his arms. May this be the second beginning of a dream that had turned comatose.

Read More

The end of an era

The end of an era

Australian cricket's rise to ascendency co-incided with my passage into youth. Passionate about cricket as I was and Indian cricket in particular, I couldn't help but admire the ruthlessness Aussies introduced into the gentlemen's game. Soon they were snatching victories from impossible situations, ruthlessly stamping out oppositions, pouncing on any signs of weakness and bringing an aura of invincibility which for the first time in history surrounded a whole team rather than on talented individuals

Cricket had already seen a near invincible team in the West Indies who ruled the roost for years; but where West Indies depended on individual flair, personal agression and in your face bowling by intidimating giants, Australian agression was on a different level. They were ruthless and they were unforgiving. Such was their aura under the unflappable Steve Waugh that even Australian newbies were succesfully intidimating players in the opposition who had years of experience under their belt.

Apart from the winning attitude, Australian team was spoilt for riches. A spin wizard the likes of whom cricket had never seen before and will be twice blessed to see again, a medium paced bowler who redefined the term miserly and was at the same time intimidating, an up and coming number three batsman for all times and a captain who seemed almost bionic in his calm composure in difficult situations. We were made to believe that the Aussie domestic structure encouraged and had in the pipeline an endless assembly of talent. And when we saw the likes of Gilchrist and Hayden emerge, we could but nod our head in agreement. Surely a team which could afford to let someone of the caliber of Mike Hussey toil for years in its domestic structure could never be surpassed in terms of talent and results. An Aussie needed to earn his test cap, and only SWAT commandoes had a tougher qualification process

Years has passed since with 6 Ashes and 4 world cups in between. There's been a slight squeak in the wheels, the players in the Australian team seem human for the first time. They talk like Aussies and try to walk like Aussies but they are not the ones we learnt to fear and revere. Only Ponting alone seems to one of the last remanant of a lost legacy and even he has to occasionaly shake his head in disbelief at the passage of time and in the process the end of an era.

Turned out that we were misled. There is no endless procession of invincible Aussies ready to take over the world and trample the opponents under their feet. The current team accodomates the likes of Johnson and White, Clarke and Haddin, who no doubt great talents in themselves, are not a shade of what Australia always stood for in cricket. The Aussie empire finally lies in ruins like every empire in history. While it went strong we were led to believe that that would always be the case, Australia ruling cricket was destiny. With its fall we wonder why it did not happen earlier

When an empire falls, there is always a clamour for succesion and the rise of smaller kingdoms to fill the void. Such will be the case for years to come. No one team can stake its claim to be an undispted number one and the battle and competition to prove oneself will continue for years. Many will claim that the fall of Australia is good for cricket in general and the competion for no 1 will help the game of cricket. Only time will tell

Make no mistakes, Aussies are no West Indies and they will not lie dormant for long. But will any team in the history of this game I love ever be able to achieve the heights which Steve Waugh's team did? I somehow doubt that. The champion of champions were possible because of a myriad of factors coming together at the right time. Never again in the history of cricket might this be possible. Maybe years into the future we might see a team again which changes the course of the game with its approach and temprament, with its self-belief and ruthlessness, with its dominance and agressiveness, with unmatched talent and composure. Till then, with Ponting, I would like to silently reflect on the changing times and the end of an era.

Sometimes when a giant tree falls in a forest it makes a loud noise. But sometimes the end comes only with a wimper. Its only when we look back that we see one particular moment, one match as a defining moment of a paradigm shift. And this world cup and the Ashes before was such moments. The invincible Aussies will live long in our memories and record books. But the relentless march of time has another victim and no clear hier in sight

Read More

Batting Powerplay : An Unsolved mystery

Batting Powerplay : An Unsolved mystery

Every new innovation, every new rule framed in the game has edged highly in favour of the batsmen these days. From the “free hit” to the legality of the “switch hit” and the “Scoop shot”, but who would blame them! After all it’s a “Batsman’s Game” isn’t it ?. In fact I won’t be surprised if they come with rules like :

1) Limiting the number of yorkers a bowler can bowl in a game.

2) A short ball will result in direct ban on the bowler and he will be suspended for at least 3 ODIs and a Test Match. Extra penalty if it is pacy one.

3) There will be a limitation on the amount of turn one can extract out of the surface. Any amount of turn exceeding the prescribe limit will be given as no-ball and the entire over will be declared Free Hit (to be called free over).

4) Compulsory length bowling in the death overs, and 2 mandatory full tosses per over in the middle overs (from over 16 to 40) so that the boundaries are not dried up at any point in time. Any violation of this law would amount to full cancellation of the match fees along with a coaching session with Ajit Agarkar who will teach the basics on this law.

But seriously, are we overlooking the role of a bowler in Cricket by framing such rules, just for the sake of Crowd entertainment ?

The Powerplay was introduced to eliminate the element of boredom that the crowd faces in the middle overs (between overs 16-40 – that’s approximately 2 hours). Crowds get bored especially on a hot sultry afternoon. In order to keep the crowd involved in the game, they made this rule of batting powerplay. But it seems that no captain is adventurous enough to take it in the middle overs, and they usually keep it till the very end.

