by RajaB + NC
Name That Team!
Hello and welcome to another edition of Name That Team! - the game where we give you a few names of the squad members and you have to guess which country/team they're representing. Today you've got a bonanza of clues, a full squad.
Zaheer Ashiq (c)
Safir Hayat
Adeel Ibrar
Shahid Ahmed
Zeeshan Ali
Iftikhar Hussain
Mubasshar Bhatti
Shahbaz Butt
I Dawood
Munawar Ahmed (wk)
Aamer Waheed
Aziz Ataul
Umran Shahzad
Zeshan Rauf
The only rules are
1) No using Cricinfo
2) No using Google
So go ahead, just take a guess in the comments section.
Born convert!
His strike rate in first 20 Tests is under-50. His strike rate in last 35 Tests is 70-plus!
The caterpillar turned butterfly and the stonewaller morphed into a swashbuckler.
Look, what sharing a dressing room with Sehwag can do to you!
He kept wicket but then threw away the gloves to morph into The Great Lankan Check Post at backward point.
He adds beef to middle order and then muddles the order to open in Tests.
And there he scores at a rate that prompts the scorers to cross-check the format.
What’s the issue with him?
You look back and realise he was Tuwan Mohammad Dilshan prior to his conversion from Islam.
And since then, he continues converting -- those 20s and 30s into big ones.
Merely the most violent Buddhist around?
No, Dilshan is a born convert!
An eerie similarity between Kumble and Fisichella, Bangalore Royal Challengers and Force India.
Bipasha and Shilpa Shetty kick some cricket ass!
I had an ice cream to kill, and a TV to watch. T20 rain break on. So I watch what’s on, which is Farah Khan’s show with Bips and Shilpa. Long legs, very long legs. I sit. And there’s this annoying Samsung promo on the show, with some silly sitcom.
I’m still sitting, don’t know why. Anyway, this is the deal: Bips and Shilpa gotta dub for the characters. Replay. Farah Khan suggests Shilpa be the blue sari bahenji as that’s the Rajasthan Royals colour. Ok, so a bit of cricket already.
And Bips can be the pink walli’s voice because she’s pink, whatever. What unfolds is funny, possibly because it’s cricket.
Shilpa: Please join us at Rajasthan Royals
Bips: Pay me, I want money!
Shilpa: Please join, we lost very badly this time
Bips: What about that Shane Warne fellow
Shilpa: Don’t worry about Sharukh, usko main mana loongi…
Bips: What will I tell Mahi, he’s my friend
Shilpa: Areh, that’s Chennai, where did that come from?
It went on longer, but that was a quick edit, the good parts, with a lotta leg pulling, and what legs at that.
A test of left arm spinners.
There was Herath who took 8 wickets and Vettori who at number 8 scored 140 in a lost cause.
To get the record straight, this was Vettori’s fourth hundred, his highest. Good for him, he’ll get many more while his team will continue to bat themselves to defeat.
Vettori comes in after McCullum and Oram, honestly how can anyone come after McCullum? After Vettori comes the tail, Patel, O’Brien and Martin. That makes Vettori, New Zealand’s most consistent batsman for a while now, at best, a lower order batsman, the gateway to the tail.
Vettori is not only captain, he’s also a selector now, making his crime doubly serious. To call him Denial Vettori is not far from the truth – here’s a senior player who refuses to do anything about his improved performances as a batsman.
It can be argued if Vettori bats any higher he may not have the same impact, or score the same runs. If so, it can’t be any worse than the blundering McCullum or openers. Just like every tail-ender deserves a promotion based on performance, Vettori needs to bite the bullet and shove himself into the wars.
Right now he’s batting for his own records, in complete denial of his own worth as a batsman. It’s possible he’s no-good higher up, but let’s face it, he’s no good lower down.
Meanwhile Herath returns, yet again, with a five-for, displacing Mendis both from the team and the mind. Here’s to more uncertainty in cricket.
Looks like that’s what Vettori needs, somebody to challenge him as the team’s leading player. But then that’s an argument that holds good for the likes of McCullum and those nameless openers. Case reopened.
cricinfo: Daniel Vettori has scored 2002 in Tests since January 2005, at an average of 44.48. He is the highest run-scorer for New Zealand during this period. Brendon McCullum is next, with 1712 runs at an average of 30.03.
Ten Sports is sick. But then so are the Kiwis.
The Kiwi-Lanka test match broadcasters, Ten Sports have been off-air all morning. Had Brendon McCullum been the broadcaster, a few slogs in the air, and who knows what could have been.
Does it matter that I missed the morning session - not really, chances are so did New Zealand.
In fact, they turned up for the morning session. When the players can’t do the job, a selector has to – Daniel Vettori's shot selection was good enough to earn him a not out at lunch.
In the coming series, selector Moles will need to play. His coaching has done nothing. Or maybe the players are plain thick. Last match 9 out of 11 players were sick, this time, what excuse will it be?
“We’re just sick of cricket”
PS Ten Sports returns, the outfield is wet, the Kiwis are damp squibs, Anshuman Gaekwad's on instead. Which is worse?
How the Knight Riders rode Brendon McCullum and other nightmares.
Brendon McCullum had a brain transplant in the IPL. They took his brain, and put a plant instead. Looks like a cactus. And from then B Mc’s wore a crown of thorns.
Horticulture aside, could anyone survive KKR. Even KKR didn’t survive KKR. They came last but that was easy on them. They should not have appeared on the points table.
So what could a tattooed trucker like B Mc do? He was only used to see ball, hit ball. He never factored the think. Then the think tank sat him down, and in it he drowned. The games he played were actually playing him.
So here we are in Colombo. B Mac comes to the crease like a cricket virgin. It’s scary to see what the Lankans do to him. Actually it’s scary to see what he does to himself.
The Gap between bat and leg while trying today’s invention was big enough to start a clothing company. He played on. It was so ugly even slomo could not redeem it.
The good part is you know he’s going to go fast. Faster than the openers, and in New Zealand cricket that’s saying a lot. Not even a Ferrari goes faster than their openers. But B Mac is speed king, IPL centurion, one trick wonder, he will go.
And when he did get out today, he had the audacity to replay his shot, as it should have been. No, that will not do. You just walk away. And don’t turn up again.
Herath today, gone tomorrow.
Mendis and Herath are swapping places like car keys. Previous test Mendis played, this one Herath. While Mendis has played six tests in 2009, Herath’s played in four.
Frankly it’s a little much to be talking about Herath and Mendis, but this is the off season. There’s also been some talk of Samaraweera the Bullet here. But he’s a batsman. Herath and Mendis are spinners, one a left armer, the other, who cares, he’s not even in the team.
While Hearath made his test debut in 1999, he was out of the team for yonks. Since the Pak home series, he’s scalped 21* in four tests. In six this year Mendis has 16 wickets.
Herath has two five fors against Pakistan. Mendis, none.
Yet Mendis was picked in Herath’s place for the first test against New Zealand. Free wickets to be had, but he only picked 3 wickets. So far Herath has six at Colombo – five more to go.
Still, don’t be surprised if he’s dropped for Mendis again. But we’ll never know, by then India should be playing again.
A cricket connection.
...the bonding that the game affords to a bunch of men condemned to be sporting exiles in their new home in the US. Hans does not appear to be obsessed about international cricket scores; he is concerned mainly, with playing the game, partly to assuage the loneliness of the jilted lover, partly to reconnect with his Dutch childhood, and partly, to re-establish the kind of physical connection that a great game can build with us.
Here you go for Samir Chopra's review on Joseph O'Neil's Netherland.
where are you CHE...?!
i am sure you have seen this photograph many times over...
but how many times did you notice the guy standing alongside ganguly...?
that's our CHE!
where are you CHE...?!!
but how many times did you notice the guy standing alongside ganguly...?
that's our CHE!
where are you CHE...?!!
Slam him down… He’s from an associate member nation
Most of us, especially those from the test playing nations have a short term memory. Not as short as Ghajini’s protagonist but it could get shorter than that if situation demands. Match fixing controversy happened long back, so long that there were not even 25% of the news television channels we have today. And we had other things to focus on like, whose going to lead the team, who will replace him, why did he cry on TV etc.
We never worried if those who were implicated in the match fixing scandal showed any remorse. I don’t think anybody did, everybody who was involved was so very focused on getting his name exonerated. This process of exoneration went on till you and I got bored and the news channels failed to rake that extra 1% viewership.
And now you see him in that same TV channel which showed him as a villain who spoilt a sagely games image. He is now the expert on anything cricket with respect to that channel. I vividly remember the days when he touched upon discipline & integrity among other things.
