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WI Look to Revive Cricket back Home

2011-02-08T13:04:00.000-08:00

Team which has seen the highs of 70s look to resurrect the sport back home
With Chris Gayle and a solid middle order with inclusion of Sarwan in the lineup, West Indies may still spring a surprise in the subcontinent, ala 1996.
With the cricket world cup just days away, in the days leading up to the opener at Dhaka, I’ll be analyzing chances of eight top test playing nations for the coveted crown. Today I look at the West Indies.

After a long deliberation and contractual issues surrounding the top brass of the side, the squad from the Caribbean has been announced with the inclusion of all the four members which, either were not part of the contracts or had voluntarily skipped it.

There’s a lot going on with the West Indies at the moment and most of it has been away from the playing field. With IPL contracts coming in way of a few players obliging for national duties and players not being payed there past due match fees, the WICB has faced turbulence like never before. However as the world cup approach and as we look at the squad, all do not seem lost. In fact the side looks a strong one barring a tear away fast bowler, like a Fiedel Edwards. Having seen the exploits of Chris Gayle in India in 2002 and the stunning 50+ average of Ramnaresh Sarwan in Indian conditions were the side plays five of their six group games, I am pretty certain that the team is going to give every top side a run for their money.

Yes off course, they are not one of the hot favorites to be in Mumbai on April 2nd, but I would not be surprised if they come very close of doing so. With the likes of Chris Gayle and Sarwan at the top of the order and a destroyer in Kerein Pollard lower down the order, it will be interesting to look at how the competitors in its group look at West Indies which I believe will carry a surprise package in the tournament. This squad has played the least number of ODIs in the last year or so and that could work firmly in the two time world champions favor, as not many sides would have experienced the torment of Pollard who I feel is even dangerous than even Afridi. He took his Caribbean franchise T&T to a stunning win couple of seasons back in the champions league T20. Same can be said of Darren Sammy the captain and Adrian Barath who, I believe will partner Gayle.

When the premiere event was held in the subcontinent last time around some fourteen years back, no one gave Richie Richardson’s men a hope, things got worse when Kenya produced a most famous upset of the world cup in Pune. But the team fought back and toppled Australia in the league phase before Brian Lara produced a magnificent knock at Faisalabad to rip apart a strong South Africa line up and take his side to the semi finals. They lost by just five runs at Mohali, collapsing from 170 odd for three to be bowled out for 202. Hence, to say that West Indies have got no chance whatsoever this time around, would be a naivety, however it does not by any mean make them the hot favorites.

Weaknesses lie in their spin attack, with pitches in India responsive to finger spinners; I can’t see the likes of Sulaimann Benn or Nikita Miller bringing nightmares to opposing batsmen on the eve of the matches. Similarly the fragility in the lower middle order means that Sarwan, Chandrapaul and Gayle have to fire in order to post high totals which will be required under those conditions. The ideal scenario would certainly be if Gayle can fire on the cylinders in the first fifteen and then likes of Bravo, Chandrapaul and Sarwan carry the side to the last dozen before the team unleashes Pollard and Sammy in the batting power play. But as with everything in this world, nothing goes to script, because if it did then there is no fun in doing anything. And that is where the biggest hurdle of the West Indies lies. I do not see any other players taking responsibility in times of crisis. If Gayle fails to deliver and the middle order folds in a couple of games, the team does not have a Yusuf Pathan, or a Misbah ul Haq to take them out of the mires. Similarly if two of the regular bowlers get cartered all over the park (which is perhaps a strong certainty on Indian tracks), the team do not seem to have aYuvraj or Sehwaag, who can come in and bowl a few overs on dustbowls. Yes they have in Pollard, Sammy and Bravo, three genuine all rounders, however they all are medium pacers and its that monotonous attack that could sink the side.

Taking all these aspects into consideration I believe it will be tough for the West Indies to even reach the knock out stage, but if they manage to do so, then I will not count them out to go all the way as they have the firepower in the batting to topple any side. On a final note as a cricket lover, I would love to see this team does well as the sport needs it. People back home are diverting away from cricket to various American sports, a successful world cup campaign would go a long way in resurrecting cricket in the Caribbean

Kiwis Look To Bounce Back from the Mires

2011-02-08T13:00:00.000-08:00

After having faced humiliating whitewashes at the hands of lowly Bangladesh and a grade C India line up, New Zealand will be aiming to turn the tables come 19th Feb.
The most amazing part of playing in the subcontinent in the months of Feb, March and April is that the pitches would be conducive to hit through the line and even batsmen with mediocre technique would look like a million dollar. Hence, players who would struggle in seaming and bouncy conditions say in Newzealand, England or South Africa would end up making loads of runs when they come down to places like India and Bangladesh. This is the reason why I believe Newzealand may still have a slim hope of producing outstanding results in the coming world cup, because otherwise, the side looks devoid of firepower in bowling as well as batting.