Many sides think that the ideal time for the batting Powerplay is when you actually want to go berserk, say in the last few overs. And hence we see most sides preferring to take it in the last 6-8 overs. When you sift through the batting line ups of major sides, you will see the number 7 and 8 are either hard hitting batsman or all rounders. India has Yusuf, Harbhajan, Pakistan has Afridi and Razzaq etc. Similarly many sides have hard hitters because they feel that it’s the amount of depth in hitting factor in the batting line up which is of utmost importance when one takes the Powerplay. And since it’s the last batting pair, it will be a key how they utilize the powerplay.

Some sides also don’t mind going for it as early as in the 35th over, when the ball is changed, its hard and new, and it comes nicely onto the bat. They believe that the powerplay will be of very little help in the end as they can anyway get 9-10 an over even without the powerplay on, so it’s better to use it early. But teams don’t prefer it when they fear losing a wicket in the middle overs, as if a wicket falls, the powerplay will be wasted.

However, in some games against the minnows, we see sides taking the powerplay as early as in 20-25 overs. They feel that it’s their best batsmen at the top who can utilize the powerplay to the fullest. And if a wicket falls, they can send in a pinch hitter for some quick runs and the balance of the line up is not altered as the crease occupiers and nudgers could play their normal game once the Powerplay is over. But as I said, it’s a good tactic only against weak opponents who have very little experience in death bowling and which can be taken to the cleaners even without the Powerplays.

We have also seen sides being very flexible in their approach. They tend to analyze the game situation, and then take the powerplay on basis of their pensive instincts and strategy. Many captains are hesitant and there is a sense of apathy when it comes to taking powerplay early, and it is generally postponed till the final overs for the ultimate burst.

The whimsical nature of this exciting powerplay brings in so much enthusiasm in the crowd. There is an air of petulance in the opposition camp when the batting Powerplay is signaled by the umpires. It’s always a daunting task to restrict the opposition from scoring, by keeping a lid on the scoring rate during those five overs, but it can happen if one is able to pick up wickets on a regular basis. This decision of the captain can go terribly wrong and backfire miserably, but his decision should not be condoned marking it as a blunder as this powerplay is obviously an unpredictable phenomenon and anything can happen while it is in operation. We have seen sides score 80-90 runs, and we have also seen sides losing 4 wickets for 10 odd runs too, this just goes to show how topsy-turvy it can turn out to be. But more often than not, it’s the batting side that comes on top.

It’s an asset while one is chasing as an asking rate of 8-9 can be easily grasped hold of, if one has the Powerplay left. But it can also make a 6-7 runs an over look difficult in case you don’t have wickets left because there won’t be easy singles on offer and one has to take the risk and go over the in field to score easy runs. All in all, it’s a tester for both the sides as to who blinks first. It is still a mystery which none of the team has mastered. It acts as a catalyst when one wants a big score but at the same time has the tendency to swerve the balance of the game elsewhere. It’s an art to bowl in the Powerplay, with a lot of subtle variations, good Yorkers and bowling according to the field set up. And at the same time, it’s not just about slogging, when it comes to scoring in the Powerplay, its all about placing the ball in the gap to score easy runs.

In a nutshell, there are no hard and fast rules as to when one should take the Powerplay, there is no standardized pattern for scoring quick runs. One may be up for it from the word go while the others may think about it in the later stage. Same goes with the Powerplays too. It really depends on the game situation as well as the mindset of the captain as to when does he want some zing in the scorecard. Therefore it would be safe and perhaps logical to take it when one has the opposition pestered under the claw. Its presence still continues to haunt the Indian Team, and hopefully it works out for us now that we are in the Knock Out stage of the tourney.

Read More

The BCCI business model (Part 1)

The BCCI business model (Part 1)

So you thought auctioning began with the IPL? The biggest and most important of them was kept from the media. Months before the IPL, there was :-

The Great Auction

The BCCI President stood on the dais and beamed heartily at everyone. He had a reason to be smiling. This was going to be an event like no other. If all went well, he could convert his entire black money to white. The stage was set. All the selectors were present. All the regular players were present. The bhelpuriwala was present. And for some strange reason, even Kapil Dev was present. He cleared his throat majestically and spoke:-

"Friends, today we stand here together. Outside we might be enemies but inside lets present an united front. After all, the media is not here for one of our "stunts" to distract attention from poor performances. As you all are well aware, BCCI is a non-profit making organisation built solely for the betterment of Indian cricket. So along the same lines, we have decided to privatise and diversify some of our functions"

The hall breaks up in spontaneous applause, mostly because those dozing had caught the word 'profit' and missed the 'non'.

He beamed at the audience and put his hands up like a saint blessing a pregnant woman.

“Before we begin, we would be rewarding some of our stalwart players who have contributed heavily to the teams win over a period of time. These are the real gems of India, the ones who have always been for us, the ones who have contributed heavily to our success."

Everyone looks at the senior trio. Ganguly smiles at everyone. Dravid looks defensive. Sachin has the been there, done that look.

"So the winner of the life time achievement award goes to", he pauses. Sachin gets up with a bored look while those next to him pat him on the back

"Yuvraj Singh for his six sixes in the 20/20 World cup." There is silence for a while and then scattered applause. Sachin freezes in a half-crouching position. Yuvraj strides to the podium, pausing only to wink at the cleaning lady who was peeking from behind the curtain.

“Seeing the performances of UV in tests in Australia”, continued the President, “I think you will all agree that UV has reached his peak in the 20/20 WC and its not fair to expect more from him. Since he has already achieved his life time potential, we honor him with this award”. He waited for the applause to die now.