The other gentleman is now seen in designer kurta’s, he is a lawmaker now. Doing rounds in the parliament rubbing shoulders with an young brigade and its leader. The most disgusting thing in all is the fact that it is you and me who voted him in, what a shame. And we talk about corruption in politics, a joke.
Just across the fence, they had three or four who were as equally infamous as their Indian counterparts. Now these gentlemen want to be the senior statesmen – coaches, administrators and what not. The irony is that some already are. In this case I don’t blame them, their board is equally shameless. Their Champions Trophy team would say why.
In what was the undisputed “Numero Uno” cricket team in all forms till sometime ago, there were a couple of them. One was born with another who calls Calcutta his second home these days. And the other was and is one of the best players international cricket has ever seen (and would ever).
And there were people who refused to go to other countries to play cricket, the reason being a probe. This required the the influential people from both the countries intervened and at the end of the day circumvent or short-circuit law.
Today there are souls trying to rest in peace, lawmakers trying to have a peaceful sleep in a parliament in session, head coaches in national academies trying to make a quick buck or a good face on camera, there are also some who have just finished playing cricket on the snow just after washing their news channel make-up down the drain.
Did any one of them show any remorse ?
Did any one of them own up ?
Forget what they said, did we say they are bad role models? We voted for them, asked questions about discipline on live TV and even dreamed about being coached by them in the national academy.
So why do we make a huge hue and cry when a third, or rather a fourth world cricketer wants to comeback after a match fixing ban?
Because Maurice Odumbe is a Kenyan and they are only associate members?
I am not trying to justify what Maurice did, what he did is a crime and the world of cricket needs to get rid of that. But that “getting it rid” process needs to be a level playing ground, one yardstick for all.
If we think Maurice needs be confined to his home and he is a bad role model. Let us speak about the other models too.
Salman Khan’s IPL team name shortlist
Just a matter of time before Salman’s team name is finalised – in the running are Salman’s Black Bucks, 11 Ka Dum and Bareily Bare Devils.
Names like Bandra Bare Bodies, Nanga Eleven and Naked Cricket were considered lewd for a team of IPL standing, while names like Jodhpur Jailors and Barely Dressed Devils were misleading.
The eliminated names raised the issue with Jatman, pointing at DDCA politics. Mr Jaitley was not available for comment.
Word is that the name Bareily Bare Devils is related to a big name, whereas 11 Ka Dum has Bollywood connections. As for Salman’s Black Bucks, it’s a shot in the dark.
Sreesanth’s cosmic connection with Bored
Nothing is cheap anymore, so why should Sree’s bowling analysis be? Yesterday mentioned here: Be nice if the powers of Indian cricket make the same noises for you as they did for Agarkar – “he can be expensive, but he is a wicket taking bowler”
Sree started his spell like a shopping spree at Harrod's, costly for the batsman, costly for the bowler. Today was no different, he ended up at 15.2-2-93-5
That’s Agarkaresque alright. What the hell, those numbers would have done Saj Mahmood proud. Now who is that?
But as both Ravi and SMG would say, he can be expensive, but he's a wicket taking bowler. Say that enough times, and you will believe it.
suresh raina and off season work-outs...
“I have been working a lot on short deliveries with my coach Deepak Sharma in the Lucknow sports hostel. Last few weeks I’ve been batting on the Astroturf surface of the hockey stadium present within the hostel premises. It offers good bounce and ball travels faster. We have also been using hockey balls for the same reason,”
raina said on asking what he was doing to prepare against short bowling...
cricketers just don't only relax in the off season... they do lots of things to keep themselves refreshed... and work on their short comings... delhi boy aakash chopra has come-up with yet another insightful article on how cricketers use off season...
as he says in his article...
"The more you sweat in peace, the less you bleed in war."
very true aakash... are you listening rohit...?
What will Salman Khan call his IPL team?
Rajat's nominations -
Bandra Bare Bodies
11 ka dum
Salman's Black Bucks
Look what you’ve done now Sreesanth
You took a wicket in the first over. Not just that, it was the first ball of the Yorkshire innings.
Boycott will hate you. So what, you should be used to that.
Anyway, not just that – you knocked another one on the fifth ball of that first over.
That’s two wickets in one over, looks like your luck is changing.
Then you went for a few but that’s business as usual. Be nice if the powers of Indian cricket make the same noises for you as they did for Agarkar – “he can be expensive, but he is a wicket taking bowler”
Ok, we’ll do it for you. Now! Sree is a wicket taking bowler!
Then you returned, and took another two. Not bad for a day’s work, 4 wickets of 8 overs, good you opened the bowling, not second change like last time.
Life’s looking up so don’t make a hash of it, Sree.
Btw why do you bat so low down man? What about those all-rounder aspirations?
Last man in isn’t very flattering, but you did get those two fours. OK, make that another tick.
Go knock them over tomorrow. Take five, give no quarter.
Tomorrow’s headlines: Collingwood and Shah bowl England to victory.
In the Sun they may even say Wicketory!
England one-day captain, one day player, Paul Collingwood had an Owais up his sleeve – an Owais Shah. The game started off as a one-dayer, but to make it competitive there was rain, and Ireland chased a gettable 116 in 20.
Ireland had the game, but then the game had them. That’s when Owais Shah came on to bowl, and boy did he bowl – 2 overs, 2 runs, 2 wickets. If he could, he would have bowled 2 maidens.
Shah’s last over went for 14, but the Irish needed 2 more for a tie. Think they also needed some whiskey.
I did tweet the following as encouragement but lone ranger Trent Johnston wasn’t carrying his blackberry: ‘Come on Ireland. Think you are playing Pakistan.’
Woolmer stirred.
Sreesanth, wtf have you done now?
Sree, why did you get slapped by Bhajji?
Sree, why are you not 100%?
Sree, why are you so intense?
Sree, why do you think so much?
Sree, why did you dance after that six?
Sree, why did you take five and win us our first test in SAF?
Sree, why do you still do ads?
Sree, why do you breakdance?
Sree, why do you do that press-action with your hands?
Sree, why are you you?
Sree, why has Allan Donald resigned from Warwickshire?
Sree, what did you say to him?
Contrary to what the world thinks, Sreesanth is not always at fault.
Donald resigned for personal reasons.
Looks like Sree’s been left out in the cold for personal reasons.
If Bhajji can get a second life, why not Sree?
Save a cricketer. Save Sree.
Here's some more Sreesanth
Who's that Aussie cricketer for the Thank You Sachin! Group?
Phillip Hughes.
While in India, Hughes also hopes to have a lunch date with Indian legend Sachin Tendulkar and to tap his brain for some batting hints.
Right now though it's the captain who needs to say Thank You. But not necessarily to Sachin.
Dilshan, son of Jatman
The signs were always there, then the Delhi Daredevils’ signing and you knew he was meant to go nuts. Dilshan’s first four today – one foot down the pitch, wrists into play and a wanton go for it shot, and the ball went where it had to. This one went behind square. There was more than a bit of Jatman in it. Then there’s that French beard that Jatman sported some seasons back.
They could be Lankan pitches, but Dilshan, like his cricketing daddy, is set to scorch grounds across the world. Look at it this way, if there’s something in the wicket, there’s nothing in the bowlers. Go Dilshan, show no mercy. These bowlers are meant to be bullied.
Freakish bit, Dilshan is 2 years older than Jatman. In fact, both are Librans, Dilshan 14th October, Jatman 20th.
So there you have it, Jatman and Jatboy. Separated at birth, united at the Delhi Daredevils.
Hands up! The Bullet is here.
One of Samraweera’s double hundreds in Pakistan was sublime; can’t say which one, there were so many of them – ok, just two, that’s Kambliesque! Don’t know what it is with back to back doubles but they can get you into trouble. Samaraweera got shot.
A bullet can do many things, like rob you of runs. It wasn’t until the fourth test after the Lahore shoot out that Samara scored a hundred at Galle.
But the hundred was of little consequence as it was against a sick New Zealand side. The high point was his second innings firing – 20 of 15 balls with 2 sixes. That took his 6s tally to 4 of 53 tests. Looks like he really wants that ODI spot real bad. As was documented here, he has never hit an ODI 6.
If you saw the ugly heave he got out to, you’d say he’s not just ready for ODIs but T20 too. Move over Boom Boom,The Bullet is here.
You know, it could have been a much better Ashes if...