Having said that, kiwis have always had a team with no big players in it, barring Richard Headlee, so anyone counting them out can do at his/her peril. But a lack of genuine all-rounder, someone like a Chris Cairns or Chris Harris (remember that 131 against Aus in 1996 WC), could mean that there long tail be exposed against the spin and guile of Murali, Mendis and Harbhajan.

Off course they have in Jacob Oram, a hard hitting all rounder down the order, but over the years injuries and form have taken a toal on this lanky 2metre giant. I was going through his performances in the last couple of editions of the premiere event, and that conspicuously tells me that a lot would depend on him if New Zealand have to go deep into the championships. He took 14 wickets at an average of 21.07 in the ICC CWC 2003 and then scored 165 runs at an average of 33.00 and took 10 wickets at an average of 25.20 at the ICC CWC 2007. Apart from him, the team will be more dependent on the likes of McCullum brothers, Taylor, Ryder and Vettori. Also I am impressed by the pace and aggression of Hamesh Bannett who resembles Shane Bond in more than one ways.

So where does New Zealand look weak if the side has decent batting and bowling. Well the weakness lies in the application, or lack of it shown by both, the batsmen and bowlers while playing in the sub continent. They start decently against pace on flat decks, but go in their shells even against part time spinners which puts immense pressure on the lower order to up the ante come the final straight of the innings. As is termed in athletics, the race is won and lost from the final bend onwards to the finish line and that is where kiwis are faltering. If they do not apply themselves and keep playing as if this is a T20 big bash, then the results would continue to be dismal.

Fifty overs today is a long time, a span in which you can lose early wickets and still rebuild to a sizeable total, or a period in which you can get hit for 90 in the first ten and still bowl out the opposition for a meager target. Hence John Wright, along with Vettori and company need to strategize in a manner through which, the team can play at a nice pace and yet preserve wickets for the batting power play and the final assault. I always believe when sides play in subcontinent, it is the batting which makes the difference.

Another aspect of their game which I am sure any kiwi supporter would be frustrated with, is the continuous shuffling at the top of the order. India toured down under in 2009 and the way Ryder played then, showed that he is born to open and smash from bowl one, more so on the featherbeds in the heat of Mumbai and Bangalore, than anywhere else. Yet, the team management is trying out different players at the opening slot. If Brandon McCullum is not keeping and you have Ryder in the eleven, will have no doubts in my mind to open with both of them in the world cup. Also I do not see a place for Jamie How in the side, as apart from one blistering knock against England in 2008, have not seen him either, score briskly or stay at the wicket like a Kallis or a sedate Dhoni, major part of the innings. The selectors could have looked at other batsmen for the middle order as opening would require the players to score quickly in world cup conditions.

Looking at their group, I see that they will face tough opposition with Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Kenya to content with, apart from Australia. The first three sides have got top notch to decent quality spinners in their ranks and hence it would be interesting to watch the kiwis tackle all these teams. As for the match against Australia, it sounds strange but I believe Newzealand have their best chance in this one with Hauritz getting injured and no Hussey in the ausie lineup, kiwis might just topple the kangaroos.

After taking all these considerations, I believe the team is devoid of a genuine bowling all rounder and has a slightly longer tail than others. If the top 3, that is McCullum, Ryder and Taylor do not fire, I see them struggling against quality spin. Hence for me, they will do well to reach quarters, similar to the West Indies.

The National Predicament of Holding Sporting Events

2010-09-21T20:56:00.000-07:00

With the commonwealth games just days away, Authorities in India shiver after shambolic pre games preparation efforts that have been protracted over half a decade.

It was a day of elation and celebration as the biggest democracy of the world got hold of, what was thought at that point, a giant step towards holding the Olympics or the soccer world cup. But, that was more of an ambition of a nation looking to be a world power by 2020, today; this all seems a fairytale turned into a nightmare. But being from the same part of the world, this has not come as a surprise for me. Except for Cricket, which is more of a religion in India, the nation lags miles behind the world in terms of facilities and infrastructure. So much so, that few of the world events before this fiasco were on the brink of being shifted to Europe or Australia.
If anyone has interest in field hockey, he would remember the kind of administrative struggle IHF (Indian Hockey Federation) faced earlier this year in holding the world cup. So much so, that the federation was dissolved and elections were held in lightning speed to bring a sort of transparency at the helm. An infrastructure failure lead to a disastrous badminton world championships a few years back with water dripping at the indoor stadium . Hence this is not the first time and with the things the way it is, this does not look like the last time.
So, what is wrong with a nation that has got world class sportspersons, scholars and business minds? Someone alien to conditions in India would be asking why is the nation so much obsessed about holding world events when it struggles to do so? The answer lies in the kind of commitment organizers, administrators and the national government shows in something that do not directly impact them in person. Well, then how come the same country boasts of two successful cricket world cups and the path breaking Asian Games of 1982. Again, the answer lies in the level of commitment.