“Now a special mention. Dhoni is currently the top favorite of sponsors. Sachin, kya ho gaya bhai?. Pahli baar peeche ho gaye? Dravid, Ganguly, sharam nahi aati kal ke bacche se peeche ho tum. Buck up if you still want your place in the team. But don’t ask for ODI spot before you can get more sponsors. Ok, let the auctioning begin.

Below is the transcript of the auction item and winners

Position 1 :- “We have only one slot for this. A player who can be abusive and gets under other player’s skin. Occasional hidden racism and over the top gestures can be used. Let me outline the benefits which the winner of this category will have :-

1) Will always remain in the media, either as a villain or as a hero. You will have the nation either praising you as God’s own gift or burning your effigies. Publicity equals more sponsors
2) A personal guarantee that he will be carried in the team despite average/below average performances. No selector will drop him and since he will be in news all the time, media and fans will love him
3) We guarantee the best lawyers money can buy and enough influence to prevent the player getting any serious punishments from ICC. However, we encourage warnings and match fee cuts as this will only strengthen the bad boy image. Any match fee thus lost will be repaid thrice by BCCI

Note :- Any physical violence such as slapping fellow/opposition players will null clause 3.

Winner – Harbhajan Singh for US 2.5 million dollar

Position 2 :- One slot. A clown who keeps players entertained by his antics more than performances. Over the top celebrations, making monkey faces, dancing, you name it, he can do it. Benefits of the position
1) Media attention. Kids love a clown.
2) A chance to be labeled an “aggressive” player even though the performance may not reflect it

Note :- Bowlers preferred. South Indians will be given preferences

Winner : Sreesanth, USD 3 million


Position 3:- All-rounder . One slot. A player who stands out neither in batting or bowling but is guaranteed a place in the team. Benefits:-

1) If batting does not stand up to the mark, we stress on the bowling aspect and vice versa
2) Will be carried in the team for the ‘balance’
3) Can be compared to great players like Wasim or Kapil Dev

Winner : Pathan - USD 2 million


Position 4 : Senior players. 3 Slots. “Experienced” guys who can be in the team for reasons other than cricket such as :- providing guidance, counseling, “presence” to the team. Benefits are

1) Guaranteed place in the team despite average performances
2) First preference in choosing hotel rooms, seats on team buses and net practice
3) Involvement in media debates about junior senior debates which takes attention off performances

Note :- Conditions can/will be changed, contract may be terminated with changes in captain/coach

Winners :- Sachin, Dravid, Ganguly, USD 10 million each

Tests only :- Laxman, USD 5 million

Invalid bid : Yuvraj Singh for being too new to be considered a senior despite bidding the highest (USD 100 million)

Position 5: Captaincy. This time in the interest of Indian cricket we have split it in two so that we could have two winners! One for test and one for ODIs. Have to take both blame and praise. Either way, you are always in the media. Benefits are:-

1) 10 extra minutes in the spotlight while tossing the coin
2) Only person from the team who can give media interviews. We will ensure this by putting a gag on other players
3) Ability to change the coach at any time you want

Winner :- Tests – Kumble USD 5 million
ODIs :- Dhoni USD 10 million




Ok, now for one of our most important profit making ventures. As you are all aware, we are planning for an Indian league. What you will not be aware though is that Mr. Modi here has come up with a brilliant plan which will ensure that we have no competition from people stealing our ideas and at the same time will increase our profit. For that reason we will plan a rebel league of our own. The league will be called Indian Cricket League. Consider the benifts of such a league :-

1) The league will be a secret money making organization. We will rake in moolah without paying taxes
2) We are going to ban and villanize the league. Though the league will still make money, no one else will dare make a rebel league
3) Lots of media attention of the war between the two leagues
4) Players who might be a threat for India can be bought for huge sums in this league and then we will make sure their respective boards ban them.

Winner – Kapil Dev USD 10 million

Note: Kapil has been instructed to give an interview at least once a week deriding BCCI and its decision to ban ICL players. Should always state that the league is to help upcoming players and they should be unbanned. He has also promised to wear the same old suit and have a sorry face without breaking into actual tears, so that it shows how much BCCI has been persecuting him and ICL. Also he has to avoid all official contacts with BCCI officials and should be well disguised in all IPL parties. In return apart from his ICL salary, he will be provided a cut of the IPL pie too.

Read More

Why I am glad that Pakistan is winning again

Why I am glad that Pakistan is winning again

AKA why cricket needs more strong teams

There is a west wind blowing in cricket and its blowing strong. A gale force of change, impossible to resist. The game has become faster, slicker and more commercialized. It has also descended into mediocrity. There are pockets of brilliance still remaining, some great players still hanging on, a few still in their prime. What surrounds them on all sides though, is insipidness. Never was the difference between the top 5 teams so insignificant. The batsmen are hacks and the bowlers over-worked. T20 has replaced skills with showmanship, class with insolence and exertion with short-cuts. Gone are the days when batsmen defended endlessly to spinners who spun a web of guile and deceit to go past them. Most of spinners wickets today come from batsmen playing rash shots. Also, consider this, how many of the wickets in the recently concluded test in South-Africa could have been avoided simply by leaving the ball alone? Once test cricket was a test of patience and skill. Today, it's just another matter of scoring more runs than the other team in as little time as possible. No time for epic duels, no time for thrust and parry

Let's take a look at the current test teams

England Years after they invented and played the game, the baton has finally come home. England leads the test rankings with some consistent performances. As a team, they have been steady. Jokes about imports aside, they seem to have many capable players. However, England's performance away from home, particularly in the sub-continent is still unproven. With South Africa and India, breathing down their necks, England will want to win everything put in front of them to stay ahead of the pack or, like India, they will find out that the mantle of number one does not sit lightly on one's shoulder.