If Flintoff was 10% fit
If Brett Lee was 10% worthy
If Symonds was 10% sober
If Ramprakash made a guest appearance
If Bell made a disappearance
If KP wasn’t Achilles
If Ricky wasn’t Ponting
If Langer and his dossier opened the innings
If Hayden and his kitchen sink opened too
If Darren Gough opened the bowling
If Trott was always in the middle
If India played the winners at the Oval
If I was there
MS Dhoni's new Jatman look.
When asked what his new hairstyle would be,
MSD snapped, "Going bald maybe".
Is that because Jatman's growing hair? Maybe.
MSD snapped, "Going bald maybe".
Is that because Jatman's growing hair? Maybe.
Bored Peon and Bored Neon on the Ashes
Bored Peon: They need a more desi name to reach out to Indians
Bored Neon: SatyanAshe(s)
Nothing pleases you more than a dust-biting enemy
Not offering the metaphorical shoulder to cry on.
Not stretching a consoling arm, metaphorically again, around those grief-stricken shoulders.
Not even a word of sympathy!
Q. "You know Australia has lost the Ashes..."
A: "Congratulations!
Q. "What's your take on that?"
A. "It's always fun to see other teams dominating Australia."
By the way, he reveals, he has not seen much of Ashes.
"I was busy with my new house."
On a more serious note, he said Australia missed McGrath and Warne.
Did they miss Symonds too?
He did not fall for the provocation.
"Symonds, as long as he played, was a very good player. But I think Australia missed McGrath and Warne more than Symonds or even Gilchrist."
Who: Harbhajan Singh
What: Compaq Cup unveiling.
Where: A New Delhi hotel.
When: Monday.
Som also blogs at Doosra
We're All BCC!s
But all BCC!s are not the same. There are some BCC!s who, shall we say, are more CC than the rest of us. And so here's a series to celebrate some of them.
Our first BCC! is the NEMOM (Never Ever Missed One Match) BCC! As the name suggests, ever since the NEMOM first tasted the sweetness and sadness of Indian cricket, nothing in the world would prevent him/her from ever missing a single match, or ever admitting that.
Neither classes nor exams at school will stop the NEMOM!
Neither work nor sleep will stop the NEMOM!
Neither load-shedding nor satellite disruptions will stop the NEMOM!
The NEMOM remembers every match, every stroke and every ball ever bowled for the last two decades (since India had TV broadcasts). If the NEMOM is near you, you will never need to fire up Cricinfo because they can tell you the scores and all the mathematical averages that you ever need to know.
Take a bow to the NEMOM!
How can I forget you Kuiper
It was children’s day, 18 years back. Mind you, you were no baby, making your ODI debut at 32. And then you ruined a perfectly good day-nighter at the JNS. It started well, the mad hordes ran up with that familiar chant of “Hi Hi Shastri” Why not “Hello Hello Shastri” is beyond me. For a game in which India’s two one-day specialists, Ravi Shastri and Sanjay Manjrekar, both made hundreds, what did you do – you won the game. I left your party a tad early that day. And now you are fifty. Happy bored day Kuiper. Give my regards to Clive Rice.
What Andrew Strauss felt on winning the Ashes back...
congrats Andrew Strauss!!
feels good to know that nice guys too can finish first...
although it's not in your nature... go on and say it...
'Teri Maa Ki!!'
maybe not openly... but in your mind at least...
...to all those non-believers...
...to all those non-believers...
Australia wins the Ashes.
No, it was England. No, it was cricket. Actually it was the ICC. Another test over within four days, make that another nail in five day test cricket’s coffin.
It wasn’t too long back when the ICC swung into action to save test cricket. Who better to help you out than Kerry Packer’s Australia?
This may have been a romantic Ashes’ result, but what’s going to stop a four day test? Think I already have the answer: a three day test. Much too long? It will have to be a twenty20 test – twice the time, twice the fun. Two innings, because everybody deserves a second chance.
I can see all the losers lining up.
Ashes: The difference between England and Australia
Mitchell Johnson.
Andrew Flintoff: An occasional sense of occasion
The test has just started for Freddie. He has connected to the sense of a moment. The moment was manufactured by Stuart Broad, the Aussies and whoever else could pitch in.
But we are on the threshold of a London Moment. It will be bigger than Lord’s, it will be bigger than the Oval. It will be the shape of Freddie’s fancy.
What picture will he paint? Will he be airbrushed?
Here’s what I expect, Freddie to arrive at the crease, and regardless of whether he scores or doesn’t, the crowds will be at his command. That will be a moment.
If he plunders with the bat, then it will be a savage, almost apocalyptic moment – and Noah will fetch one of Andrew Flintoff for his ark.
But it will be ball in hand that Freddie will emerge Godlike*, a larger manifestation for all mortals to see, believe in, myth will be no myth no more.
As Krishna revealed the universe within to Arjun.
Freddie will seize the moment, the day, the night, and all that lies within its grasp, and beyond it.
The ball will cease to be a ball.
It will be, a moment hurled at the Australians.
And not even the Aussies can defy destiny.
It is written here, but only Freddie knows how it will pan out.
*Ricky Ponting run out Andrew Flintoff
Written on 22nd August, 2009. You can read the entire piece at Naked Cricket
When Kevin Pietersen shouted at Jonathan Trott.
"A lot of people compare me with Kevin," Trott told The Times website.
"We grew up in the same country and played schoolboy cricket there. I don't look to emulate him or anyone but if I see someone do something well, I'll try and copy it.
"If you stand still at this game you get left behind."
Trott showed the first time he crossed paths with Pietersen in an under-19 game in South Africa that he wasn't a pushover.
"He bowled me one ball and I blocked it and he started shouting at me," Trott said.
"I told him to toss it up if he wanted to abuse me and he did.
"I slogged him out of the ground."
For more of Trott, here you go.
This Aussie team has nothing to lose…except for the Ashes.
Frankly Strauss’ aggressive fields left me feeling sick in the stomach. One slip and one wicketkeeper, that when you know you only need a keeper behind, why that extra slip fielder?
The man at slip could have easily been in the covers, preferably a sweeper cover.
Ideally, the keeper too could have gone down to the boundary, sans his keeping pads and gloves, covering up for fine leg and third man. Also, it’s been proven that Katich’s get out shot was the move across the stumps cramped pull to fine leg – a keeper down at the boundary would have ensured a squarer fine leg, and the English could have concentrated on bowling short.
And what about the short cover and short mid wicket, again too aggressive – you’re only defending 546, and that is so gettable with these tactics, what about the boundary riders. Choke the Aussies, Strauss, they really believe the runs are gettable.
Worse still, so do you.
If ever 500 plus are to be made to win a test match, they can be, over the next two days. The Aussie team may be crap, but the English, they grew up thinking they were crap.
To repeat the most maligned cricketing phrase, this Aussie team has nothing to lose…except for the Ashes. That they have already lost. And you cannot lose something twice over. Ponting can, but you get my drift.
On the fourth morning when Australia embark on a record breaking, history bending, mind altering, kick in the Poms’ arse chase, they must believe a few things: Let’s have two days of fun, let’s stress the Poms out.
There is nothing else in it. If ever there was a chance for the Aussies to dig out the dirty, self centred, perverse, bastard cricketer out, it is now. Let’s get dirty. Let’s listen to the Rolling Stones: Start me up!
Celebrating One Year Of Boredom: I
I’ve often repeated this in my previous articles at Bored. But I still find it apt to mention it one more time; although let I admit, I’m not averse to retelling it in future as well. As I consider it more as a case study on “How to launch a Cricket Blog” than anything.
In mid last year, I used to venture to SP’s blog many times a day. Actually SP’s was among a few dozen cricket blogs I used to diligently follow at that time. I used to admire the love these guys had for the game, and that showed in their blogs. The level of interaction, by way of comments, at some of these blogs could put to shame any established cricket forum. Some of these blogs could easily boast of 30 reader comments per article. Considering that most of the bloggers were doing it for the love of the game; this was not a meager achievement.
One day while on SP’s blog I noticed a teaser, that asked the readers to anticipate the arrival of BCCI – Bored Cricket Crazy Indians, with a punch line Cricket ka Blog Buster. If you pay some attention, then you will notice that I have used an ‘I’ instead of an ‘!’ (Exclamation mark) for the last letter of the BCC! acronym. Actually at the time of its launch there was an I in the BCC!. But later on, the owners decided to change it to an ‘!’.
Although now the change has very well cemented its place in the established nomenclature; how the exclamation mark secured its place in the important four, is a story worth telling; I’ll tell that story in the coming articles.