Let’s look at cricket, a sport run by an autonomous body, BCCI (Board of control for cricket in India). Jagmohan Dalmiya, the head of the BCCI during the mid 90s vowed to make cricket a marketable commodity. He was the kingpin in bidding and winning the right to host the 1996 world cup cricket jointly with neighboring Pakistan and Sri Lanka. A path breaking event, which showed India as a nation which means business and which is second to none. But, all this did not happen in matter of days. From the day the vision of an event of such magnitude was thought off, till the day the first ball of practice matches were bowled, BCCI did everything to make the event, one of a lifetime, and by the time the final was held at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, the board and the world cup organizing committee received unprecedented praise from all over the world. Yes, in 1996, the infrastructure was more or less ready, but how? It was because in 1987, with the world cup looming, Raj Singh Dongarpur marketed the event to the corporate world from which a clothing and warehouse firm came forward to sponsor the event. Again a kind of effort that the commonwealth games of today yearns for. Imilarly, Indira Gandhi, the then Prime Minister of India, took the things in her hands in order to make the 1982 Asian Games a showcase to show the world where India stands after three and a half decade of independence. Hence if we look closely, the one thing common to these three organizational success is a sense of pride and a level of sheer commitment on the part of the government and administrator in order to showcase the best they have to offer.

Now, let us analyze how India went about the commonwealth games. The nation bid for the games as it had done a few times before, may be having a notion that the bid may fail again. Ironically and should I say against the expectations of the bid committee the only other nation reaching the final bid stage was Canada. Since the North American nation wanted to host the winter Olympics, it did not go full fledge for the other bid and hurray, India gets the chance to host the second largest games in terms of nations after the Olympics.

This clearly shows the fault start to a marathon of hosting a global sporting event that started about six years back. The marathon turned into a 100 meter dash which is now right at the home stretch and probably that is a real life proof why a fault start means a fresh start for any athletic event. But in the case of CWG 2010, it transformed into an ordeal which I fear may end up marring the image of a nation which is aiming to be shanghai by 2015.

Hence I believe, unless administrators, like the sports minister who compares this event to a typical Indian wedding in which everything is haphazard before the main ceremony but on the D Day all falls in place, are replaced by event management gurus, India will remain an aspirant of hosting an Olympics.

5 more Buzz tips: post by email, follow the Buzz team, and more - Official Gmail Blog

2010-05-20T04:00:00.000-07:00

5 more Buzz tips: post by email, follow the Buzz team, and more - Official Gmail Blog

SEO EXPERT DELHI : Sonika Mishra: Official Gmail Blog: 5 more Buzz tips: post by email, follow the Buzz team, and more

2010-05-20T03:56:00.000-07:00

SEO EXPERT DELHI : Sonika Mishra: Official Gmail Blog: 5 more Buzz tips: post by email, follow the Buzz team, and more

Tendulkar, The bradman of ODI

2010-03-01T14:31:00.000-08:00

December 1989, national stadium, Karanchi. A one day international, which was turned into an exhibition match because of poor light conditions turned out to be a turning point in not only the cricket history of India, but, the sport as a whole.

Sachin Tendulkar, at the age of 16 years took on the might of the Pakistan bowling attack, with the likes of Wasim Akram, Imran Khan, and Abdul Qadir, with such ease and authority that for once Imran Khan complemented the young boy by suggesting that he is the only tiger in a team of lambs. For a player Pakistan to shower such accolades on an Indian player was thoroughly unprecedented, most of the cricket fraternity took notice of that particular innings and a star was in the making. Just for those who do not know, Tendulkar smashed Abdul Qadir for three consecutive sixes, and that was after he took apart Waqar and Imran. India lost the match by just five runs but Tendulkar won a billion hearts.

I have been following the cricket as well as the life and times of Tendulkar from this very day, and I had no doubts in my mind that one day this prodigy from Mumbai would break Sunil Gavaskar’s records, but I had no idea as to the zenith of his achievements. Last week, he did what many thought was beyond him.
When you think of someone who has been a stalwart in his discipline over two decades, who has mystified the world with his eloquent behavior of the field and has mesmerized the world by his stroke making on it, you would say, what is left for him to achieve? What drives him to go all out each time he is on the field. I guess the answer lies in his passion for the sport. The drive and urge to just play for India, no more and no less.

It has been months since last time I wrote anything on this site, and am as lazy as the fat lady to write these days, but it’s a pure pleasure when it comes to putting thoughts together for a person who has been the epitome of success for over two decades. Today Sachin boasts of innumerable records in both forms of the game. If there were no bradman, tendulkar would have been the king of cricket by a long way. It is just unfortunate that we cannot have the great Don and the Bombay bomber playing in the same era. The debate over who is better between the two has again got momentum with Tendulkar smashing 200 in a one day knock. I feel there should not be any debates over matters which are generations apart. Bradman played in an era when pitches were uncovered, matches use to take place under what we call today, bad light and poor field conditions, add to that the bodyline series which caught, all accept the great bradman, by surprise. Apart from that there was a small matter of the Ausie playing without any protective gears. This all leads me to think that if he were playing today, even with brilliant fielding, analytical tools, enhancement in bowling skills, Sir Don would have scored with the same rate and average as he did about seven decades back.

