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Showing posts with label team selection. Show all posts
Showing posts with label team selection. Show all posts
Manoj Tiwary swears never to score a hundred again.
Manoj Tiwary scored a one-day hundred in the last match he
played for India. He was retired hurt that day. Since then he’s been hurt match
after match, overlooked for players who are the future of India.
Tiwary’s last match was on December 11th in some
other year. He top scored, was man of the match, retired hurt – how much must a
man do to play another game?
Since that Chepauk game India have travelled – from
Melbourne to Perth to Adelaide to Brisbane to Sydney to Hobart to India to
Dhaka, for some reason, Tiwary too has travelled with them.
India have played 11 ODIs from 5th Feb to 18th
March, rotated three seniors, not made either finals, piggybacked on one
batsman, but not found a slot for Tiwary.
Tiwary has possibly seen more action on twitter. His tweets
have been sane, restrained, considerate, informed. He’s been accurate with his
travel co-ordinates.
What else can Tiwary do?
A lesser man would have cracked. Is that what is expected of players who
are not part of India’s Future Star Program?
So when Tiwary gets another game he just doesn’t care – or still
worse, he cares too much. Put yourself in Tiwary’s place – you haven’t seen a
game for months, and then they throw a morsel your way and expect you to feast
on it.
Deep down you know, they don’t want you, they want that other
guy who will score 99 100s to break the record – He said so himself.
And yeah, Tiwary was born on Children’s Day. How else do you
treat him?
Also see: A case for an Indian cricketer who's not Raina or Rohit
Also see: A case for an Indian cricketer who's not Raina or Rohit
Watch the WHITE BORED 3 - Cricket Jugalbandi before the Adelaide Test with Keith Ribeiro
Produced by Roop Khanna. Jugalbandi between Keith Ribeiro and NC.
Shot on location at the Bored Room, Yawn T Roads.
Shot on location at the Bored Room, Yawn T Roads.
Watch WHITE BORED 2 - Cricket Jugalbandi (Indian team for Adelaide) with SP
Produced by Roop Khanna. Jugalbandi between Bored Members SP and NC. Shot on location at the Bored Room, Yawn T Roads.
Why was Piyush Chawla picked?
The selectors are huddled together with their lists of 15 players that make the cut for the World Cup. A technician plugs the video conferencing equipment, and gives them the go ahead.
Meanwhile in South Africa, Kirsten and Dhoni sit with their list of 15 players. Piyush Chawla is doubling up as the technician as he sorts the video-con stuff, giving them the thumbs’ up.
Srikkanth: WhatDoYouCallit BOSSDhoniCanYouSeeUsClearly
MSD: Well ofcourse Piyush has made some very good arrangements
Srikkanth: BossWeHaveOur15KaList..
MSD: Of course and we have ours…I think the injured players pick themselves
Srikkanth: WhatDoYouCallIt SachinShewagGambir
MSD: Of course they will be there and there are other injured players that will be very fit by the world cup even fitter than the fit players now becoz they will not be playing or exerting themselves at all and getting of course all the time to work on their fitness..Praveen Kumar and Ashish Nehra
Srikkanth: BossTheyAreInOurListTooThatIs5PlayersWeHaveHandShakedOnBossGaryWhatDoYouCallIt
Kirsten: Sounds good
Srikkanth: I’m CON-FI-DENT ThatWhatDoYouCallIt RainaAndYusufWillBeCON-FI-DENT ChoicesToo
MSD (sounding a tad nervous now, looking around, wears his keeping gloves) : Of course
Srikkanth: BAJJIWillBeThereThatIsAndMunafTooBoss
MSD (even more nervous starts clapping with keeping gloves) Of course…are you forgetting someone
Srikkanth: YuvrajSinghViratKohliWhatDoYouCallItZaheerKhanBoss
MSD (Now very itchy, starts waving his gloves as if arranging a field) Well Of course, are you forgetting someone…
Srikkanth: WhatDoYouCallItVijayHasBeenSHITBossEvenICan’tGetHimInSorryBossButAshwinShouldPlay
MSD (Removing sweat from brow with his keeping gloves): Of course, I think we are missing someone…we have 13 players…and every team needs a…wic..
