In that all too familiar manner, the Pakistani cricketers have once again managed to find themselves in a deep hole that they have dug for close to a decade and a half through match fixing. How does a team manage to find itself in the spotlight so often for sport unworthy reasons?
In a country where many things are going horribly wrong beginning with the impotent governance and the now added burden of the floods on its cities that have already been ravaged by terror attacks, cricket was among the few things that gave them some respite. But now with the match-fixing allegations ably supported by relatively conclusive assortment of evidences, the gashes on a recuperating Pakistani side have once again opened.
Where do the youth go wrong? Most certainly the lack of role-models in the side has had an adverse effect on potential bowling power houses like Mohammed Aamer and Mohammed Asif. The senior players or lack of those so to say, are themselves kindred spirits in the art of ‘figure it out yourself’. Younis Khan and Mohammed Yousuf who are constantly at loggerheads with the PCB have not the slightest chance of steering the ship to safety, unless they get their acts right. Shahid Afridi, the rebel, is perennially in a state of war with the one-day and Test cricketer within him. So who gives time to these boys who are at an impressionable age, where money can outstretch their knees just enough to earn them a thousand pound no-ball? The first look says, the bookies are nurturing them young and profiting well.
The feudal setup of Pakistani cricket is an extrapolation of the how things are in the country. Imran Khan dominated and reigned in some of the most explosive talents in world cricket. His presence, without an inkling of doubt, had a direct influence on Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Aquib Javed. In the two decades since Khan’s retirement there has not been a single influential leader in the side who could take the team with him. No wonder then that there has been no one to pay it forward.
Atleast in the present scenario Salman Butt has refused to step down from captaincy, which otherwise was the standard response at the first sign of trouble.
Wisdom comes through experience alone. An individual’s lessons come through observation, and in the bad world of international cricket, if that gaze is set upon the wrong imagery then he better buckle up for a hard fall.
If the allegations are conclusively proven to be true, then the guilty players will be punished severely. The great shame for the game would be the possible loss of a talent like Aamer, who at 17 has already seen the rise and the fall of speckled career. The youngest to take fifty wickets in Test cricket, a boy who out-classed Tendulkar in his first match against India. He was yet another great Pakistani pacer in the making.
Often the cricket set-up in Pakistan leaves a lot to be desired, especially when a young career terminates itself owing to the negligence of senior members of an establishment. Let us hope that the game survives yet another scare and the gentleman’s game stays true to its name.
cricket,loss and its aftermath
The biggest trouble with Indian cricket is the space it has allowed the media to create for ex-cricketers to announce their expertise on the cricket team’s loss and reasons behind this departure to national shame. Isn’t it always the case that when the Indian cricket team embarks on a huge tournament like the World Cup (so what if it’s a T-20 tournament that is most often repeated in a calendar year), the same commentators on cricket put the team on a pedestal of absolution, forgetting their previous follies?
The team in Caribbean for the T-20 Cup is nowhere close to being the best by even Indian standards, forget world standards. It was prophesised well in time by the majority of cricket comprehending population that a disaster was waiting to happen and the “I told u so” saga was to continue. West Indies played their cards right and unleashed the style of cricket they were always famous for; short deliveries and cold looks. India too did what it was always incapable of; playing those short deliveries. No special report or an investigative team needed to reveal blatant inconsistencies in the batting armoury in countering top class fast bowling. More than half a century of test cricket has proven to be insufficient practise for Indian batsmen in playing rib cracking pace bowling, so why blame team composition and M.S.Dhoni for yet another early exit (unless the usual pre-tournaments yagnas and pujas have a say) from a tournament fast losing its value.
Barbadian pitch is suited for quick, short skull shattering bowling. It was one intended to allow the batsmen to feel the heat. India should have gone in with at least three fast bowlers. But, wait. Does India even have three genuinely fast bowlers who could make a dent in the opposition? Vinay Kumar could be medium fast occasionally if the wind on the day could be of assistance. He won’t have much luck at this time of the year with that kind of gale force wind. In that case Dhoni’s choice of going in with Nehra and Zaheer, his best available opening options was justified. As to why he picked Jadeja, for Pete’s sake the boy is as talented as any out there. Sure he had a bad time, maybe if Chairman ‘Mao’ Modi could accommodate Jadeja in one of the franchisees rather than banning him, the lad would have salvaged some valuable moments of match practise. The elite club of ex-players believe that team composition as usual was flawed. ‘After a flogging from the Australians why would Dhoni go in within the same team’ is the post-mortem conclusion. But who can Dhoni bring in without breaking the balance of the side that is already being held up on crutches.