Think of it, if we look seven decades further, we may get someone playing akin to Sachin and then there would be a further debate as the one doing the rounds today, hence I believe these comparisons would continue eternally.

Hence its better to concentrate on the present. Today and arguably till now, there has been no batsman apart from Tendulkar, who have taken the one day cricket by storm.He is growing in stature and performance with time. After the catastrophe of the 2007 world cup, it seems the genius have found a motivation in adversity to perform at the helm and lead India to what many see his only uncherished dream, a world cup win. One of the television commentators once said, statistics are like short skirts, they reveal more than they could hide. Same goes for the man who currently holds the record for most number of centuries, most runs, most half centuries, most man of the match awards, and the most recent, highest individual innings score in one day internationals, he is simply the best the one day game has seen and may remain the best for a long time to come.

Today, as the world of cricket has been taken over by the Lalit Modis and the IPL, there are very few batsmen who would attract more than capacity crowds to test matches, Virender Sehwaag is one and to an extent Gilchrist or Hayden in their prime may have done the same, but is their a better sight than watching Tendulkar go on the front foot to a seaming delivery and punching it down the ground for a trademark boundary? Would anyone care if that shot is played in a test or a twenty -twenty? I guess not, and that’s what makes greats like Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar, special.
People struggle to come to terms with his balance on field and in life. Carrying the burden of more than a billion people, Tendulkar has been a true ambassador of the sport. I hope that in the remaining career of his the batting genius would continue to bedazzle the world with his master class on the field and his humility of it.

Sachin Tendulkar, The greatest Cricketer from India

2008-10-22T12:54:00.000-07:00

On becoming the highest run getter in test cricket, I present before you as to why he is regarded one of the gentleman of sport.
15TH November 1989, a 16 year old boy took to the field in a pot boiler of a test match at Karanchi. At that point of time, no one would have imagined that nearly 19 years later, he would be regarded as one of the greats of the sport.
At the PCA ground in Mohali this week, Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar would be looking to overhaul perhaps the most coveted record that cricket has; of being the player to aggregate most runs in test history. Although, the fact that he was to reach this feat was pretty evident years ago with the way he has been batting over the years, now that he has reached that milestone is auhas been a consistent perform throughout his career. Apart from that, Tendulkar has been a magnificent ambassador for the nation as well as the sport. And that’s exactly what makes him a legend. There have been players of similar if not better talent and performance than him, but what sets him apart is his ability to conduct himself on and off the field.
There has hardly been any controversy related to him, the Mike Dennis saga was the only time his name came to the forefront, when he was accused of tampering with seam of the ball and thereby bringing the sport to disrepute, but he came out of that with flying colors. We have seen the likes of Brian Lara, Ricky Ponting, Mark Waugh and Shane Warne, but when it comes to a complete champion, none of them can match this Mumbaikar. He has been a picture of concentration on the field and a true gentleman off it. I have never seen him show any sort of reaction to umpiring decisions, and he has had some horrendous shockers in the long career of his.
Even after amassing nearly 30,000 international runs and smashing over 80 international centuries, Sachin has been a player who has always come up and helped the youngsters. He has been polite and down to earth like an ordinary person. Everybody knows what he has achieved on the field, but what sets him apart is his tremendous conduct and respect for people and the sport. During one of the tours abroad, he went to the venue riding on the floor of the bus. The reason for that can be anything but for him to agree for that was amazing.
He has opened the batting order in one day internationals when Navjot Sidhu was ill on a seaming track at Eden Park in Auckland and smashed the bowling to all parts of the ground for a magnificent 82 off 49 balls. After that there was no looking back. People have said time and again that Sachin plays for records, but I feel most of his two decades in the national side has been spent when the team lacked strength in the batting order and he had no option but to play his part. I do not think that he played selfishly at any point, its just that after playing over 150 tests and 400+ ODIs, you are bound to speculate on some of his innings.