South Africa South Africa has always been a strong team. And South Africa has always been missing the 'X' factor. Steyn is undoubtedly the best bowler in the world. But, even he has been unable to provide his team with that consistency which would enable his team to roll over other teams. Amla stands out as one bright spot and a future great player at a time when the tag of 'Greatness' is bandied about a lot with few deserving it. Despite all their talents, there is not much separating South Africa with the other top teams

India India reached the number one ranking with consistent performances over two years both home and away and then lost it with some inconsistent performances. Dhoni has been a standout captain in all formats but how long will he escape the selectors radar with his batting skills is still to see. A glimpse of what the Indian team will do without its seniors, particularly overseas, was provided when India toured England recently. Seniors failed and the team performed miserably. A cause of concern is that all of IndiaÃÔ recent overseas victory was on the back of the aging trio who won.t be around for long. Many talented youngsters are still untested in the international arena and they wouldn't have long to adjust to the quagmire of international cricket. Some upcoming fast bowling talent seems to be the bright light in the future, but India better pull up its socks or it will soon find out, that home performances are not good enough

Australia A team which once was. With the retirement of its greats, many of who were all time legends, the team finds itself between a rock and a hard place. Already reeling with the impact of retirements, how can it afford to drop its more experienced players for youngsters? And then again, how much leeway can one give even to aging super-stars who are out of form? Clarke's job is surely not one to be envied. Not much the selectors can do either as there seems to be, for the first time, a lack of star players in the Aussie domestic circuit. Expect the team to show some inconsistent performances for the next couple of years as they go through a rebuilding phase

Sri-Lanka If ever there was any doubt about how much one player can impact a team's fortunes, one can look at Sri-Lanka before and after the Murali era. With even home victories becoming scarce, one can wonder how long the likes of Sangakarra can pull the team, particularly with rumors of dressing room disunity growing more profound. In my opinion, Dilshan, with many discipline issues, was a bad choice as the Sri Lankan captain. One can just hope that Sri Lankan cricket, which suddenly rose from obscurity to become a force in world cricket, does not go back to the same depths. End of an era?

Pakistan Pakistan cricket must have been sent on earth to test the patience of its fans. Once it had the world beneath its feet. In the last few years, Pakistan cricket has gone through every scandal possible in world cricket and then some. Some like spot fixing, steroid abuses were its and its board fault. Others like Woolmer's death and terrorist attack on a touring team were circumstantial. Through all this turmoil the fans held true to the team and its players. Unfortunately, many of the senior players, much admired and revered, refused to stand up for the team in its most difficult times. They chose to walk away making things worse. Slowly but steadily, Pakistan teams seems to be playing within its limitations, going for stability over style and grittiness over flair, yielding steady results. Misbah brings calmness with him which might be just what the doctor ordered. If only the team can stay away from controversies and play as a unit, it will soon be in the top 3. Talent is something Pakistan never lacked. Hopefully, they will soon have an atmosphere where such talents can be at home and nutrtured.

West-Indies, New Zealand and Bangladesh - West-Indies, and surprisingly, New Zealand have been declining steadily for a while. West-indies provides the occasional glimmer of raw talent but the team atmosphere and the incompetent board means that they are not going to be a force in world cricket anytime soon. They might have an occasional mercurial performance, but they will be few and far between. Bangladesh never deserved a test spot in the first place, Zimbabwe deserve it more

With cricket being played amongst few countries, the importance of having enough strong teams is clear. I am very glad that Pakistan is back to winning ways. A strong Pakistan team might just be what the doctor ordered for test cricket

Read More

SauravO1's Eden Diary (India - West Indies Test at Kolkata

Day One

1) The tickets available at the counter are priced at Rs.100, 200 and 300

2) When I walked in at 9:25 (overlooking the fact that the match will start at 9.00 since it's Kolkata - though, according to the tickets the match should start at 9:30), there were about 3000 people in the stadium. It gradually grew to perhaps 20000 later. Seeing an almost empty Eden is quite a sight.

3) Spontaneous celebrations broke out when Gambhir got out (predictably). Gambhir didn't like that possibly :-)

4) After Edwards had a face-off with Sachin, the crowd gave Edwards quite a mouthful when he was fielding at deep square leg.

5) The crowd favourite of Kolkata is Bishoo, simply because Bishoo is one of the most popular Bengali pet names (short form of 'Vishwanath' or Vishwajeet'). Every 3rd household has someone named 'Bishoo'. The crowd kept screaming 'Aiii Bishooo' whenever Bishoo would be fielding near the boundary, creating hilarious scenes. Bishoo must be wondering what has he done to be heckled so much. I guess the crowd was missing 'Rampaul' too - since both the names of Bishoo and Ram Pal sound like two Bengali cricketers.

6) The crowd gave Dravid a standing ovation when it was flashed that Dravid has scored 951 runs to become this years' highest scorer till now.