Coming back on the teaser thing. Every time I visited SP's space I used to click on the Teaser link—and was sent to a blog which featured only one post by Naked Cricket. If I’m not mistaking, the write-up too promised something interesting; though in more words.
Anticipating some real dhamaaka, I kept on clicking the teaser every time I reached SP’s blog and was transported to the same place, with the same single post.
But one day SP wrote a small post with a title: “introducing...BCCI: Cricket ka Blogbuster!!"
What caught my attention was the picture in this post. The picture had nothing to do either with the content or the title of the article; and in short was a complete mismatch. That apart, the picture primarily had a head turning virtue, a lady with some clothes (Got!). Though the write-up for the first time told readers about the concept of BCC!, and what to look out for in coming days; I was not really amused by the mismatch and the virtue.
Honestly speaking, I thought it to be an exercise in over-confidence or more realistically something which creative people start with great enthusiasm, but find themselves in “what to do next” frame of mind , when the initial zeal ends.
So this is what I had repeated couple of times in the past. Now, let I share, why I consider this as a case study on “How to launch a Cricket Blog”.
As said, the picture-mismatch-virtue was a big let down for I; but if I think over the entire sequence of events now, I find that the people who were behind the events, have done a remarkable job. They had successfully created the base for the Blog launch.
Let’s talk about the events one by one.
The Teaser: A decade ago, an article in an esteemed US daily, defined a teaser “as an ad for ad”. A teaser intends to attract the attention by its mysterious nature, and alerts the reader or viewer for the future pitches/ events. A good teaser arouses curiosity among the readers. Thus a teaser is of big importance to any campaign. BCC! people were aware of this importance. For me the BCCI teaser successfully served its purpose. Due credit to the one(s) who coined the blog name and the punch “Cricket Ka Blog Buster”
The introductory post and the picture-mismatch-virtue: The picture in the introductory post may have been a mismatch, it may have a head turning virtue, but it made the readers glance at the write-up. In essence, it’s like roping in a hot celebrity to deliver the public interest information. If not of the mismatch and the virtue, who would have bothered to read about an upcoming blog- An entity that hits the cyberspace every other second.
We have often heard or read about the massive budgets big companies put on their ad campaigns. But very few succeed in running a memorable campaign; a campaign which approaches to completeness in all respect. The reason why money can’t ensure the best outcome is that more than the money, it’s the creativeness, resource allocation, planning and execution which makes for a memorable campaign.
People behind Bored managed to do a great work on this front.
Rest in the next write-up.
"I say old chap, the Ashes finally seem to be heading home"
Typical English talk on the third day of the final Ashes Test:
Mr. X (OBE - Order of the British Empire) to Mr. Y (MBE - Member of the British Empire): I say ol' chap, the Ashes finally seem to be heading home.
Mr. Y: Well, thank god we had a difference of less than 200 in the first innings or else our lads would've been in quite a conundrum as far as the follow-on was concerned.
Mr. X: Oh.. I say, now that it's in the bag, the lads deserve all the credit and much more for having contributed towards the war effort.
Mr. Y: Yes I believe, Knighthood would follow soon as would high-tea with the Queen.
Mr. X: And of course... a holiday for the whole team in the quaint surroundings of the Himalayas, somewhere near Shimla. Fishing and a few rounds of golf would rejuvenate them ahead of the coming season.
Mr. Y: I propose a toast... "FOR GOD AND THE EMPIRE"
Jonathan Trott: cricket with balls.
Around the time England was two wickets down in their second innings, on the second day, Trott busied himself with a batting drill.
He appeared behind the glass like some cricket wild cat, a caged tiger. Batting profile, exaggerated forward defence, straight drive, smooth, brisk movements of the bat. Repeat.
There was something about Trott that evening. There was a definite signal of intent, yes, but more importantly a joy of the game. A joy to be playing cricket, yet alert at the same time, to warm up, both in limb and mind.
Here was a player, who in spite of being a pro, appeared rooted to his cricket basics, not overawed by either situation or debut.
Then there was the back-foot swat through midwicket that Atherton likened to one of Inzi’s. The urgency to get to the hundred mark and not lurk in the nervous nineties. Here was a batsman who partnered all and sundry in both innings, largely unaffected by a tricky run-out, and the personalities around him.
Clearly Trott has in him a bit of the dogged determination of his captain. And when Trott reached three figures, you’d be forgiven for thinking Strauss was the centurion. But then Strauss knows all about scoring a century on debut.
Mother Trott wept tears of joy, and Papa Trott maintained a stoic interest in the cricket. We were at once connected to Trott’s world. It was intensely real, you could call it cricket with balls.
also blogs at Naked Cricket
DDCA vs Virender Sehwag: Have you heard this story?
For two consecutive years a young lad from the suburbs of Delhi would go to the selection trials of Delhi cricket only to be shooed away after facing only half a dozen balls in the nets.
The crestfallen youngster found a godfather in Satish "Neelu" Sharma, who recognised his potential and pitted him against the full might of a DDCA team.
The boy smashed half a dozen sixes in his rampaging hundred, something that has become a signature of almost every Sehwag innings when he plays for India today.
Maybe it is payback time for all the Sehwags who are regularly shooed away from the DDCA nets even today.
Here you go, Pradeep Magazine's take on wasup and what's down
Michael Hussey: Captaincy killed the player, eh?
For once you can’t blame Ponting the captain. Captain Huss killed player Huss. Of all things, it was a one-day series in New Zealand.
Feb. 2007: Huss captained a happy bunch sans Ponting and Michael Clarke. The team of minions included Hayden, Hodge, Hogg, McGrath, White, Jaques, Bracken, Voges, Tait. Where are these players now? Where is Hussey now?
They couldn’t defend 336, so they scored 10 more, and they couldn’t defend 346.
Since that series, where Huss made 105, he has not made a one day hundred. And we all know what’s happened to his test career in the last two years or so. Worse than so-so.
After the Kiwi bashing, no test cricket for seven months. Rumour has it Huss was rarely seen in public. Then a couple of back to back hundreds (in the help yourself Sri Lanka home series), a 145 in Sydneygate (doesn’t count either) and then a 146 in a dull draw in Bangalore last year. Since then no test hundreds but plenty of ducks (6) – make BAW Mendis feel insecure.
You may ask, but what does all this have to do with captain Huss? Good question. I was thinking the same.
Thou shalt be proven wrong
Well done Paul:
1st test 64, 74. 2nd test 16, 64
Then KP leaves and so do your runs.
3rd test 13, DNB. 4th test 0, 4. 5th test: 24, 1
In the absence of KP, nobody expected you to step up a notch as the senior batsman.
What is expected is this:
I shall make merry
and score a century
whenever my place is in treacherous doubt
And rest again, oh sweet rest
till such time, when my place is
in treacherous doubt
I shall make merry
and score a century
and rest again
(the above is a repost, and will be up yet again, after his next hundred)
His Lordship, Sir Daniel Vettori has graced us with his presence.
He wrapped up his nap early, so he promoted himself. From the black caps’ captain, he became their general. He was up to it, so he came up the order, 4 down, this when the Kiwis were so down, earth worms would struggle to go lower.
Dan boy usually bats low. After him it’s basically boys who cannot bat. Dan though can more than bat. I’ve always felt that he should bat above McCullum. That’s because Brendon cannot bat. He is a limited limited overs’ edition.
Dan though is boring enough to embrace test cricket. At 7 and 8 down he has played some spectacularly annoying innings – the type that stall games, arrest hope and choke viewers.
He is the third man. That is his playing area. He is a backhanded player. He only plays behind the wicket. If I ever played against Dan, everyone would be behind the wicket.
Might even be tempted to make the bowler bowl from behind. Go figure that out.
In the meantime, let me return to the killjoy’s batting, if you can call it that. Of course you can, once you see his bowling.
Rahul And I
It’s not easy being a Dravid supporter. Without either a mob following, or even widespread civilian recognition, perhaps it isn’t that easy being Rahul Dravid. This is especially so since March 2007, when Dravid-lead India crashed out of the Caribbean disaster that the World Cup was. Though that was followed by a decent tour of England where India and England shared the spoils of the Tests and ODIs respectively, for Dravid personally, the scrunity was getting sharper and the screams of opposition, louder.
Dravid’s batting began to fall from its pristine average. In hindsight, perhaps it was a stroke of genius that subsequent to that tour, he relinquished captaincy for reasons that are obscure till date, for Dhoni’s boys who went to the T20 World Cup as nearly a club side returned home with the trophy. Dravid’s batting in the subsequent series against Australia didn’t flatter either. One public ignomity followed the other.