Talking about Innings of his, I would like to point out few of them which shows why he is a master with the willow. Five of his best knocks over the illustrious couple of decades. Top of the ladder remains an innings of substance that launched Tendulkar into limelight. 114* at Perth in 1992, an innings that was played against the tide, batting on arguably the fastest track in the world at that point of time, against a bowling line up of Hughes, McDermott and Reid. That was arguably the best knock I have seen him play. Next in line would be 136 against Pakistan at Chennai, just like the previous one, this one also could not help India win the test but they were parrelesly close in doing so. India lost by 12 runs and Tendulkar was weeping in the dressing room, most of his innings, the maestro was nursing a back spasm.
Another test knock of his is of course 116 against the Ausies at Melbourne in 1999. The boxing day test went to the hosts but Sachin stood out tall amongst the ruins. Edgebaston 1996 is another occasion when Tendulkar tried his level best to take India out of a hopeless situation with a well compiled century on a treacherous track. Last but not the least is the century at Newlands in Cape Town. 169 and a tremendous partnership with the then captain Mohammed Azharuddin.
I hope in the remaining days of his career, he can rewrite the history books further.

Author: Asif Islam, A dedicated sports lover since 1989, following closely the various aspects of popular sports worldwide. Writting articles and analytical reports on players and events since 2003.Email - asif2311@rediffmail.com

Time to transfer reigns to Dhoni

2008-10-22T12:47:00.000-07:00

If India wants to become a world beating side, some tough decisions need to be taken and the first of which centers around Dhoni and permanent captaincy.
After the successful tour of Sri Lanka, I pointed out on the fact that Mahendra Singh Dhoni need to be provided with more responsibility and that its time to hand over the test captaincy to the wicketkeeper batsman. After witnessing the overwhelming success of the team in the Mohali test, I am convinced the sooner it’s done, the better it will be for the team.
With all due respect to Anil Kumble, who is a pure gentleman himself, as well as a marvelous leader, India currently is going through a transitional phase and it’s apt with the current form of the leg spinner that he cordially sacrifices his place for more than a solitary reason.
One, he has been a defensive captain, and as well that statement might seem an inflammatory one, I believe the way he lead the side in Bangalooroo had a semblance of India of the late nineties, a team who looked at the sport in a sedate orthodox manner, rather than being innovative and aggressive.
Am sure a lot of the readers might not agree with me, but after having followed the fortunes of the team over the past two decades, I feel Kumble has shades of the way Azhar used to lead the side. Waiting for things to happen, patiently awaiting a mistake on the behalf of the batsmen when proaaction was required. A true example of that being fact that when Australia were five for about 150 in the second innings of the first test, he did not go for the full monty and waited till the tourists declared.
As for Dhoni, he played the Mohali test in a simple manner. He never looked in two minds in any situation. When aggression was required, he came out one down and peeled of a half century. Even in the first innings, he took on the ausie attack in order to transfer the pressure that they tried to put with the wickets. A swash buckling 92 was a magnificent exhibition of the mindset of the Indian captain. That aggression got transferred when India bowled and even when Australia came out firing all cylinders, Dhoni kept his cool and tried the option of spin as early as the eighth over. It’s not that while attacking or at being aggressive, Dhoni loses cool and all hell break lose, but he keeps his whist about himself and produces his best under pressure.
The other reason why I want Dhoni to lead immediately is off course Amit Mishra and the form of Kumble. Mishra got this opportunity after being in wilderness for half a decade. This was his debut test and what impressed me the most was not only that he took seven wickets but the fact that the Ausies were clueless about his googly. They were only picking him from the pitch, which is quite reminiscent to the way the world was being bamboozled by Kumble himself with his faster ones during his prime. I feel there is no way that Amit can be dropped from the Delhi test and hence I believe Kumble needs to do a Nasser Hussain and let this lanky bowler take his place.
Why I am more adamant at this transition is because Kumble has lost the zip that he had earlier and the results are proving that. He has been toothless against Sri Lanka, South Africa and in the ongoing Border Gavaskar Trophy. A season back, if I would have told you this could have happened, no one would have believed, but the fact is, at 38 Anil Kumble is well past his best and it’s time for him and Indian cricket to move on. A player who use to gobble up wickets in subcontinent conditions, was struggling to get even tail enders. Only a dozen wickets in seven tests, craves for a change. Sure the Bangalore giant has taken 616 scalps in his career, but there is always a time in a career of player when he needs to look beyond self, for the good of the side.
Today, we stand on the brink of snatching the Border Gavaskar Trophy from the world champions, but if this transition does not take place immediately, I feel India will be robbed of some innovative and well needed captaincy from Dhoni, and may well be from the trophy itself.