Each loss reveals the panic everywhere around the team especially in the studio of a news channel, where great predictions and elaborate analytical features torch themselves in a self-preserving ritual, saving them for the next big tournament. For once leave team India alone, leave IPL alone, and stop blaming the coach. All that requires to be done is to put an end to five-point formulae to set things right, that a so-called cricket expert has constantly been preaching to unsatisfied cricket lovers. For once relax the shrill tone and just watch some good, old-fashioned slam-bang cricket!
What the IPL is worth
So, what is the big deal with making money? India in its entirety strives to push up its economy to sustain a 9 percent growth, just to break the shackles that bind a third world country to perpetual poverty. Somehow reason melts away when it comes to making money in sports especially in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
The vulgarity of money in sport is often cited to reverse the trend of the money spinning IPL. In this country, aspiring MBA graduates slog for years to get into some of the top B-schools to secure their future with some mind-boggling figures on their pay-packets. Why is the grotesque nature of education not highlighted which now has become a money spinning option for savvy and opportunistic business minds.IPL is after all a game of cricket that has taken a nation’s fancy, and the game’s success was already written with fluorescent paint on the walls for years, much before IPL was even conceived.
Through IPL, BCCI made Rs 182 crore in broadcast rights, Rs 350 crores a franchise fees, Rs 122 crore through sponsors in 2009 alone and whopping Rs 8,200 crore 10 year deal with SETMAX, the official broadcasters. The new entrants, Pune and Kochi, had to dish out close to Rs 1500 crore to pocket a team. The figures are jaw-dropping no doubt, but is it sensible to blame a business idea just because it is generating revenue. Purists believe that money would stain the game and that it has already set forth the process of degeneration.
It is vital to understand that capital is needed to strengthen the game from its foundation up. With millions of starry-eyed youngsters taking to the game in the smaller pockets of the nation it has become all the more important to accommodate their needs. BCCI surely has to put all this dough to good use. Before the popular rising of cricket, the second tier towns and cities had provided Indian cricket with few cricketers. This ceased to be the case in the years succeeding World Cup victory in 1983. Mumbai, Karnataka and Hyderabad were the centres for the game before, now a Jharkhand lad captain’s team India.
It is important to ensure that the money is used properly and intelligently. There surely is a need and space for transparency in the bidding process, but it is the post-bidding actions that really matter. None of the money involved is illegal, at least not to anyone’s knowledge. Again, why so much commotion for money? There was a time when exhibition matches were a regular feature on the cricket calendar which were stitched in just to lend support to a cricketer who had hit a rough patch financially. The game supplied precious little for the greatest stars of a bygone era. A test match game earned them Rs 300 or maybe Rs 500 at most, not much even if one played for the love of the game. Now, with the huge sponsorship and broadcasting deals and sponsors to support the game there is enough and more to provide a pension and certain benefits to all retired Ranji and international players.
Beyond the financial aspect, the opportunities that IPL has thrown up are innumerable. Would we have discovered a Ravindra Jadeja or a Sourabh Tiwary if it wasn’t for the IPL? IPL has plucked players from obscurity and placed them in the lion’s den, where if one does survive, he becomes a hero else, at least he is remembered for a momentary passage of time. For many aspiring cricketers this is as big as it can get. For a young cricketer in Kerala for example, the news of an IPL franchise must be a step closer to a national cap. It, for many players will be the closest they might ever come to playing international cricket. But it is a great opportunity to show-case skills and be in the reckoning for a brighter future.
The next argument would be the influence of money on young minds and the detour they might take from their present pious existence. If all these apprehensions were viable then this world would be unbelievably sinful to live in and Tendulkar would not be half the cricketer he is recognised to be. He exemplifies what passion for the game requires a young mind to do and thereby allow finances to take care of itself. In anycase why this circumspective notion that money will in some way become a vice for the upcoming players. In that case there are enough spoilt kids around who manage to do reasonably well.
