Magic of Eden

crowd will...

SRK's backstabs ala filmy style.

Ganguly is no more the captain of KKR.

Adios....MEN IN BLUE

Good things seldom last forever. This is 'paramasatya' or the ultimate truth of life. Even sports cannot be untouched by it. However, kings of good times are larger in number in the sporting world than in real life. Fantasies are more often realized in sports than in our ordinary lives. That’s why we mortals follow the immortals (sporting gods) in order to fulfill our desire to be charmed by our very own (ya..we do consider them to be one among us). When you are young or even otherwise like Ramachandra Guha, you tend to feel that your hero is not just another human being, expression of yourself. There were times I had been let down by Sourav. Friends making a mockery of my hero during his failures felt like a personal insult to me. Sourav also gave me countless occasions to hold my head high among my peers. Heroes and their teams become attached to our lives. Following my Indian team has been more than a pastime for me. Even experiencing extremes of emotions (total gloom to uncontrollable ecstasy) would not have been possible without team India. When you follow a team, everything associated with your team becomes a revered symbol or an item of joy. So was the colour blue for me. I admit, with a sense of guilt, that even my love for the Indian tricolour was enhanced to a certain extent (say from 90% earlier to 95%) due to team India. Whenever I was asked by others about my favourite colour, I used to get confused between 'sky blue' or 'light blue'. Thankfully, I had settled for the 'Indian blue'(colour of our jersey) quite a few years back. Team India and the colour blue seemed to co-exist with each other. It was bound to remain so even if Dhoni’s grandson were to play for India........... but alas, the tragedy was to come. The Men in Blue were no more- they are the men in deeeeep blue now. I felt betrayed to see this happen. Indian cricket fans have to live with the terrible truth. And what followed were 2 consecutive losses. It felt as if Indian players were robbed of integral element from their armour. Some things must remain the same and for me, the Indian blue is one of those. Hope never dies. Here's one Indian fan hoping that journey of the Men in deeeep Blue is short-lived. For the time being, adios…. Men in Blue.

Towards an uniform calendar

With the success of IPL, cricket boards around the world began chalking out their plans for creating their own cricket T20 leagues. Though nothing concrete has come out, the mushrooming of cricket leagues would begin sooner than later. ECB’s EPL, a T20 league for southern hemisphere and in the pipeline and are expected to slog off (rather than kick off) from 2010-11. And all are demanding a separate window for them. Surely this would lead to choked calendar. Therein in lies a serious problem. The ICC must act instead of allowing all and sundry to shift the blame on the BCCI. Come on, one must accept the fact that the IPL has added n (not just 1) new dimensions to the world of cricket. The concept of franchise or club cricket looks really promising. The future holds immense possibilities. However, it must be controlled effectively. Here are some of my ideas.

1.      There must be 3-3.5 month calendar free of international cricket for domestic cricket. It could run from Mar-May.

2.      All the T20 leagues should be played at the same time. A player can play only for one team or league like their football counterparts in Europe. This would help creating a loyal fan base.

3.      50-over format can also be protected by promoting it the franchise leagues around the world. A knockout or round-robin cum knockout 50-over tournament between IPL teams should definitely be interesting.

4.      The franchise or club system will help in the globalization of the games. With the creation of multiple leagues around the world, talent scouts will be forced to look beyond the Test world. Talented cricketers from Nepal, Afghanistan, Ireland, Fiji etc. where there is good interest for cricket can play in the leagues.

5.      1-1.5 month of the 3-3.5 months calendar should be preserved for domestic cricket. The finals of the Ranji or Pura Cup can be played with the full availability of international stars.

The rise of the Tigers!

This year promises to be a blockbuster year for cricket. Unlike other years, cricket pundits don’t have to use clichés to describe what we have for store in 2009. Its ekdum real-2009 is going to be a hell of a ride for cricket fans across the globe. Race for the No.1 Test side, IPL 2nd season, World T20, Ashes, Champions League, Champions Trophy-what more could one ask for. Indeed we have a variety of delicacies to choose from the menu. 

But I would like to focus on one particular team-Bangladesh. Ya, you have read it right-Bangladesh of all teams. I have to confess that I have always been a supporter of any cricketing minnow. Inspite of all the brickbats they receive from all quarters, they have shown glimpses of form in 2008. And my guess is that 2009 will be a good year for the Tigers. Last year, they challenged New Zealand in the first Test before Vettori kept his nerve to deny the Bangladeshis a Test win. They also performed well in patches against Sri Lanka. The year has begun on good note for Bangladesh. They wasted a golden opportunity to win the tri- series even after reducing the Lankans to 6-5. However, amidst all the gloom, there is a bright star for Bangladesh. Shakib al Hasan is a tremendous talent and is surely a star of the future, not only for Bangladesh but also for world cricket. He is a genuine all rounder. His heroics with the bat and ball go unnoticed as he plays from Bangladesh. One wonders what he could have done had he played for a more competitive side. I am Indian, and cricket fans in India cannot watch live action from Bangladesh thanks to Neo Cricket- which does not broadcast their matches despite holding the rights. They don't have a busy 2009.They are to host West Indies later this year and therein lies their best chance to win a Test against a quality side. I expect them to topple 1 or maybe 2 big sides in the World T20.They will definitely go to round 2 in the world T20. They must show signs of consistency against the big teams. They will certainly grow in stature and the Tigers may roar at last!