7) After tea, when the game was going along in a sleepy manner, one desperate gentleman screamed 'Orey Maar Reeeeeeeee'. The voice reverberated all around the stadium, and such was the desperation, that the crowd spontaneously clapped for the man for a minute.

8) Dark clouds hovered around the stadium 45 minutes after tea, but disappeared soon in thin air after they (possibly) saw Laxman nearing his half-century and Dravid nearing his century.

9) Whenever Virat Kohli was seen in the stadium, the crowd went crazy after him. (Found that very surprising)

10) After the game was over, Dhoni came out to practise some baseball-style hits.

11) After the game, a six-old child started crying saying she wants Sachin's autograph. Her mother found it impossible to explain to her that it is not possible to get Sachin's autograph like that. The kid almost refused to leave the stadium without Sachin's autograph, and the mother got all the more helpless.

Day Two

Day Two of the ongoing India-WI Test (Nov 14-18, 2011) started on a rather gloomy note because of the weather. Here are the highlights:

a) Morning shows the Day - An unusually gloomy morning in Kolkata was a bad sign for the day to come. The sun was seen for the first time only for a few seconds at about 9 am when I was entering the stadium. Otherwise, it looked like doomsday, as if there would be no tomorrow. 2012 is coming folks!

b) 1% percent attendance - When I walked in, there seemed to be some 500 people. But there's something about the acoustics of Eden or the noise-making capacity of Kolkatans, even these 500 were creating quite some noise to keep the atmosphere chirpy and lively. Among musical instruments, shankh/conch seems to be the favourite, and what an impact the shankh creates - it can beat a vuvuzela by miles in any contest. Maybe we can teach the South Africans how to use a shankh.

c) Yuvi's lbw - The irritating thing about giant screens in a stadium is that they never show a seemingly controversial decision. The replay of the leg-before of Yuvi was never shown to the spectators, and for that matter replays of no leg-before or close run-out calls are shown on the giant screen.

d) Virat Kohli cheerleading squad - For some reason, Virat Kohli keeps coming on to the field for no reason whatsoever, and his zillions of teenage fans create a huge ruckus with their super-shrill voices. I would dare to say that Virat seemed more popular than any other Indian cricketer (including Goddy).

e) Fidel Edwards vs Kemar Roach - Edwards looks really exciting with his run-up and action, whereas Kemar Roach (when he runs in) doesn't look more than military medium. Edwards also seems to extract more pace and bounce, whereas Roach seems to be a pale shadow of the form he was in last year during the World Cup (I saw him in Kotla against Holland)

f) Player spotting - When bored, the crowd's favourite pastime is to spot West Indian players - "Oi je Chandra Paul ... Oi je Bishoo'. Apart from Chanders, Fidel Edwards, Roach and Bishoo, the crowd has no clue as to who's who; though Barath can still be distinguished because of his height and fielding position.

g) Bad Light Part I - At about ten thirty, it is unbelievably dark. It seems that when light was offered to the batsmen yesterday, it was brighter. Today, the electronic hoardings seemed brighter than the light on the ground. The lightmeter reading must have been between 3 and 4 and I was wondering how they continued to play for a few overs. After they walked off, there was bit of moisture hanging in the ground, and there seemed to be a thin layer of haze as well, so much so that the other end of the stadium was not clearly visible.

h) Laxman and helmets - I noticed that Laxman never takes off his helmet while playing. Even when Dravid and Dhoni were playing against the spinners without a helmet or a cap, Laxman would stick on to his heavy helmet. Anyone knows why?

i) Shot of the day - For the audience, Dhoni's paddle-sweep at 97 to score two runs was undoubtedly the shot of the day. Got him more cheer than any other shot. Dhoni's six off Kemar Roach (just before he got out) was scarily flying exactly towards me, and fell a few feet away from me.

j) Dada, dada - At the club house, (located exactly beside my block), suddenly a loud cheer was heard. One glance revealed the reason - flanked by two men on both sides, the Prince of Kolkata has appeared from nowhere. The score was around 625, but for one entire over no one was watching the match, with the crowd (of about 10,000 now) trying its best to attract their Dada's attention. Someone chirped - "Since he is here now, he'll make sure than that the declaration happens before Laxman gets to his double (like it happened in Pakistan with Sachin's 194*)." Funnily enough, Dhoni declared after a couple overs.

k) Post-match games - After the match was halted for bad light, the entire Indian team (excepting Laxman and Goddy) came down to the field to play their own games. Rahul Dravid went jogging around the field (for at least three laps) attracting comments about his dedication, fitness, sincerity and all that he's well known for. Sehwag and Gambhir practised some throw-downs while the rest were busy playing football. Kohli played football like a Delhi boy, while Yuvraj can be called a pie-chucker in football as well. Ishant seemed passionate about the game (no wonder he remains injured all the time) and scolded Rahul Sharma bigtime for conceding a goal against Yuvi.

Tomorrow promises to be an interesting day, but I wonder how many will actually turn up to watch the game.