The transmission snaps…and MSD is left with his words hanging in the air
Piyush Chawla meanwhile gets busy, checks the wires and gets them going again…
Srikkanth: WhatDoYouCallItChawla??? BossWhatIsChawlaDoingThere…
MSD: Of course he is helping with the technical side of things and all and we have 13 players now….Sachin, Sehwag, Gautam, Yuvi, Kohli, Raina, Pathan, Bhajji, Zaks, Nehra, Munaf Patel, Praveen, Ashwin but are we missing something every side needs a wicketkeeper…
Srikkanth: BossWhatDoYouCallItShouldWePlayParthivPatelAsTheSecondWicketKeeperBoss…
MSD (much relieved, breaks into a smile, shows teeth): Well of course we can consider that once we have picked the first wicket keeper and that is why I have been saying for sometime that are we missing something and you know how it is Cheeka
Srikkanth(laughs) : BossSeedhaBolo…YesIThinkWeCanPickMahendraSinghDhoniAsWicketkeeperFirstChoice
MSD: Who will be the 15th player now..
Piyush Chawla is hanging around with a hopeful yet utterly hopeless face…he seems like a pathetic little mutt who hasn’t eaten in days…he looks into camera and all at once woos Cheeka
Srikkanth (overcome with emotion) MaiBhiBaapHoonIAmAlsoAFatherAnirudhaWillVouchForThatWithCON-FI-DENCEHahhaHaHaIHopeSoBossHahahaICannotSeePiyushChawlaLookSoSad...HeWillBeWhatDoYouCallIt....The15thPlayerBoss
Just then the door swings open and Rohit Sharma walks in sweating profusely after a net.
MSD (to Rohit): Well of course...you are late by 10 seconds Rohit Sharma...
World Cup XV - why wait till tomorrow?
The World Cup might be weeks away with plenty of ODIs in the intl calendar still to be finished, but the ICC in their infinite wisdom wants the teams to announce their final XV next week. Clearly having worked their magic with the bungled FUDRS, ensured that all grounds will have patented designer roads instead of pitches, and designed a format that lasts longer than the IPL (we might have made that last bit up), the final squads need some special attention.
This edition more than anything else will be remembered as the WC where batsmen went medieval on bowlers. While in the past, a Lanka run through a Kandy shop was an exception, par scores of 325 and teams chasing down 350+ (goodbye England!) more than once will be the norm. India don’t have much a choice but select a lineup that is loaded on batsmen and viagra.
Openers: There are no ifs and butts…the baap-beta combo of Sachin and Sehwag gives India the edge. Given his recent form, Sehwag needs to chill. Sachin meanwhile has the license to milk.
Teesra: India have tried Irfan, Raina, Nohit, Uthappa and even Dhoni as a floater at the 3 spot but the only one that is not a Joker is Gotham City. Depending on the match situation (and whether Sachin is still around) his role will be equal measures carefree Bruce Wayne and clinical Batman.
Middlemen: This is where India have can shuffle the deck and each time land a trump card. Virat has the runs and temperament to cement a spot. Yuvi is the Oxford definition of a flat track bully and with Raina will use the crowd for target practice. Pathan is the probably the biggest hitter in the team and will enjoy the shorter grounds and slower wickets. Nohit needs more runs than shots of JD. More importantly he needs to prepare for IPLchar (Go Mumbai Indians!).
Keeper: If the selectors waste a spot on a backup keeper, call in the Mossad hit squad. Or get them to face Dale Steyn without protection.
Slow Arm Filth: India has the most spinners this side of Cricket Australia. There is value in Yuvi’s pie chucking and Raina, Pathan and Viru can be handy as well. They will also get us more wkts than Twatajhan. Don’t think there is much room for another specialist spinner here but if needed Ojha should get the nod over Ashwin. Both are complete muppets with the bat and playing either at the expense of Pathan seems a waste.
Medium Fast Bowlers: Every option in our pop gun attack is a liability: Zak with his anytime, anywhere injuries, PK Dubey with his slow yorkers and even slower bouncers, Ishant and his hair (only ever works for Pak cricketers) and Sreesanth…well…being Sreesanth. India really can’t get go much wrong (or right) with any combination but Nehra should get a look in.
Final XV: Sachin, Sehwag, Gambhir, Virat, Yuvi, Raina, Pathan, Dhoni ©, Harbhajan, Zak, Sreesanth, Nehra, PK, Ojha, Nohit.