Dravid was dropped from the ODI side, and labeled as “not adding value” by the then chairman of selectors, Dilip Vengsarkar. Then in Australia, while Dravid took on the much despised role of opening the innings, and did the “dirty work”, it was only in Perth, that we saw an innings of Dravid’s standards. From them on, there was a century against South Africa, but it was mostly downhill from there on: Dravid’s batting average began to dip, the quality lacking and the stability vanishing. Half centuries were grinded through and centuries hard to come by and interspersed by long intervals of time.
Nervousness and pressure to perform seemed to be taking over one of India’s most solid batsmen. Some of us asked why, still fewer waited in patience. After the tour Sri Lanka, when Indian batting line up as a whole failed to deliver, Dravid was seen as among the chief conspirators. Many among the patient ones gave up hope, yet, a few, mind you, very few (in comparison to the garrison of Ganguly fans) held on the tiny ray of hope that the phoenix will rise again. It would only be a matter of time.
“He’s still got it, he just needs to dig it out” was our argument. We silently wished, and merrily cheered as every Test innings showed signs of revival and fluency of old.
Today, Dravid has been given another opportunity to dig it out; to show the rest of the folk what it means to be solid; to reiterate to the world that every brick in the wall counts. While it is certainly a time to rejoice, it will be shadowed by a sense of wariness, for there are still many voices who have labeled his selection in to the ODI squad as a backward move of the selectors. Dravid will want to prove his worth yet again and perhaps that when you have taken a step astray, moving backwards may not be bad at all!
Go Dravid, show us you steel yet again. Even if we don’t take to the streets, you probably will know that we are there cheering you albeit with tiny voices.
Victoria also blogs at VM's Randon Ramblings
So what did your mates give you on your birthday, Simon Katich?
Their wickets? With mates like Shane, Ricky, Michael and Michael, who needs enemies?
The Bored Chennai meet
Well, finally the Bored Chennai meet did happen. After months of our bored president throwing the BCC! Slogan* at us on getting the Chennai chapter started, the bored meet did happen, though most of the members were not available.
It was left to K from Delhi who was in town along with me and a friend of mine. We met ahead of schedule at the Residency towers and headed off to “Bike & Barrel” for some mild refreshments and chow.
It is football fever now in Chennai and the TV screens didn't give a hoot about the Ashes. The closest thing to Freddie was a “french fry”. Needless to say, we spoke about cricket, some of our fellow bloggers and other events in our life.
A few hours later, we decided to get going and so we jumped on the suspended Norton 500 along with their fishing net and rode off to St.Thomas Mount to have a panoramic view of the city. Right on top, we thought it would be cool to sandboard down the hill.
One thing led to another and before we knew it, we were right outside Krish Srikanth's house, wondering whether we should wake him up in the middle of the night and pull his mustache out. Fortunately for him, he was out-of-town and so we headed to the beach and amused ourselves digging holes in the sand till the high tide swept us away in the morning back to our workplaces.
K and Scorpicity amusing themselves in the beach.
Oh, well... None to this obviously happened. We had a pleasant time at the residency for the first Bored Chennai meet and hope a lot more fellow bored members meet up the next time, so we can do some of these above things.
Thanks K for coming down.
Yawns from Chennai!
* BCC! Slogan – tere maa ki
The Daniel Vettori Conundrum
Dilshan swat sweeps Vettori for four; that pleased me immensely. At that precise moment I was able to address my warped relationship with Vettori.
Now Dan plays for the Delhi Daredevils, at least he thinks he does – turns up year after year at the IPL. Throws up in IPL1, plays a game or two, barely, keeps Amit Mishra out.
Then IPL2, where he plays again, keeps Mishra out, again, and gets smashed around in spite of that studious look. Then Mishra keeps him out. Or more like Yusuf Pathan keeps him out, isn’t that how all Indians should play him?
Turns out Indians don’t play him that well, seems more out of respect for his beard and glasses than his bowling. Dan looks so knowledgeable, you have to respect him.
But it’s a strange one with Dan, plays for Delhi, and I’d like him to do well, but more than that, I don’t want him to play. Maybe as a later order batsman, that really is his forte, or to stall a collapse.
Then when it’s an Ind-Kiwi game, let’s not even get into that. Had more than enough of him for one day.
Luckily it's not Dilshan, it's only Sangakarra who got out
This is how I saw it: Vettori high fiving, so someone was out – hope it’s not Dilshan. Replay. Dilshan facing, so it is Dilshan. No wait, that’s not a catch, the ball ricochets off Vettori’s hand, hits the stumps, and knocks the bails off. Third umpire referral: Cool, it’s only Sanga, Dilshan is still there.
This gets me thinking deep thoughts: cricket, it's not about the better batsman anymore, it's about the more entertaining one. Who would you rather see not dismissed, Sachin or Sehwag? Haddin or Hussey? Afridi or MoYo? Flintoff or Collingwood? AB de Villiers or Kallis? Dilshan or Sanga?
And to hell with the match situation, format, or if they're playing against us. I'd go with the entertainer.
PS: Do they need Dilshan in the com box, have you heard those drones
the real reason dilshan opens in test matches...
dilshan got ample opportunities to have net practice against vettori, the only bowler nz seems to have, during ipl season one and two...coz both play for delhi daredevils...
...and what's more he comes to bowl only after you are well settled...
Never hit an ODI six, but scored a double century in tests.
Make that two test doubles. What sort of restraining order accompanies a player like Samaraweera – not that he hasn’t played an ODI ever, he’s held back for 21 games now. To complicate matters further, he’s hit a six in tests.
If ever Sri Lanka needs six runs on the last ball to win a game, there’s one man they don’t want at the crease.
Samaraweera. His brother’s name is DP Samareweera. For short that would be DPS. In India he would be an institution, but that’s a different school of thought.
What's the difference between County Cricket and this Ashes series?
Trick question, there isn't any.
wada: benefit of doubt...now what's that...?
BCC! has been very vigilant in covering wada from all explorable angles... heck... we even made wada talk to us... and also helped in putting information on our reader's request...
in continuation of our efforts to bring forth more sensible voices emanating from media... here's mukul keswan's stance on our "hugely spoilt" "ill informed" "irrational" indian cricketers...
teaching the provincials...
Ashes: Why England batted on winning the toss.
Nothing to do with their team composition or Australia not playing a spinner, the Oval pitch, the English weather, Bopara's exclusion or Trott's debut. On closer examination, the reason is clear as daylight - England batted, so they won't have to face the embarrassment of losing Flintoff on the first day. Flintoff of course, can still lose it on the first day.
One day Jatman will play for the Slavs
I have mixed emotions about Jatman's highly speculated move from Delhi to Haryana. I'm sad bcos he's leaving my city but happy that he's taken a tough stand and is moving to our native Haryana (since both of us are Jats from Haryana, same for Ashish Nehra, Pradeep Sangwan).
Happy that he's going back to his roots.
Interestingly, the day is not far when he can go further back to his roots by coaching one of the Eastern European nations (Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Belarus) once they start doing well in cricket.
After all that's where our community originally comes from. The Jats are actually Slavs who migrated to India thousands of years ago from Eastern Europe.
That explains our prominent jaw-line and dominance in sports such as boxing and wrestling. And we don't think too much...
Where were all the girls when I batted?
I remember reading this story about time when a girl kissed Abbas Ali Baig on the field after he scored a century on debut.
Merchant, in the commentary box reportedly wondered jokingly where all the girls were when he batted. A fellow commentator deadpanned "Asleep, Vijay, all asleep".
by Adverbin
Rishton Me Daraar Aayi...
Trouble is brewing in the Pathan household after an attempted "kiss" on Irfan Pathan by one Shabina Khatun. Apparently Yusuf Pathan is miffed that Shabina chose to get cosy with Irfan rather than him. "I am the elder brother, I should get first priority on such matters, isn't it? Plus Irfan is engaged!! So why is he still getting all the girls?"
The reporter has been informed by reliable sources that Yusuf is going for a three-pronged approach to make sure he is not embarassed by such incidents in the future -
1. He is getting a fatwa issued on Shabina for "outraging the modesy of his much-engaged brother".
2. He is cancelling all impending appearances with Irfan, so that should such a thing happen again, it will not seem like Irfan was chosen over him for the kiss.
3. He will pay some random chick to do a Shabina for him on his next stage appearance.
Reporter's comments - It is a shame that girls chose to do such shameless acts to show their love for cricketers. Being a huge Rahul Dravid fan myself, I would never ever dream of such public display of affection. I would instead arrange for an "interview" with him, and proceed thus...