Day Three

Day 3 started on a bright note. The dark clouds have been banished forever and Kolkata was shining in the glory of the morning sun. These are the snippets:

a) The crowd missed Ashwin's wife - Unlike yesterday, Ashwin's wife's close-ups weren't flashed on the giant screen. Some spectators seemed really bothered with that, asking each other ('Osshiner bouta kothay? (Where's Ashwin's wife?) Aajke mathe asheni? (Hasn't she come to the field today?). Despite all this, everyone unanimously agreed that Ashwin has chosen the right girl for his marriage.

b) Is it all over today? - After WI got bundled out for 153, people argued that WI will lose the match today itself their logic being - "If they have lost eight wickets in two and half hours, they'll surely lose the other ten in the next five hours". At the end of the day, the argument turned to whether Chandrapaul can score a double century and save the match for WI.

c) Drinks van - A flaming red Maruti Omni serves as the Drinks Van. I hope they get a Ferrari someday for this purpose. What about Sachin's Ferrari? :-p

d) Bowling speeds - One disadvantage of being on the ground is that the giant screen hardly ever shows the bowling speeds of the bowlers. So unless you are tracking a cricinfo commentary or something similar through your mobile, there is no way to find out the speed of the Umesh Yadav delivery that went by the batsman like a rocket.

e) Words of wisdom - An elderly uncle sitting beside me was sharing his expert opinions and more often than not knew what Dhoni is going to do next. He's been watching the game for 25 years now from the ground. He told me that he once wrote a letter to MCC stating - 'If a bowler has to stop bowling after 10 overs in a one-day match, then a batsman should also not be allowed to bat after batting for 20 overs in the same match. Why can the batsman keep performing throughout when the bowler cannot?' MCC apparently accepted acknowledgement of the letter but did not respond. He also said how pitches used to be kept open in the Rest Day of Tests previously, and why Sunny Gavaskar's 4th innings performances are infinitely superior to Sachin's or Laxman's (for the same reason).

f) Mexican err... wave? - The poor crowd tried out the Mexican wave a few times but soon learnt that you cannot do a Mexican wave in an empty stadium.

g) Hats VS caps - Three guys (Sachin, Laxman and Sehwag) in the Indian team wear hats while fielding while the rest wear caps. Superstition?

h) Spot the celebrity - In the afternoon, people from my block started pointing at the upper tier of Block B talking about someone. As everyone looked that way trying to spot the celebrity and got confused, he was eventually spotted - a bare-bodied man waving a huge Indian flag madly. Well, he's supposedly Sachin's biggest fan and has become quite a mini-celebrity himself.

i) Coffee, anyone - A mini cup of bland coffee (less than 100 ml) costs 20 bucks at the Eden. And the so-called Food Court had no dustbins around. There was one on Day One but it disappeared from Day Two.

j) Bowling change of the day - The whole crowd unanimously cheered and agreed when Sehwag got the ball. The enthusiasm dampened very soon by Chanders' six.

k) Ballboy par excellence - There is a physically challenged man who hangs around with the Indian team while practice. His legs are paralysed and he walks on all fours. During the throwdowns on the field (at lunchtime, tea or post-match), he fields along with all the other fielders and dives at the deliveries coming towards him. If the ball runs away, he chases the ball on all fours with remarkable agility. Apparently, Sachin sponsors all his travel, food and match-watching arrangements all throughout India. Anyone knows anything about him?

Tomorrow, in all probability would be the final day of the match. When you watch a match for three days, you realize that a Test match is nothing without its crowd. Their opinions colour your opinion in strange ways, not in terms of correctness but in terms of being the predominant thought of the moment. Very much the way a commentator's opinion on TV or radio can colour your opinion. In a cricket ground, the crowd is actually the commentator and the Indian cricket board has to ensure in some way that we don't lose the crowd in our stadiums again.

P.S - Nargis Fakhri is damn hot

Day Four/Final Day

It's all over. For the few of us who turned up regularly at the Eden Gardens from morning to afternoon, the last four days seemed like another Durga Puja. With the same melancholy aftertaste. But every year, during the last day of the Durga Puja when the idols are immersed, we say "Aaschhe bochhor aabar hobe" (It will again happen next year); only, in this case there is no guarantee that it will happen again next year.

Not much happened on the final half-day, except some exemplary batting by Darren Bravo. Some moments in the stadium that stood out for me:

a) Varun Aaron or Arun Varon - Some not-so-informed people in the crowd were confused whether the pace bowler practising on the ground during lunch is called Varun Aaron or Arun Varon. They eventually decided on Arun Varon after some confusion.

b) 'Humko Kaka Kyon Bola' - A part of the crowd was getting unruly, so an elderly cop asked them to shut up. As they argued with the cop, one of them called him 'Kaka'. The cop blew his fuse completely, screaming: 'Kya bola, humko kya bola, humko kaka kyon bola'? "Tumhare baap ka bhai hum kahen hoga etc etc". The rest of the spectators, already in splits, pacified the cop gradually.

c) Fielding effort of the day - Initially it seemed that Umesh Yadav's one-handed dive to stop a boundary would be the favourite crowd moment of the day, but later, Rahul Dravid's slide near the ropes to get to a ball got the most thunderous applause. And the usual chat about his commitment and dedication and sincerity started again.

d) The magic bat - Only the Eden crowd knew how Marlon Samuels got a terrific half-century after his recent lean patch. The story goes like this - "When Saurav Ganguly showed up at the Eden on Day 2, Marlon Samuels went to meet him (the photograph of the two of them were widely published in the Bengali papers). Then Samuels told him how the bat he is presently using is an exact prototype of one of Ganguly's own bats, a bat that Ganguly had gifted to Chris Gayle while they were in KKR. Samuels then took the bat from Gayle and made a prototype of it." Therefore Samuels' effort made the spectators quite happy - Dada nahi, toh uska bat hi sahi. Some of them also commented - Anyone who plays at Eden with Dada's bat will get runs.