Australia on the downslide

2008-10-22T12:37:00.000-07:00

At Mohali, India handed the world champions, their heaviest defeat in eighteen years. Are the glory years of the team from down under, over?
Although it’s premature to say that the glory days of the world champs are over, but with such a humiliating loss to India, bells are ringing in more than one way against the current Ausie line up. Whether you call it transition or a lean patch, but the fact remains that the current lineup of the cricket world champs, lack that X factor. When Ricky Ponting lead side landed in India, the reporters here were debating whether this was the weakest line up to have toured India, I was of the opinion that yes, they have lost few players to retirement, but had the belief that, as any touring Australia line up, they will pose a lot of trouble for the hosts.
Half the tour has passed, and the evidence that has come from the matches played, show that, the very spirit which was reminiscent to any Australian side, is missing from this one. That is ‘Gum shun’. A spirit to fight till the last breath. A true example of which, is the final day’s play at Mohali when India still needed to take five of the visitor’s wickets, and the tourists caved in meekly. It was hence of rd to believe when, with a dozen overs remaining on the final day at Bangalooroo, Ricky Ponting agreed for a draw when he needed just a couple of wickets to get into a feeble Indian tail. I am wondering if this is the same Australian side, which uses to fight for every inch, which turned the Chennai test of 2001 on its head when India needed just a further 20 to win with seven wickets in hand, to nearly snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
Throughout the Mohali test it seemed there was only one side playing on the ground. Even when India lost Dravid, Gambhir and Laxman in quick succession, Ponting and Australia could not take the initiative and defensive fields were set. It’s ok that in 2004 Adam Gilchrist took the tourists to their first win in 35 years in India, by having unorthodox, imaginative and at sometimes ultra defensive fields, but when a side had slumped from something like 140 odd for one to about four down within ten runs, some sort of attacking instincts were called for from the Australians in order to combat the likes of Ganguly and Tendulkar, who I must admit, must have been aware of what the opponents were looking for. Eventually India put up an imposing total which lead to their spinners strangling the Ausies to death along with Ishant Sharma and Zaheer Khan.
Probably now we can safely say that the champions from down under are missing the likes of Warne and McGrath. The exodus of Langer, Gilchrist and Martyn in the batting department has surely taken the sting off the top order as well as the lower middle order. I still remember Gilchrist coming into a pot boiling situation at 5/99 in the Mumbai test of 2001, taking the attacks to the hosts, smashed 122 in no time to turn the tide towards the visitors. Imagine him being in this side and the difference he would have made. Also the opening partnership of Hayden and Katich is not providing the starts that we are so use to seeing when Langer was accompanying Hayden.
Coming to the bowling front, the whole lineup of 2004 (the last time Australia toured India), has changed in this tour. With no Glenn McGrath or Shane Warne, the tourists are lacking the strike bowler while the absence of Michael Kaspowicz and Jason Gillispie, means that it’s hard to stop the bleeding of runs. People talk of Warne & McGrath but they forget the impact players like Kaspowicz, Gillispie or a Bichel had on a test match, not just with the ball, but in the case of the latter two, with the bat as well. Who can forget Gillispie helping out Steven Waugh to a memorable century at Kolkata in 2001.
I feel, as in the late eighties, today, Australia is at the beginning of a downslide which will see them lose more matches than expected, and if the arrogance of the batting remains the same as was seen with Ponting and Hayden in the second innings at Mohali, this slide will be steeper. What they require is some solidity, both in batting, bowling and captaincy, and I feel it will come with time.
Hence I believe India has a great chance to pounce on this glorious opportunity and wrap the series in Delhi as the Australians seems to have gone a bit too far in their love for arrogance, gamesmanship and the belief of being world beaters.