Megha also blogs at Silly M(a)idon
KhufiaBaaz: the fan who tried but failed to kiss Irfan Pathan
I was there, and I saw it coming. The girl was making eyes at Irfan, big, big Kathakali eyes. She was under Irfan's spell. Like batsmen used to be, once upon a time. Was she right to make such a public display of affection - well, it's not as if she's got a shot at a private display of affection.
The Fast Bowler loses the plot
There have been quite a few moments on the field when most of us have made a hash of things. Yours truly has had a quite a few, like bowling a beamer in a fit of rage (flew over the keeper’s head for a boundary), tried a slower ball with 3 runs required off the last ball that ended up at square leg (the ball was wet. Really, it was), run the skipper out in a tense match, (a complete yes-yes, no- wait, oh shit, sorry skip type comedy) and a few others.
But the one that I distinctly remember is from the old colony days.
In those days, we’d just get whoever was available and divide them into 2 teams and play a few games.
Now, me being me, had a tendency to lose track of who’s playing for which team.
One such match was heading towards a tight finish. With me bowling the penultimate over.
The batsman dabbed the ball and set off for a cheeky single. I ran towards the ball, picked it up and saw Vaibhav, a friend of mine, at the non striker and hurled a flat return at him, only for him to let it go, while the batsmen ran an overthrow. I let go with a volley of expletives, “bh*****d, ball pakad, wicket hai yaar. “
Only for him to say, “g***u, Tinu (my nickname during those days) main umpire hai yaar!! And collapsed on the ground laughing
I looked sideways, and got the picture, albeit too late.
The guy who was supposed to back up had slipped and fallen, and I in my hurry to run the batsman, out had completely forgotten that Vaibhav was actually on the other team and was umpiring. The whole gang was laughing their arses off. Just felt like burying my head in the ground right then.
Don’t really remember, whether we won or lost. Was busy cursing myself at long on.
The leg pulling was endless for a few days.
Oh come on now, happens to the best of us
Don’t you have a story to tell?
C’mon let it out then
Prafs can also be found bowling wides down the leg side at Right Arm Fast
Duck Mendis Duck!
Earlier on the Mendis trail, there was evidence of the player's duck fixation. Not Peking duck, but a good ol' Lankan duck - innings where he refuses to score. Today, yet again, Mendis remained not out for no score. And it took him only three balls. It must be disappointing that he wasn't dismissed. Get out!
You should be working for Lalit Modi’s IPL
Not reading or writing a cricket blog. There’s this interview, Mr IPL just gave, according to which, his mistress, the IPL, is worth $ 1.65 billion. That’s US dollars not Zimbabwe dollars. In Zim dollars, it would be…forget it, unfathomable.
Now think about it seriously, if you’re here, it means you have more than a passing interest in cricket. It also means, that you may not be a player – if you’re a player, you’ll have to be either fighting WADA or ICC or BCCI or your own demons.
So in many ways you are bored. And if you’ve reached this far, then you possibly are a regular here. I’m seriously considering networking my way to the IPL.
There are plenty of teams going around. The Delhi team is based in the same city as me, Delhi. Of course, at times it’s based in South Africa, but I am not against travel.
Also, I’m ok with the Delhi Daredevils as a team: I personally like Jatman and Mishra. One is the captain, the other, what is Mishra?
The imports, though not scintillating company look ok cricketingwise. I do not see myself having long chats with AB or Dilshan.
Vettori though looks as if he can hold his own in a conversation. And then there’s McGrath and Maharoof, we can squat on the sidelines and talk about their exclusion in IPL2. Hopefully they’ll still be excluded in IPL3.
Who else is there? Yes, Warner – I’d like to hurl a frisbee in the park and see him fetch it.
As for Dinesh Karthik aka DKNY, there’s always the All American Diner for a pint and a hot dog.
Looks like I almost know these guys. And as we speak the Daredevils appointment letter is in the mail.
As for Ashish Nehra, have you ever seen that guy gnaw at a chicken leg? If you had, you’d ask – who came first, the chicken or the Nehra?
ipl: bigger than wimbeldon and formula one...
yes the sports media research agency from u.s. has valued the ipl brand at USD 1.65 billion!!
according to lalit modi it's just below fifa but higher than wimbledon and formula one...and ipl is just 2 seasons old...
so what will change...?
nothing much...ipl will keep on growing and so will the brickbats from the jealous media...
what acsu is meant for...
acsu: an organisation invented by icc...which gets paid to keep its mouth shut when respective boards organise a series or tourney...occasionally it issues statements too...rubbishing match fixing claims..as well as the 'whereabouts' of bookies near teams and the hotels they stay in...
ICC can't afford to ignore BCC!
ICC can't afford to ignore BCC! Else they run the risk of missing cues and square-cutting sorry figures.
ACSU head Paul Condon has been telling ICC that T20 is most vulnerable to corruption.
Well, BCC! provided the evidence.
We did not go chest-bumping of course. We politely bumped into Banjo Cassim, the figurehead of the 2000 match-fixing scam, in the Wanderers art Jo'burg and modestly BROKE THE NEWS here.
Not a mean task for a blog. After all, breaking news is supposedly the mainstream media's domain.
But like every dog, every blog has its day. And that was ours.
Bottomline is -- the ICC top brass better read BCC!.
Else, don't blame us if they call you Morgan the Moron or Lorgat the Loafer.
Dinesh Karthik: DKNY
Do not learn too much English, boy, they will hold it against you in some circles. Dinesh Karthik aka DK speaks fast, not quite Martin Scorsese but there’s a bit of New York in him. Just as there’s more than a bit of Dilli in Jatman.
Too bad he was Greg Chappell’s favourite boy. It’s possible he was the only one who understood GC, could be GC only understood him.
But the team needs a wicketkeeper not a dictionary. MSD fits into that role, and any attempt that DK made at make-shift keeping was just that.
I think it was to do with MSD’s looming aura over the makeshift keepers – jaws’ drop, catches drop, they bleed drop by drop. It’s far worse for little Patel, more MSD at CSK, what could possibly be worse?
But not so for DKNY. He was abroad, away, playing for Delhi, with the daredevils, he could be one too. And it is here that he finally expressed himself, as Ian Bishop would say.
Among the Indians, he was the best batsman in IPL2 for Delhi. Keeping wasn’t bad either, else it wouldn’t have gone unnoticed.
Then you remember, the kid can bat, you actually enjoy his play. He’s not tangled, not with the footwork or the mental webbing. Then you recall, DK won you the first T20 international. He opened in tests with élan.
Credit must go to Jatman, he captained DKNY. In a way only he can, he grounded DK with India, with New Delhi. So in a way, even before he became India’s again, DKNY became DKND.
On another train of thought, you can also read The world will forget your name, Dinesh Karthik
KhufiaBaaz: The real reason for Sehwag's revolt
On conditions of anonymity, here's what one of Delhi's selectors had to say:
"Sehwag is very upset with the national selectors for ignoring him for the Champions Trophy without giving him a chance to prove his fitness while Sachin is selected even when he skips the fitness test. Rahul Dravid's selection without proving either form or fitness for the ODIs was the last straw for Viru"
"He is now in talks with Cheeka, and is keen to move south till he is chief selector...all the statements of him moving to Haryana are nothing but hogwash"
Dilshan doesn't rate the Kiwis
Either that, or he thinks he's playing another t20 tournament. 92 off 72 balls on the first morning of a test match. That takes some doing.
Kiwis might have been all chuffed after SL did the usual sacrifice-the-opener-to-the-gods ritual. King Kumar didn't last too long either.
But Dilshan wondered what the fuss was all about, and cut and drove merrily on the way to 92. Didn't play the dilscoop though.
Too bad, he didn't get the hundred.
But going by the treatment dished out to the bowlers, the Kiwis will have some long field sessions on this tour.
And yes, Jayawardena got a hundred, but he doesn't get a post, because he isn't half as much fun.
from amit mishra's speechwriters...
na fikar karr tu bat ki
na fikar karr attack ki
ab tak jinhone bahar rakkha tujhe...
har wicket pe unko bol...teri maa ki!!!
teri maa ki!!
na fikar karr attack ki
ab tak jinhone bahar rakkha tujhe...
har wicket pe unko bol...teri maa ki!!!
teri maa ki!!
Amit Mishra: Cricket Qawaali
Tu Mushi nahi, Tu Mushtaq nahi
Tu Mishra hai!
Mishra hai!
Hawa de, phenk gaind asman main
Tu Mishra hai!
Tu Mishra hai!