e) Basanti kahan hai? - Sehwag was trying to focus on the game standing near the boundary ropes ignoring the 'Sehwag Sehwag' chants. The audience, desperate to attract his attention finally tried out an old trick - "Viru, Basanti kahan hai"? Finally, Sehwag looked back for an instant and gave a blank/Sehwagish smile.

f) No 'monkey' talk - Like every other day, the spectators were warned by voice announcements and also by a notice on the sight screen that no one should engage in racial abuse. Racial abuses can hardly happen in an almost empty stadium. Incidentally, today had the least turnout among all these days.

g) Uncle talk - A group of four 70+ gentlemen were sitting behind me. One of them shyly asked me - 'Beta, ek baat poochhoon'? In logon mein Dhoni kaun hai? Jaante toh sabko hai lekin pehchaan nahi paa rahen hai" - I pointed out at the guy in the middle of the ground wearing gloves in his hand, but they could not connect instantly. After a few false attempts, they finally understood - "Achcha woh hai, woh jo baar baar aage badh rahaan hai"? They also wanted to know which one is Sachin and whether Sehwag is playing. Luckily for me and them, Laxman, Sehwag and Sachin were standing in a straight line across the field. So I asked them to look at the guys wearing white hats, and explained - the tall one is Laxman, the medium one is Sehwag and the short one is Sachin. "Arey Sachin toh bahut naata hai, sabse naata" they remarked and laughed in unison. It was quite unbelievable for them.

They told me later that they have come from Bihar for the Gangasagar Mela, heard that there is a match going on and has straight come to the stadium. Good for them and Eden :-)
Nice to have some untouched souls among a bunch of all-knowers.

h) Why the audience roars - Apart from the usual wickets and runs, the crowd in Eden generally roared on two occasions - whenever the television cameras were pointed at them and whenever Sachin Tendulkar was in the vicinity. It roared one last time finally when Laxman wholeheartedly praised the Eden audience during his MOM acceptance speech. After that it was all over and a strange silence descended. And the silence lingered on.

And thus ends the titbits of the day. My cricket watching record in terms of India's victories remain impeccable - In the last four years, I have watched three Tests from the ground and India has won all of them (2008 - Nagpur Test against Australia (India rose to No.2 rankings after winning this), 2010 - Eden Test against South Africa (the awesome victory with ten balls to spare), and this Test). All the three Tests have a remarkable similarity - the No.6 of India either played their last Test or were dropped after the Test. Nagpur was Ganguly's last Test, in 2010 Badrinath was dropped never to return, and this year it may well be Yuvraj's last Test.

Read More

Time for change

INDIA : Time for change

Last few years have seen a great change in World cricket. There has been change in every aspect of the game. Batting, bowling, fielding, umpiring, coaching......... But the Indian cricket system refuses to "budge". There is little wonder that the team is losing at home and abroad, losing One-days, losing Tests. It seems like a never ending story becoming never ever..............ever………ending story until some drastic and fast changes are made. Moh. Azhar’s comeback clearly indicates the lack of quality players in the country, not a single player could be found to fill his place. There is a huge gap between Domestic and International cricket. Young players with potential should be exposed to more International cricket so that they do not crumble when the right time comes. Team ‘A’ should be sent to more tours Internationally so that the conditions are not alien to young players fighting for a place in the   senior team.

New coaching techniques did wonders for the Sri Lankan team, it’s time to get rid of the ancient system and induce new methods. It’s time to change the selection techniques, it’s time to book your tickets for the jet………….the days of the Bullock cart are over...

Read More

Downfall of Indian Cricket.......

Downfall of Indian Cricket.............

It looks that Indian team and its selectors have not learnt from their past experience and would never learn in the future too. The team is into shatters and there is no one who can stitch its torn clothes.

Every time there is a match, a new hope arises, hundred million of us crave, beg for Victory but failure is what is dropped in our hands. Infact now even hope is beginning to wonder whether it should hang around this team or not.

Cricket is the passion of Indians but still no standard equipment is provided to the players for practicing. For e.g. bowling machines remains an unknown device, there are no means of assimilating the statistical information, players don’t follow the instructions given by their trainer. There is something fatalistic, laid-back about this team , as if it believes India is still a land of magic and miracles, where everything will take care of itself.

Our team is highly unprofessional and they lack commitment as well as the will to win for their country. Somebody please tell them that in this world of competition, competitive cricket requires not only a professional support but also an instinct to win, that arrives only through hard-work and self -confidence. They have to be fit and tough not only physically but mentally also. As per Tendulkar "Players have the talent but they have to think on the field". Pleeeeeee….ase tell them that they think too much, infact what they do is only thinking and no playing. We (all the Indians) request you to wake up, wakeup because the game is changing, the style and attitude is changing and if you can't keep up with the changing pace then you have no right to be in the team because Indian cricket should not suffer of individual's incompetence.

Read More

Where have all the players gone…?

The Indian Cricket Team- rather a tragic rendition of harassed, angst –ridden players. If you please, shall we start with the coach himself? Even without the infamous match fixing allegations looming over his head, Kapil Dev had been struggling with his responsibility. Add to that the pressure of being accused of the scam. He even was aware that certain people in the board too were against him. What kind of influence would that be on the team?