Leading From the Front

2008-09-16T07:18:00.000-07:00

By capturing the tri nation series in Australia as well as the one day series in Lanka, Mahendra Singh Dhoni has achieved what no former skipper of India had done since independence.
People said he lacked technique of crafting an innings. His state side did not find him fit enough to dawn their colours when he was a youngster. On field he looked unblemished but at the same time somewhat careless while batting. No one gave him a chance at the tp level of the game to succeed the way he has done. Today on completion of an year as the one day captain of India, I present to you my thoughts over the career and persona of this Jharkhand stalwart.
Born and brought up in a small city of Ranchi in Jharkhand, Dhoni tasted success the hard way. With conditions below par at his state association grounds and limited fascilities, Dhoni started of as a simple young cricketer. The fact that he wanted to be a soccer player rather than what e is today, is something not many are aware off. He was a good goalkeeper for his school side and looked good to make a career in the same. But as he grew, his love for cricket increased and he went on to play for the under 19 side. After that, there was no looking back as he played a magnificent series for the India A side in Kenya to catch the eye of the selectors, who after the retirement of Nayan Mongia, were in search for a solid stumper. At that point of time India were clueless abouth the specialist keeper spot. The position was taken randomly by the likes of Ajay Ratra, Deep Dasgupta and Parthiv Patel, to name a few. But none were able to cement his place in he side.
So much was the uncertainty in these keepers’ abilities that the then Indian skipper, Saurav Ganguly, went into the 2003 world cup without a specialist keeper with Dravid doing the honors. In the same year Dhoni emerged as a prolific scorer and a reliable keeper at the first class level. He was drafted in to make his debut in ODI against Bangladesh. Althoug it was not a dream debut by any stretch of imagination, Dhoni did impress with te gloves. Is big chance came during a six match one day series against Pakistan during which at Vizak he came out at No. 3 and blasted 148 in no time to stun the arch rivals. The way he batted was totally unconventional but effective. He showed that day that he can command a place in the squad merely as a batsman. Though India went on to lose the series, they had much to take home in a new wicket keeper batsman sensation, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who played without fear and commanded solidity at the crease with his aggressive stroke play ala Virender Sehwaag.
Since then Dhoni has come up in leaps and bounce. With a 183* against Sri Lanka at Jaipur (The highest individual score by a wicketkeeper in ODI), the Jharkhand champion proved that his 148 against Pakistan was not a fluke. Soon he became a regular member of the test squad and in Pakistan in 2006, with follow – on looming heavily on India, he made a magnificent century and in the company of Irfan Pathan, took India to safety at Faisalabad.
The debacle of the world cup in the Caribbean saw a flutter in the camp with Rahul Dravid made the skipper of both tests and one day internationals. But a few ordinary performances with the bat from The Wall saw him stepping down from the responsibility just before the all important tour of Australia. With no immediate solution at hand, the board made Dhoni skipper of the limited oers side. Before this decision, he had fashioned one of India’s biggest wins in the 20-20 world cup in South Africa, leading the side in a high voltage summit clash against the old enemies Pakistan, Dhoni made some bold decisions to show the sharp cricketing brain he had. It is probably this success that lead selectors to chose him as the one day captain.
Down under, where India have never performed well, specially in the shorter version of the game, Dhoni lead the side remarkably well to script probably the greatest win of all time, equivellent to the heroics of Kapil’s Devills in 1983. Beating Australia in there backyard ws the first for any Subcontinent side in one day format. And if this was not enough, the lanky wicket keeper batsman showed the nerves of steel in clinching a series comprehensively in Sri Lanka, a venue which had till this series was a nemesis for captains from India. During all these big wins, not only did he lead the side well, but with the bat, guided India to safer shores whenever they were in trouble. He moulded his extravagant game to suit the circumstances and conditions, to lead India to a couple of most memorable and unprecedented wins in Australia and the emerald Isles.
So what is it about Dhoni that sets him apart from the likes of Azharuddin, Tendulkar, Ganguly or Dravid. Probably one of his most startling feature is the way he encourages youngsters and takes calculated risks. An example which shows both thesevirtues is the fact that he gave the ball to Joginder Sharma for the all important last over in the final of the 20-20 world cup against Pakistan, een when the likes ofHarbhaja and Pathan had overs left to e bowled. He backed his instincts and Joginder, a 19 year old youngster, who delivered the goods in perhaps the most nerve wracking over of all time. That’s the kind of confidence Dhoni as in this side, and that’s where a captain commands respect. Its not that all his decisions have reaped benefits for the side, but in adversity Mahi is not the one to back away from responsibilities. After the humiliating loss in the first ne day international to Sri Lanka at Dambulla, Dhoni admitted that he was unable oto read the track and made the wrong decision at the toss. It is this admittance of Dhni that sets him way apart from other leaders. He does not shy away from responsibilities and is first o take the blame of a defeat as well as the first to admit his mistakes.
Today, only 27 and already touted as one of the best captains of India, what Dhoni has showed in the past twelve months is reminiscent to what the young India of today is made off. People who are fearless and a belief that they can come over any opposition and circumstances. With the spectacular show of India lead by dhoni over the past year, India no longer are a nation who were once said to be tigers at home and lambs abroad.Here’s hoping that the good show by Mahi’s men continue in th fourthcming season as well, in which I feel he will be crowned with the test captaincy as well.

But no matter what culminates in the future, Mahendra Singh Dhoni has written a new, glorious chapter in the annals of history of Indian cricket, paving the way for a belief that we can win against all odds in any circumstances.

Author: Asif Islam, A dedicated sports lover since 1989, following closely the various aspects of popular sports worldwide. Writting articles and analytical reports on players and events since 2003.Email - asif2311@rediffmail.com