Tare jaiseey chamak
Dekh le choti si yeh jhalak
Fissal na jana
Is Bollywood ke daud mein
Fissal na jana
Door tujhe hai jana
Nunna munna rahi hai
Desh ka sipahi hai
Tu Mishra hai!
Tu Mushi nahi, Tu Mushtaq nahi
Tu Mishra hai!
Tu Mishra hai!
Aa bowl kar, mujhe mar
Aa bowl kar, mujhe beat kar
Tu Mishra hai!
Tu Mishra hai!
Tu Mushi nahi, Tu Mushtaq nahi
Tu Mushra hai!
Tu Muhra hai!
Rahul Dravid: Living in the past?
I’m with a French girl in the Highlands. She’s with a Scotsman who’s dived for scallops. Jethro Tull’s “Living in the past” starts to play:
I’m thinking Rahul Dravid. His return to one-day cricket: what’s wrong with it?
In this piece SP talks about among other things, how Dravid’s selection is a one off thing.
In my opinion, it’s too early to call. Other than four slots – Sachin, Yuvraj, Dhoni, Bhajji, the others are up for grabs.
These four are the face of Indian cricket, and regardless of form dips will make it to 2011. Sachin will negotiate any dips with unavailability through injury or rest. He will play ODIs when on top of his game – the plan with Sachin is simple, target 2011.
MSD should be captain for 2011, who else is there? Yuvraj is the superstar, and Bhajji has found his own niche. Basically these players will make it to 2011 in spite of a bad run.
Now coming to Gambhir and Sehwag, our most attacking opening pair – doubt they will open in 2011. It could be either Sachin/Sehwag or Sachin/Gambhir, or who knows, Sachin/X.
Over the last year, in spite of their strong chemistry on top (in tests, T20, IPL), both Gambhir and Sehwag do not open when Sachin plays ODIs.
It is here the cracks have started to appear – both Sehwag and Gambhir, in spite of their brilliance can be fragile, and like any batsman, prone to dips in form. Also they’re no national icons like Sachin or MSD.
Injury or no injury, Sehwag was treated like a bellboy in the Twenty20 World. Now picture anyone treating the laadsahibs like that? Why does Viru always end up looking stupid – why is he vilified while the stars are continuously deified?
Gambhir too has had a remarkable dip in limited overs’ form, and without Viru’s comfort at the other end, is a totally different player.
Raina though in the form of his life, has far less equity than Rohit Sharma. Playing with CSK and MSD helps; Chairman of Selectors, Srikanth, if not help, will at least give him a fair run. But there's that short ball taboo.
Yusuf Pathan? Does even Yusuf know how long he will last? So there you have it, four batsmen, who on the face of it should make 2011, but then so can Dravid.
Finally what could swing it Dravid’s way is the ability to bat 50 overs – how many of the kids know how to score a hundred? Dravid’s done it 12 times, add to that, 81 half centuries.
As Sachin will vouch, ODIs, at least in the sub continent, you can play from memory. Now let’s see whether Darvid’s memory is that of an elephant’s.
On a different train of thought, you can also read: Has Rahul Dravid returned for Sachin Tendulkar?
WADA & Recreational drugs
Couple of days back we received this question...
"Hi guys, could you possibly explain to me how recreational drugs can enhance performance? Unless, of course, the WADA means the other type of performance!" from Cricket Tragic.
To answer this question, let me quote what Dr Alain Garnier, Medical Director of WADA says in his open letter to those promoting medical supervision of doping.
So recreational or otherwise, a drug is a drug. It could cause a great damage (to the user and to the society as a whole) in the long run. In an era where sportspeople are seen as role models, it is imperative they are clean. To ensure things are clean and tidy, we need a WADA and these regulations
Spotted last evening: Dhawal Kulkarni
Walking down the T Nagar area in Chennai last evening my colleague Mr. Jai Sharma (he loves it when his name is mentioned in any media) spotted Mumbai Indian Dhawal Kulkarni walking into a hotel wearing the official vest of the Indian team. He brought it to my notice and by the time I realized it was actually Dhawal, we were staring right at him. I felt a little embarassed at that point but I'm sure Dhawal did not mind the attention.
Joke of the day: Vinod Kambli retires from international cricket.
I suppose Kambli will have a laugh at the headline too. Kambli, the eternal showman won’t mind it one bit, here’s some free mileage, thanks.
Why retire from international cricket if you’re not playing international cricket for close to a decade – one last sports’ headline will do nicely, just like the gold chains. More so when you’re back on the public radar with some seedy reality TV show.
Ironically, nothing about Kambli was for real: not his first Ranji ball for six or the world record 664 run partnership with Tendu, that more than anything defined him for years to come. He would always be Tendu’s yaar.
It didn’t matter who was the better batsman. Sachin was moderate, at least on the face of it, cherubic looks, whereas Vinod was flash, in the face, darker.
In ‘fair and lovely’ India that is such a big deal.
Kambli’s career is a vague memory: A test career done and dusted in two years. The numbers make it even vaguer: 2 years, 21 test innings, four hundreds, back to back doubles (against Zim, but so what) a test average of 54.
If he had half of Yuvraj’s looks, charisma, who knows what would have been?
While I always hoped for a Kambli comeback, I secretly knew that the Indian team of the 1990s was too small for two superstars, and one Sachin Tendulkar was all it could handle.
And there was this small matter, he was a wicketkeeper too – a MSD voodoo before its time?
Who knows, even Uthappa was once a wicketkeeper. The similarities are eerie.
Right now though, it’s Kambli who’s taking a bow.
This blogger also writes at Naked Cricket
KhufiaBaaz: Saurav should have scored more IPL runs
Rahul has gate-crashed the ODI party! How do you think he did it, boss? Scored all those IPL runs, simple as that. There’s nothing more, nothing less to it, so don’t go around giving me gyaan. Ganguly knew this too, he could have come of retirement had he scored more runs in IPL2. With the blessings of Lalit Modi, any player from any zone can stake his claim to the national side.
It’s still not over for Ganguly and the 2011 World Cup – there’s IPL3, and luckily for him it will be held in India. A good showing there, top of the order, and he could be in the running for 2011, also to be played in the sub-continent. This of course does not mean that VVS Laxman harbour hopes to play the World Cup. For right now he can’t even play in his IPL team.
It’s still not over for Ganguly and the 2011 World Cup – there’s IPL3, and luckily for him it will be held in India. A good showing there, top of the order, and he could be in the running for 2011, also to be played in the sub-continent. This of course does not mean that VVS Laxman harbour hopes to play the World Cup. For right now he can’t even play in his IPL team.
Where were you on 21st May, 1997?
I was in Manali going downhill as was the Indian cricket team. Saeed Anwar scored 194 painful runs. The only point of interest, can we stop him from his double?
You must realise this was when ODIs still held my interest, and Anwar still held us hostage. I had a strong suspicion Anwar only scored his runs against us. For one, I’m not sure whether he even played other teams.
Then there was the world’s ugliest batsman, Ijaz Ahmed; Mr Grace, Inzi and the marauding Moin. And of course, a pre-pubescent Afridi was also there. Afridi is always there.
I was blessed to be on holiday, and not in the confines of a TV lockup. The updates I gathered were from market radios, and that day the markets crashed.
Rahul Dravid scored a hundred that day, and today, some guy called Charles Coventry clocked 194 again. Incidentally, Dravid also returned to the one-day fold. Is 194 lucky for him or what?
Malgudi Cricket Club (MCC) from Swami and Friends
Just as I entered Tamil Nadu (by train) this morning, the images of R K Narayan's "Swami and Friends" came to my mind. I remember watching that TV series as a child and can't forget how Swami, Rajam and Mani, schoolboys from the imaginery town of Malgudi, decided to form their own cricket team called the "Malgudi Cricket Club" or the MCC on the lines of the Lord's based Marylebone Cricket Club.
Swami was definitely the fastest bowler in the team but I just can't remember the name given to him by Rajam for his fast bowling skills. Was it "Tate" after the famous English fast bowler of the time "Maurice Tate"? Any clue....
Men in glasses see the ball better: Charles Coventry 194 not out.
First Bangladesh beat West Indies then they beat Zimbabwe who went on to beat Bangladesh. Basically they are all losers.
You could say that, but then you haven't watched the Bangla Zim ODI series, neither have I really, expect, the odd over here and there.
That's usally when someone scores a hundred. Today, this bloke called Charles Coventry made 194.
Ten years back he was their youngest first class player. Looks like he's still a first class player.
So what if he plays for a third class team?
Rahul Dravid returns.