Come down to the players. The captain first Saurav Ganguly has managed to keep up the tradition that I guess, he has sworn to follow. Once again, he lost the toss. This was the 11^th loss for the toss in the last 12 tries. In fact, just a day earlier Ganguly was quite scathing about both Azhar and Jadeja.

Talking of Azhar, we know the pressure he is under, too. Did that show in his unceremonious exit after scoring shameful “One run”?

Tendulkar, of course had clearly indicated during the Australian tour that he did not quite fancy Azhar playing on his side. So, the key numbers four and five in the batting line up did not merit the trust of each other.

Now, come down to the bowlers. Srinath very conveniently opted out of playing one day Internationals. And yes, the loss showed Agarkar’s recent form is definitely nothing to write home about.

That leaves out Anil Kumble, who had to be put in early in the game. So, India’s only credible bowler was used up even before the middle, when he would be needed the most. Bhandari, of course did the best that he could. But then, the pressure was strong and they all succumbed to it.

They all succumbed to it – and India lost to Pakistan.

Read More

Reflection and Retrospection of Indian cricket

Victory is always sweet. It has an encouraging and electrifying effect on the winning team. It may seem ridiculous to imagine that victory may not have positive consequences. The first major casualty of success is reflection and retrospection, a very vital ingredient. One does not find many a thoughtful faces on a victory lap or deep furrows on the forehead while lifting a trophy.

India has had the fortune (or misfortune) of being a victorious side many a times. It has recorded spectacular results in both the versions of the game, albeit inconsistently so. It was natural that nobody ever sat down to analyze these victories and take steps to make them a permanent feature. It was only after a thrashing that the post mortem was conducted and only after a serious malady was diagnosed that a remedy was suggested.

We have won yet another series and added yet another feather to our cap if not another jewel in the crown. This victory is bound to give us a feeling that everything is fine and we can jolly well continue the way we are. All the past and recent defeats and humiliations will be forgiven and forgotten. A victory at home. It does have a special meaning for every country. But not when it is India. The way India has defeated, destroyed and demolished every single side at home with a monotonous regularity that the entire exercise appears mundane if not a farce. We could not have avoided winning even after fixing a couple of them. A decade of unbeaten record at home. But abroad?

Till date India has won only 14 Test matches abroad and three in the past fifteen years. We needed a debutant like Bangladesh to record our first 'overseas' victory in seven years. There were a couple of very near misses but like all would-have-beens, they should be allowed to rest. The stunning regularity and predictability with which India has catapulted overseas is shameful. But we made up for that by breaking all records at home with series after series of brown wash.

I would not be solving a mystery, if I say that the ineptness of our batsmen against fast bowling is the root cause. Every frontline Indian batsman has performed brilliantly, even abroad, but that was never enough to provide us with more than 3 victories in the past 15 years. The spineless displays of these very batsmen comprehensively outnumber the occasions when they had stood their ground to ensure a draw let alone a victory.

Not knowing the cause is one thing and not taking any steps to rectify the disorder is another. Our cricket system falls in the second category. For an entire decade it ordered doctored pitches as a tonic for a defeated team. And the team never disappointed. A tacit quid pro quo. You give me a doctored pitch and I will give you a victory, to distort one of our famous national slogans. All kinds of suggestions and theories have been floated in order to get rid of this chronic problem. Ideas ranging from harshly realistic to absurdly idealistic have been provided but little has been done apart from setting up of a couple of academies and pace foundations.

A common suggestion is to prepare sporting pitches for a domestic series. That will rob us off an opportunity of making up for abroad losses through home victory and disappoint the fans. We know what has happened to us at Mohali. The Kiwis scuttled us for less than hundred and earlier we squandered the golden opportunity to end the unbeaten record of West Indies. Even the morning dew is enough to account for our collapses as Donald and Kasprovicz have proved on two occasions.

The second idea is to prepare sporting tracks for our domestic cricket. Nothing could be more welcome than that except for the risk of running out of batsmen who can play spin and bowlers who can tweak the ball. Nonetheless one finds that something quick and far reaching must be done. The least we can do is to give our batsmen more exposure to fast tracks and hostile bowling with regularity. A test in Mohali once in three years will not do.

I understand the need to prepare a turner, when the Kangaroos and the Proteas visit us. But when less lethal sides like Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka and New Zealand come calling, then we must have green tops, at least in some matches of the series. A victory at any such venue would do our batsmen a world of good. Similarly we can have a quota of fast track matches for every Ranji side. Say one of the four Round Robin ones. Or the Knock out round to be placed on fast pitches and so on.

Unless we give our batsmen a feel of genuine fast bowling, nothing is going to help. What about having Dravid or Ganguly play for Tasmania or Transval for some of their matches? Which side would not want to have crowd pullers like them? Conversely we can have a Donald or Lee bowling in our domestic championship. I am sure that the state associations are rich enough to afford that. To say in short, why do not we have a foreign player quota like the English have? Apart from breathing in a new freshness to our boring championships, it would give our youngsters a nice idea of the world outside. I seriously place this propositions before the board for consideration. Six months of Ranji Trophy may be too much. But we can certainly have the services of foreign players in the knock out stages or at least in the Duleep Trophy.

The step would help our players in their transition phase. We will not end up with a long list of players like Raman, Rathor, Martin, Kanitkar etc, who could not convert their triple centuries into 50's at the Test level. And of course avoiding the home series from becoming a fixed affair.

Read More