In a recent inaugural Annual Review of Global Sports Salaries by sportingintelligence.com the IPL stood second only to the NBA. Now isn’t that a success story for a six week event. There is a market for the game when a national sport like hockey is marred by controversy every other day and all corporate attempts to resuscitate the game have failed miserably. There is a transitory awkwardness in accepting this format of the game. But IPL’s permanency is inevitable unless something dramatic happens. All the money the in world can only enrich the game not countdown its demise.
Playing like champions
It’s not easy for a home team to bounce back after receiving a drubbing from the visiting side, especially when the losing side is ranked number one in the Test arena. M.S.Dhoni for the first time in the tenure of his captaincy featured on the lost to column of the scorecard.
The second Test in Kolkata is baptism by fire for Team
The South Africans started off valiantly after the loss of their captain Graeme Smith to his nemesis, Zaheer Khan. Smith has become Khan’s bunny. His inability to cope with the incoming delivery is a chink in his armour, and Khan has inevitably gnawed at this open wound.
Hashim Amla is possibly among the most under-rated players in international cricket today. His no-fuss cricket attracts very little attention, but his scores are antithetical to his method of play. He along with debutant Alviro Petersen steadied the innings, both going on to score centuries.
The beauty of Test cricket was laid bare on the first day of the Test match here in Kolkata. The game changed hands in a matter of 30 minutes.
What God giveth,
The fall of Sehwag’s and Tendulkar’s wickets within an over of each other must have set the cat among the pigeons in the Indian side. But there is something special about Laxman at
The Indian team is fortunate to have a good leader in Dhoni during tough situations and his century is the perfect way to lead by example.
The Indian team has once before famously won a match at the same venue against an invincible Aussie side. Now there is an encore.
India treads a new path
India’s path to the top of the ICC points tally has brought joy to a land teeming with cricket fanatics. This journey has not been a cake walk. It has been a cumulative effort that began two years ago, post Guru Greg.
| | ||||
| Period | Tests | Won | Lost | W-L ratio |
| 1960s | 16 | 3 | 13 | 0.23 |
| 1970s | 30 | 6 | 12 | 0.50 |
| 1980s | 39 | 3 | 12 | 0.25 |
| 1990s | 39 | 1 | 15 | 0.06 |
| 2000s | 56 | 19 | 19 | 1.0 |
| | ||||
| Period | Tests | Won | Loss | W-L ratio |
| 1960s | 36 | 6 | 8 | 0.75 |
| 1970s | 34 | 11 | 7 | 1.57 |
| 1980s | 42 | 8 | 9 | 0.88 |
| 1990s | 30 | 17 | 5 | 3.40 |
| 2000s | 47 | 21 | 8 | 2.6 |
statistics: cricinfo.com
The era of McGraths, Warnes and Gilchrists saw the Aussies rising and cementing their position at the top. This decade saw Steve Waugh’s bunch contributing to the cause of Aussie supremacy. The reasons behind their success were manifold and not superstar individuals. On the contrary,
In defence of Agassi
He came into the scene more as a punk rocker, with a hairstyle that flustered even the most liberal tennis fan. He wore denim shorts that had little semblance to the white conformists wore, carried a kit that lit up the darkest night and yet was a precocious talent who could dumb down the voice of his fiercest critic.
Andre Aggasi was the poster boy for dissent. From his stint at the Nick Bolletierri Tennis Academy in Florida early in his tennis life to the middle of his career, he remained a rebel.
Now at 39, after a long-drawn career studded with eight Grand Slam titles and a career Grand Slam, a consequence of a gold medal in the Atlanta Olympics, Agassi has opened a chapter that could be potentially catastrophic to his revamped image. After revealing that he had experimented with drugs in his yet- to- be released autobiography Open, he seems have invoked the ghosts from his past.