X factor: A chanceless knock from Yusuf Pathan will be the gamechanger for India. But has he wasted that innings already on NZ?
Cup Ka Mujrim: IPL?
by Sunny
You can follow Sunny on his twitter page @sehwagology and like him at facebook.com/sehwagology
Nobody was picked, Nobody was dropped.
I feel a little small again. Like I did when I made the team. That day I made the teamsheet but none of the headlines. That I'm used to, now I don't even make it to the fine print. It's always for guys like Yuvi, Yusuf, Sachin sir. When they return, when they're unavailable, when they're dropped.
So I made a comeback, so what? So I got dropped, so what? Was I even in the team? I have all sorts of questions in my head. First I used to feel like a somebody. But that lasted a few days around my debut. I was so happy to be noticed, it was almost too good. Bhajji talked to me, and MS Bhai encouraged me, I still remember those hugs in Mohali. I will never wash that shirt.
But after that, I've been more out than in. And even when I'm out, nobody notices. Not even the papers in Haryana. Then again they say they do not read papers in Haryana. I spoke with Viru bhai, he said I too should start tweeting, everybody reads tweet. But I know, nobody will follow me, I'm a nobody.
Sometimes I get crazy ideas, like that beard I grew. I was also thinking of wearing a blond wig to get noticed, but Gauti said, don't be stupid. I decided against it, Gauti is a good friend.
In between I started to wear Ed Hardy t-shirts like everybody else. It wasn't easy, at the store they said, "Oye, tere paas body nahin hai...kya pahenega" Then I pulled out a clipping of my debut and stuffed it...they shut the f*** up. Sorry, I don't like to swear but I hate it when people treat me like a nobody. Maybe because I know I am a nobody. But I still feel if they drop me the press should say something. It feels good being noticed.
Thanks for listening, and finally my motto is "Nobody is Perfect"
A Mishra (one day I will make it The Mishra!!)
One more batsman please
At the team selections there was just one question that clinched it for the bowlers – does he bat? No, does he really bat? If India needs 9 runs of the 20th over in the semi finals, can he hit two boundaries under pressure?
Yes, I’ve seen him hit two fours under pressure.
Pick him, nothing more to ask.
Ok, and what about exhibit No. 2 – in addition to bowling how many runs has he scored in the IPL?
I remember, on one occasion he hit Ishant Sharma for 2-3 fours in an over.
In the IPL?
Yes, yes, in the IPL.
So, that means if India needs even 12 runs in the finals, and he’s in – he can do it.
Yes, yes. In fact there’s another batsman, even he hit Ishant Sharma for a lotta runs in one over.
Pick him also.
Problem, he’s retired from T20 internationals.
But he hit Ishant, yaar – convince him.
He’s a very big player.
Ok, pick the other one, the boy who bowls – even he can hit Ishant.
No one asked about his bowling form, his IPL run, when he last played for India, why he was dropped.
You can’t blame Piyush Chawla for making it the Caribbean. He’s just in the right team at the wrong time. As for Mishra and Ojha, there’s the IPL, and the odd ODI they play, the occasional test.
And they must work on their batting to be picked as the second choice spinners. Or is it third, fourth? Does Angad Bedi bowl, bring him on while you’re at it. Areh yaar, uske baap ko...
Play, don't play politics.
Take some risks on the sidelines tonight
Choose a team that can deliver the fine lines tonight
Choose a team that can dodge the mine fields tonight
Open your heart surgery to the world tonight
Pick that quiet boy who’s nobody’s favourite toy
How do you know he’s no fun to play with?
When you've won so many a game with him
Why do you say he’s so much fun to play with?
When you’ve lost so many a game with him?
Kill the backroom politics
This is sport, not politics
Play, don’t play politics
Play, don’t play politics
Take some risks
A new face, from some forgotten race
Take some risks
Open your heart surgery to the world tonight
Take some risks
Look at that kid from a forgotten state
Take some risks
All he needs is a gentle push
And he will shove the world
For you
Take some risks
It’s a risk worth fighting for
It’s cricket pop!
It’s your cricket pop song
You’ll be the one who
Took some risks on the sidelines tonight
Chose a team that delivered the fine lines tonight
Chose a team that dodged the mine fields tonight
Opened your heart surgery to the world tonight
Picked that quiet boy who was nobody’s favourite toy
He was so much fun to play with
He won you a game
Because you played him, not politics.
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