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I am old. For perspective on my age, when I was in the flush of youth, the pager was the new status symbol. If you had it, you flaunted it. While the rest of us looked on in envy.
I am also an Engineer ( notice the capital E). A B.E (Comp Sci.) to be precise. Whose starting salary, fresh out of college, was Rs 7500 (gross). Both points are salient for the rest of the narrative.
When I first visited India after emigrating to the US, the words "BPO" and "outsourcing" were yet to be conceived.. Variants of outsourcing had been happening when I was a part of the Indian workforce, but had yet to capture the public imagination.
By the time of my third visit to India, BPO was the in thing.. Kids barely out of junior college, and some still in junior college, were working in call centers, handling back office operations for a lot of the biggest multi nationals around.
With starting salaries of Rs 10,000 or more.
Imagine that!
Kids who did not even have a college degree were making more money than I did AFTER I had gone through the rigors of Engineering and secured myself a job. And what did these 16-17 year olds know about fiscal responsibility anyways? It is mighty dangerous to give so much money to one so young, they do not know its value.. Its all easy come, easy go for them.
And dont you know, because of the easy money on offer, these kids will have no ambitions. Why would they want to become a Doctor or an Engineer when they can make so much money so easily? What will become of our future generations?
These were but a sample of the arguments I forwarded decrying the existence of the BPOs and the "easy money" kids were making.
And there was another. Look at these kids sitting in swanky offices ( in air conditioning).. At the same age, we would be lucky to even have a ceiling fan in the room...We are pampering this generation and making them soft!
Whish is not dis-similar to the arguments Karan Thapar, Anand Vasu and scores of others are making about the "youth brigade" and the IPL.
But there is a flip side to this.. Call center workers, despite their age and the monies they make, face stresses unheard of in my growing up years.. Sleep disorder, depression, heart problems and relationship issues are some of the documented ones.
Fact is, every generation pays a price for its success. There is no such thing as a free lunch.
Which is why, Manish Pandey who "now refers himself as a celebrity, boasts about his lifestyle", finds that more than the stray man and his dog are interested in his performance in the Ranji. At the age of 18!
Which is also why Ambati Rayadu (24) and Shikhar Dhawan (24), along with Mohammed Kaif (29) and Robin Uthappa (24) find themselves becoming the forgotten men of Indian cricket!
With the exception of Tendulkar, did any of the others from his generation come anywhere close to the stresses and pressures the "IPL" kids face?
Thrugh the Looking Glass
kaif is out...
even before a single ball was bowled in IPL-2...
shocking news...rajasthan royals have axed kaif and seven other players from their team...
watch this space for more details...
Mohammed Kaif has a suspect bowling action.
It’s news to me that Kaif has a bowling action. I knew he had a suspect squatting action at fwd short leg and slip, but a suspect bowling action? Kaif was among 30 others called for a suspect bowling action. Don’t you just love to read that – suspect bowling action! How was he called – hey you, with the suspect bowling action, come here. Sarandeep Singh, another fellah, who I doubt has a bowling action, was called for a, you guessed it right, a suspect bowling action. Now, while this piece appears to have a suspect writing action, take my word, I heard it through the grapevine.
Katich & Kaif
by Naked Cricket
A law firm yes, a cricket firm, no way.
Research reveals cricinfo’s profile picture of Katich is very unKatichlike. Simon is smiling. It resembles a grimace, but it’s more of a smile. Almost scary, but then we know how benign Simon really is. Wonder why he dropped this smile? Just can’t katich.
Then there’s Kaif. He’s got his voter’s id card photo out. There should be a stamp, but adobe photoshoped it away. Wonder why they didn’t show him squatting at silly point?
But enough of the niceties, boys, both Katich and Kaif, though humble servants of the noble game, have not been long term prospects.
They lack glamour. They’re too sincere. Their ODI strike rates are low – Katich’s is less than 70, Kaif’s less than 73 – it’s 72 odd. Very odd. That’s almost like Saurav’s or Rahul’s. But 10 less on their middle aged average. Next -
Over to Marsh & whoever it was that took over from Kaif. Yuvraj?
Next – Raina, Rohit, Raina?
Rohit & Raina. A law firm yes, a cricket firm, yes too.
And how about Marsh & Hussey, David that is.
Even their profile pictures are more cricketlike. At least David’s is.
Bored to the bone.
After their no-show in the Irani Trophy, Kaif, Badrinath and Akash Chopra will be collectively called Blewett. (pronounced as Blew-it)
When spoken of in isolation, Akash Chopra will be referred to as A.C. Pre-Irani, because of the window of opportunity, he’ll be called window A.C. Post Irani, split A.C.
What’s your call?
The Mudi Blues.
(A duet by Sreesanth and Sehwag)
with Kaif as an afterthought
Mudi means hair in Malayalam
I want to pull my hair out
I have no hair to pull out
But I want to pull my hair out
But I have no hair to pull out
Chorus:
Why don’t you sing the Mudi Blues baby!
Why don’t you sing the Mudi Blues baby!
We’ve been down
We’ve been forgotten
We’ve been laughed at
Sree (rap):
OK, maybe that’s just me, that’s how it goes, no worries, no worries, I’ll be B.A.C.K - Back
We’ll be B.A.C.K, Back
We know how to spell
We know how to give the opponents hell
Ha! Ha! We know how to give the opponents hell
Sree (rap)
Me to the batsmen, Viru to the bowlers, and me to the bowlers too, ask Bhajji, hehehe!
Viru (speaks):
On my day I’m unstoppable, when it’s my day nobody can stop me, on my day I’m unstoppable
Sree (Rap):
These selectors can be so fickle - of us they make Chettamanga pickle
These selectors can be so fickle - of us they make Chettamanga pickle
Chorus:
Why don’t you sing the Mudi Blues baby!
Why don’t you sing the Mudi Blues baby!
Kaif: Knock, Knock
S+V: Who’s there?
Kaif: Kaif!
S+V:
You’ve been down
You’ve been forgotten
You’ve been…
Kaif: please let me in
Viru: Phir fielding kaun karega?
Chorus:
Why don’t you sing the Mudi Blues baby!
Why don’t you sing the Mudi Blues baby!
This song title bears only a slight resemblance to the band The Moody Blues, that is both living and dead.
Phir fielding kaun karga - then who the hell will field?
lyrics by Naked Cricket