Crystal methamphetamine was rampantly used by the German military in World War II to keep their spirits high. Although tennis has no relation to war (except maybe a McEnroe –Connors match), the pressures of professional tennis is as nerve -wrecking. Agassi’s tryst with crystal meth began at a time when he was down in the dumps personally and professionally. His marriage to Brooke Shields had failed and his performance on the Tour was at best, ordinary. In the book he says that he was introduced to the drug by his assistant ‘Slim’. He writes, “I snort some. I ease back on the couch and consider the Rubicon I've just crossed. There is a moment of regret, followed by vast sadness. Then comes a tidal wave of euphoria that sweeps away every negative thought in my head. I've never felt so alive, so hopeful -- and I've never felt such energy.” He failed the dope test in 1999 and was later on let off after he lied to the ATP by stating that he had accidently consumed a spiked drink. Why was such an incident not dealt with in an appropriate manner? Any other sport would have brought in a ban for a couple of years on the player.
Agassi rebounded from what most people considered his descent into obscurity by winning the two Grand Slams and thereby ending Pete Sampras’s reign as the top rank player. Obviously this cannot be done with a mere sniff of crystal meth. All those people vying for his blood ought to realise that his position in history will never be toppled.
ATP has only itself to blame for letting Agassi off the hook a decade ago. These revelations are a testament to his desire to be contrite. For a man who retired from tennis in 2006 Agassi could have led a cushy life as a commentator or just continue his fabulous philantrophic work. Penning an autobiography with scandalous content is a choice Andre Aggasi has mindfully made. He regularly works with inner city kids at the Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy. He must believe that by opening up his life he has only set an example for these kids.If this is the case, he will also elevate his position in the eyes of his most ardent supporters who otherwise have been dissapointed.
Boris Becker said he was shocked to hear the news on Agassi’s confession. He also went on to say that Agassi could have been using the drug in any of 14 matches that they played against each other. Incidentally Becker lost 10 of those to the might of the Agassi’s return of serve and not to any stimulant. In any case a man of Becker stature should only support him, considering he was under a lot of fire after he fathered a child out of wedlock and which eventually earned him a divorce. These so called Apostles of morality should paddle away from opinions that have little consequence to man who is certainly pouring his heart out.
Andre Agassi has always turned a new leaf when confronted with criticism. Be it his appearance at Wimbledon’91 in a pristine white outfit or his rise World No.1 in 1999 from the darkest phase of his tennis career.
It will be sometime before he kisses goodbye in trademark Agassi style and till then he shall remain a rebel at heart .
Andre Aggasi was the poster boy for dissent. From his stint at the Nick Bolletierri Tennis Academy in Florida early in his tennis life to the middle of his career, he remained a rebel.
Now at 39, after a long-drawn career studded with eight Grand Slam titles and a career Grand Slam, a consequence of a gold medal in the Atlanta Olympics, Agassi has opened a chapter that could be potentially catastrophic to his revamped image. After revealing that he had experimented with drugs in his yet- to- be released autobiography Open, he seems have invoked the ghosts from his past.
Crystal methamphetamine was rampantly used by the German military in World War II to keep their spirits high. Although tennis has no relation to war (except maybe a McEnroe –Connors match), the pressures of professional tennis is as nerve -wrecking. Agassi’s tryst with crystal meth began at a time when he was down in the dumps personally and professionally. His marriage to Brooke Shields had failed and his performance on the Tour was at best, ordinary. In the book he says that he was introduced to the drug by his assistant ‘Slim’. He writes, “I snort some. I ease back on the couch and consider the Rubicon I've just crossed. There is a moment of regret, followed by vast sadness. Then comes a tidal wave of euphoria that sweeps away every negative thought in my head. I've never felt so alive, so hopeful -- and I've never felt such energy.” He failed the dope test in 1999 and was later on let off after he lied to the ATP by stating that he had accidently consumed a spiked drink. Why was such an incident not dealt with in an appropriate manner? Any other sport would have brought in a ban for a couple of years on the player.
Agassi rebounded from what most people considered his descent into obscurity by winning the two Grand Slams and thereby ending Pete Sampras’s reign as the top rank player. Obviously this cannot be done with a mere sniff of crystal meth. All those people vying for his blood ought to realise that his position in history will never be toppled.