The end of the end?

Surely, this must be the end. The series win for the Proteas reaffirmed to the world that the final chapter of the end of the Aussie dominance was over. Critics and fans alike are unanimous in accepting the fall of the Empire. Mohali Test is regarded by many as the ' beginning of the end' of Oz dominance. Those who endorse the view that the Mohali Test was indeed the beginning of the end must get their brains checked. Nothing can be further from truth. Empires are not built overnight nor can they fall within a week. One has to go back to the 2006-07 Ashes to trace the beginning of the decline. It was always going to be difficult to find another Langer or a Martyn, forget replacing Warne or Mcgrath.

Here is my pick for the 3 important phases or chapters in the 'end of the Aussie dominance'.

1. The retirements of Warne, Mcgrath, Langer and Martyn all in a single series should have had an immediate impact. But it didn't show on the results. It was mainly aided by mediocre opposition and absence of quality checker-Test matches (Aus played only 3 tests in 2007 after the Ashes). Mind you, they were yet to play India or SA for a full Test series. The aura was intact and nobody was complaining.
2. Sydney test fiasco and its aftermath- this was the turning point. Symonds-Bhajji saga dominated the Australian and Indian media for more than a week and the scars it left on Australia were never to be erased. Indians came back strongly and conquered their prized fortress -Perth. It started (not a coincidence) the decline of Hayden. Symonds was never the same force post-Sydney. Also whatever Chappellis or Warnies might say, Haddin is no Gilchrist.Australians have now understood the significance of Gilchrist.

3. The year ender- India and SA series loss. When the Australians arrived in India, they were more vulnerable than ever before. It was the first time in more than a decade that the aussies were starting a series as underdogs. Dhoni's men won it convincingly. But the best was yet to come. Smith's men showed the world who among the two ( Ind SA) are better placed to dispatch Australia from the top spot. The comeback at MCG and the chase at Perth would be a part of South African cricketing folklore in years to come.

Enough of the analysis! Its time for us to rejoice, and we mortals wait with bated breath to see which of two men- Smith or Dhoni win the battle for immorality.

 

Shame on you, Mohali!

The day was supposed to be a big day for Indian cricket. The world knew that Sachin was just 15 away from becoming the highest run getter in Tests. And moreover, the wait seemed to be over after India had won the toss and decided to bat. In short, the script was ready for the event to unfold. But what we got to see was shocking, to say the least. The crowd for the D-day was so sparse that it would have put even South Africa to shame. The mere definition of cricket in India cannot be separated from the man we call ‘little master’. The man who had carried the hopes of the entire nation for the past 18 years was on the verge of the greatest milestone of his career. In return, what did he get? He certainly deserved more than an empty and echoing PCA stadium, Mohali. This humiliating act by the people of Mohali needs to be condemned. It is difficult for me to convey the emotions that I went through while watching this act unfold. It was more than an eyesore for me.

            This leads us to a serious issue regarding the allotting of matches to Test venues.Having excellent infrastructure and facilities would lead to nothing if you don’t have the crowd to cheer on. Stadium facilities should not be the sole criterion for allotting matches. The BCCI should take this matter seriously and look into its ‘rotation policy’. Even at its present form, the ‘rotation policy’ is flawed. Check this. It is the list of matches in major venues in India since 2007 WC to the end of 2009(inc. Eng series)

    

Ahmedabad Nagpur Kolkata Chennai Delhi Chandigarh Kanpur Bangalore Mumbai

Tests      2      1      1      1      2      1      1      2      1

ODIs 0 1 0 0 0 2 2 2 1

             So why should the players be forced to play in front of empty stadiums when you have other options? The list clearly indicates that Eden Gardens and Chepauk have been the most neglected venues. Series as important as the Ind-Aus needs these venues. Where else would you get to see such atmosphere? The crowds are an integral part of any cricket match. In fact they are the soul of epic battles. Imagine Ashes 2005 or Eden 2001 minus the crowd. There is a unique charm is watching matches in front of huge crowds, even through the TV. Greatest cricketing battles are fought in jam-packed stadiums, not in front of bare concrete structures.