If this is to ensure that India keeps out the short stuff, i don't know how its gonna work.
Will including Dravid collectively improve the technique of Raina, Gambhir and Yusuf against the bouncer?
As i see it, there's one more pair of old legs in the field now alongside Sachin.
Instead of working on the so called chink in the armour, we have decided to go a step back by bringing out the old Wall after 22 months of absence from the ODI format.
Might work in the short run, but how long are we going to defend the young guns?
Time for some seaming, bouncy wickets at the academies?
Of Course we won't use them in home matches, every country has to offer different challenges. But we gotta learn to bat in other conditions too.
Also, SA skittling us for 66 at home or even NZ rolling us over for 78 is not very enjoyable.
Prafs can also be found bowling wides down the leg side at Right Arm Fast
Cricket Freedom.
What with India’s 62nd Independence Day, the whole freedom routine’s rubbed off our cricket too:
1. Indian cricketers’ freedom from the clutches of WADA’s ‘Whereabouts’ clause: whereabouts they will achieve this freedom is known – in BCCI they trust.
2. Sreesanth’s freedom from the heavy hand of Indian cricket in some far away English county.
3. Dravid’s freedom from that test cricket tattoo, gate-crashing the ODIs through the IPL – a more bizarre revolt in cricket is unknown.
4. Bhajji and MSD’s freedom from conservation: the Hummer. What next, the U.S. army? Afghanistan.
5. Ganguly’s freedom from John Buchanan. A freedom struggle that likened India’s non-violent revolt, a stoic and resolute Dada withstood the verbal canes of the goras, only to emerge as the father of the Knight Rider nation, again.
6. India’s freedom from cricket. Come again, when last did we play?
7. England's freedom from cricket. Come again, when last did they play?
The Contenders
It came up the other day, in the bored meeting, that who'd be taking up the middle order slots once Sachin, Rahul and VVS retire from tests.
i kept trying to think of three names who could be the replacements but no one is an automatic replacement.
The Contenders:
Rohit Sharma : The Mumbai kid who seems to be favored a lot by the selectors. looks 27 at least, but says he is 22. Looks good when he gets going. Has a lot of time when playing his shots. Rameez says so. flashes a lot outside the off stump though.
has the shots, but does he have the temperament to make it at the biggest level? has flattered to deceive on a lot of occasions. Might as well turn out to be a t20 specialist.
S Badrinath : Has been a consistent performer for TN over the past few years. Has a sound technique. Could well be the next RD. Surely, deserves to be given a few chances to prove what he's got. Admittedly hasn't been too flash for chennai in the IPL, but he looks like someone for the long run. But, he's 29 now, is it too late already?
Cheteshwar Pujara : BCC!'s beloved Che has been scoring runs in truckloads in the domestic circuit. His scores in crucial stages of last years ranji and deodhar trophy prove that he can cope with big match pressures. Also, has a good technique and can be difficult to get out. Being only 21, he has age on his side too. hope that knee injury he got, doesn't hamper him too much, like yuvi. Che for one, looks like he can walk in to replace one the big guns.
Manoj Tiwary : Watched him bat against Mumbai, in the ranji trophy. Looks like he belongs at the highest stage. Is an aggressive batsman who doesn't mind using his feet against the spinners. injured his shoulder before his debut against bangladesh, wasn't given enough chances in the Aus tour. Definitely deserves a go.
Suresh Raina : Has had a fairly successful run in the limited overs format. But a flaw in technique has been exposed against the short ball. But Ganguly played quite a few years without ever improving his play against the short ball, While Sehwag looks to have improved on the leg side play with the addition of the pull. No reason why Raina can't make a change. Again, has the shots, but is there enough temperament?
there might also be a few wild cards in Abhishek Nayar, Ajinkya Rahane, Y Venugopal Rao.
Mohammad Kaif anyone??
Prafs also blogs at Right Arm Fast
Zim and Zaks
I finally watched Zimbabwe play. There was more integrity to them than the West Indies Z side. For one, it’s tough to recall what political mush they’re in, there’s a liberal sprinkling of dark and white skin, they look like a UN peacekeeping side.
So they look ok. But actually they aren’t because former keeper captain Taibu isn’t there. Nor is Andy Flower or Henry Olonga.
Btw wasn’t Olonga the first bowler to make Zaheer feel like a batsman? And wasn’t Zim the first team to make Zaks feel like a bowler – who can forget those yorkers, how they zoned in on those little Zim feet.
Which begs the question, for Zaheer to make a strong comeback, what does he need 1) County cricket 2) Zimbabwe 3) Lesser bowlers to team up with
Btw who was the first black cricketer to play internationals for Zimbabwe? And no, it wasn't a Flower child. Happy Woodstock 40th Anniversary. Here's to independence.
An uncertain D. Barry.
At the table, when Dave Barry’s book in the little heap catches my eye. I’m thinking the cricket stats' man – now is he Dave Barry or is he David Barry? Turns out the stats' man is David Barry. Then I google Dave Barry, comedian, for cricket, and this is what I get.
child prodigy krishna...
don't forget to rub your eyes in between or they might just pop out...
happy janmashtami to all!
Of all the reasons to sack John Dyson
I was shocked to hear of John Dyson’s sacking. For one, I didn’t think he was still coach. How could he be, after all he did for West Indies’ cricket?
But now that he was coach, there was no way they could sack him. For a guy who couldn’t read, he sure did go far. Guess we’ll all remember him for calling the Duckworth Lewis wrong and helping West Indies’ lose a one-day international. That it was against England, hurt more.
But that was the least of it. The sheer impertinence of the man after that defeat; did you see his reaction? He wanted to take it up with the match refs. Appears he also wanted to sue the text book manufacturers for a tight column width.
It was clear at that moment, in Dyson’s incompetence the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) saw a beacon of hopelessness, a reflection of their own ineptness, and the generally acceptable standards of foolishness: Be a dunce today, for tomorrow we die.
John Dyson was their man. It did help that he shared John Buchanan’s first name. And he was an Australian too. He may not have been a Greg Chappell, but then nobody’s imperfect.
The Ricky Ponting Nightmare
It’s not about his form, or anything to do with the English. It’s what an Indian saw in his sleep. Ricky on the floor, back against the wall in some nameless corridor. The dreamer walks towards Ricky, squats to speak. All this while Ricky’s pasted with this inane grin, you’d think he just won the Ashes. He also agrees with the general opinion Indians have about him. Around that point, the chat moves towards Ricky’s pulling prowess. Mores inane smiles. You’d really think he was stupid.
Bored Turns One!
Last summer when I was vacationing in the USA, a new cricket blog started doing the rounds.
It was called "BCC!" and it was being promoted by Naked Cricket, Straight Points, and some others.
At the time I didn't pay much attention to it. I was on vacation so I just frequented my usual cricket blogs such as the ones mentioned above.
When I got back home I decided to check out what BCC! was all about.
Soon I realized that BCC! was a blog that brought together the Indian Cricket Bloggers Mafia.
For a long time that's the name I had for it on my Blogroll over at Well Pitched; I called it the mafia because BCC! was a platform designed to take over the world of cricket blogging and it was controlled by the best of them in the market.
Put together the best of men trying to take over a market and what you get is the mafia!
It wasn't long before I got an offer from Naked Cricket, the brains behind this mafia, to become a part of BCC!
I took the offer up without hesitating and soon I also became a part of the elite members of the bored.
Today, a year later, BCC! turns one and guess where I am?
Yep, the USA again!
How time flies and how life comes a full circle of sorts; and what a year it has been for cricket, for blogging, for the bored members, and for BCC!
What haven't we been through; the list is endless.
The creation of Jatman, talking about the Shakibbing, eavesdropping conversations between bored peons and neons, singing the bored anthems, whooping Australia's ass at home in India, thanking Sachin Tendulkar, inviting bored guests to write, playing IPL games, holding bored meetings in Delhi and Dubai, wondering what makes Jatman tick, covering World T20 games LIVE, a MasterDebate between a Pakistani and Sri Lankan, converting "teri maa ki" into our very own franchise!, getting into WADA's pants, hiring our very own informer in Khufiabaaz, and what not...
As I said, the list is endless!
You think of all that and then you wonder; all this in only a year?
Imagine, what BCC! can achieve in the years to come.
This is just the beginning; there is a long road ahead, and with a start like this, the mafia is truly set to take over the world of cricket blogging.
Happy Bored Day BCC! and a hearty congratulations to all you Bored Members, Bored Guests, and Bored Visitors.
Q also blogs at Well Pitched
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