ATP has only itself to blame for letting Agassi off the hook a decade ago. These revelations are a testament to his desire to be contrite. For a man who retired from tennis in 2006 Agassi could have led a cushy life as a commentator or just continue his fabulous philantrophic work. Penning an autobiography with scandalous content is a choice Andre Aggasi has mindfully made. He regularly works with inner city kids at the Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy. He must believe that by opening up his life he has only set an example for these kids.If this is the case, he will also elevate his position in the eyes of his most ardent supporters who otherwise have been dissapointed.
Boris Becker said he was shocked to hear the news on Agassi’s confession. He also went on to say that Agassi could have been using the drug in any of 14 matches that they played against each other. Incidentally Becker lost 10 of those to the might of the Agassi’s return of serve and not to any stimulant. In any case a man of Becker stature should only support him, considering he was under a lot of fire after he fathered a child out of wedlock and which eventually earned him a divorce. These so called Apostles of morality should paddle away from opinions that have little consequence to man who is certainly pouring his heart out.
Andre Agassi has always turned a new leaf when confronted with criticism. Be it his appearance at Wimbledon’91 in a pristine white outfit or his rise World No.1 in 1999 from the darkest phase of his tennis career.
It will be sometime before he kisses goodbye in trademark Agassi style and till then he shall remain a rebel at heart .
A State of War
‘Naxals are nothing but cold-blooded murderers’ said the tagline on an advertisement posted by a desperate government that is trying to curb the sphere of influence of an extremist rebellion of Maoists. This desperation must come as moral victory to these violent elements that sustain themselves by exploiting the population of the most backward areas in
From a violent uprising that started in the small hamlet of Naxalbari in Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal in 1967 to its flowering as the chief dissident ideology in
Of all the regions under Naxal control, the tribal belt of Dantewada in Chattisgarh is the most affected. Chattisgarh has the worst indices of wealth misdistribution and income inequality. Dantewada presents a grim picture of malnutrition, starvation deaths, illiteracy, abysmal health facilities and unsafe drinking water. This region is blessed with rich natural resources which paradoxically is a curse on the population of these regions. The natural richness of this area means that it remains in the clutches of exploitation by the industry-State nexus. The tribals here voice their opinion against the treatment meted out to them through bloodshed and savagery that represents Naxal ideology. The abominable state of literacy at 39% -one-third of the national average - adds to the plight of the inhabitants. Poverty is endemic to this region.
The highest number of incidents of violence has taken place in four worst-affected states -- Chhattisgarh,
Even though the Naxal attacks remain rampant, the Prime Minister has refrained from utilising the armed forces against them. The government has unveiled a Rs. 7300-crore developmental work plan in areas not under the control of the Naxals. Armed resistance should be the least used option. Rehabilitation and restructuring of the developmental and industrialisation plans is the need of the hour. The developmental policy regarding the increase of private investment and ownership in mining and forestry is a cause of concern. This type of development was the initial reason behind the alienation of tribals since they saw their communal methods of ownership and freedom being curtailed and destroyed
The present aim of Naxal ideology is not seizure of land and crops but the ultimate capture of State power. Elections and all democratic norms of engagement have been trampled over. They continue to attack capitalism and feudalism, the bane of the social structure according to their thinking. The state and central governments continue to develop plans to contain and eliminate the Naxal movement.
This movement encompasses around 98 percentage of all Left wing extremism. The now infamous Salwa Judum is a part the State’s counter insurgency strategy which empowers the locals, majority of whom are unemployed. Salwa Judum has become a tool that the government uses in its witch hunt against any opposition, Naxalite or otherwise. It is a strategy that has backfired on the authorities. This organisation of Special Police Officers who are mostly youths, have done grave injustice to the very cause of their formation.
Salwa Judum has been accused of using minors for their operations, abusing women in the settlements and killing tribals on mere suspicion of harbouring Naxal elements. The Bharatiya Janta Party and the Congress have been accused of encouraging Salwa Judum. Human Rights groups have also protested against the activities of this organisation.
In
Naxalites are flexible in their tactics and methodical in executing their plans. It is high time that the government implemented all its developmental programmes in these regions, and at the same time, used force against organisations which de-stabilize the State and the country. Naxals are not misguided elements but a genuine threat to the nation's well being
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