Creating History against the Tide

2008-09-15T12:00:00.000-07:00

Capturing the second Grand Prix event of her career, Saina Nehwal has brought back memories of the great Prakash Pandukone and has rekindled the status of India as a world Badminton power, bringing back laurels in a sport which originated here
“Main toh jeet he gayee thi, pata nahi kya hua or final set mein main haar gayee, mujhe nahi pata kya hua, 9-2 ki lead ke baad hi main haar gayee”. These were the words of Saina Nehwal after capitulating in a tense three set battle with the world no. 4 Maria Kristin Yulianti in the Quarter – Final of the Beijing Olympics. She was a whisker away from becoming the first Indian to take a plunge for a Badminton medal at the most coveted stage. What happened at the Olympics was pure inexperience on the part of Saina, who just a day earlier took out a potential Olympic winner in Chen Weng. This was her first Olympics and reaching the last eight was an achievement in itself.
Currently ranked 14th in the world, Saina has earlier captured the Phillipines Open tite a couple of years back as a sixteen year old. With the win at the Chinese Taipe open, she becomes the only player from India to have won two Grand Prix events and yet she is just 18. In a sport which is dominated by the East Asian nations like Indonesia, China, Malaysia and Korea, it is a refreshing sign to see a player from India doing so well. She has achieved all this, against all odds. With scuffles between Sports Authority of India (SAIL) and the national badminton federation, the players were in a lurch. Unfazed by the lack of training time and unprofessionalism on behalf of the authorities, Saina prepared hard and reaped the rewards by clinching her first IBF title at Manila. She kept her focus and did well in the warm up events leading to a magnificent last eight performance at Beijing.
This win at Taiwan will surely help her come closer to a top ten position and if she continue the good work, it would not be too long before we see her in the elite league of players fighting for top honors at World Cups and Grand Prix events worldwide. Coached by the former All England champion Pullela Gopichand, the girl from Hyderabad has captured the imaginations of millions of Indians with her aggressive style of play and agility on the court. After oneeha Aggarwal, but she is of her national triumphs, during an interview Saina was asked about her postures and mannerisms, she replied in the most affirmative fashion by saying that she was here to play Badminton and not to look pretty. She emphasized that her prime and only objective is to play to the best of her abilities without caring about the looks. This is the kind of focus that has taken her to dizzy heights in her discipline. Today she might not be a much talked about player, compared to a Sania Mirza or a Neha Aggarwal or for that matter Anjali Vedpathak Bhagwat, but she is delivering the goods in the best possible manner. Am pretty much sure thrat by the time 2012 Olympics in London come upon us, she will be a top contender for a medal
Being runner up in the world junior championships in 2006 and a national champion in 2007 at Patna, Saina at just eighteen years shows great promise right rom te start of her career and today she is continuing the great run.

We hope that in the times to come she realizes the dream of a Sayyed Modi, Prakash Pandukone or of her present coach Pullela Gopichand, the dream of winning an Olym.pic medal

Women’s Draw at the French Wide Open

2008-05-24T09:42:00.000-07:00

The European summer is upon us and its time once again for the most arduous of Grand Slams. The fashion capital of the world will whiteness a fortnight of battle of attrition between the world’s best. French Open will begin in a few hours and the contenders are few and far between in the men;s section, as Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal will vie for the coveted crown. There does not seem to be any opposition stopping them from meeting in the summit clash.

But as we look at the women’s section, the scenario is a total contrast. For three seasons there was only one lady which ruled the roost. Justine Henin left little if any hope in the hearts of her competitors for conquering the red clay of Roland Garros. But with the sudden exit of her’s from tennis, the draw at this year’s event is wide open. Last season’s runner up, Ana Ivanovic looks good, but standing right at her heels are Jelena Jankovic and the current number one Maria Sharapova.

The Russian top seed has had a tremendous season with eighteen consecutive wins before bowing out to Svetlana Kuznetsova at Indian Wells. With the Aus open under her belt, she will look to improve her record on clay, on which she won her first career event at Amelia Island. She looks in good form and with the number one tag attached, would look to add this feather in her cap.

One of the players the Siberian siren would be closely watching would be Ana Ivanovic. She has come up in leaps and bounds over the past year, losing to Sharapova at Melbourne. Ivanovic has got the strength to triumph in long baseline duals, she has the stamina to be at the courts for long hours and I feel she definitely has the hunger to lift the trophy and close the gap on Maria for the top rank. She has been playing consistently well over the past six months and being born and brought up in European conditions, the 20 year old would look to go one step better this time around and lift the cup instead of the shield.

Another player who has shown great composure in trying times has been Jelina Jankovic. Being from the same nation as Ivanovic, this tall Serbian has created a niche of her own. She has got strength as well as agility to run around, two of the most important assets needed in order to survive on this demanding surface. After having an indifferent year without a trophy, Jankovic produced the goods just few weeks before at Rome winning her sixth career title. Currently without a professional coach, Jancovic will be hard to beat with the form she is in.

Apart from these players, Williams sisters will always be the dark horses, although on clay there power will be highly diminished. Players of the likes of Dinara Safina, Chakvetadze and Dementieva would look to cash in on there favorite surface. Last but not the least, few words about Svetlana Kuznetsova who has been coming up the ladder without much notice. She looks fit and ready to upset the odds and win the crown hands down.

Its hard to guess the ladies winner for 2008

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Queen of Backhand Bids Farewell

2008-05-16T22:47:00.000-07:00

In one of the most surprising disclosures of recent times, Justine Henin quit tennis citing fatigue at her prime.

There were times when sporting personalities use to say that for a player to make debut in any discipline, he needs to have gain a certain amount of experience and for that by the time the player comes on to the world stage, he or she would be in the mid 20s. Cut to 2008, and we see players getting off the boil and many bidding farewell at the same age. Justine Henin, all of 25 yrs, gave a shock to her fans and the tennis fraternity by saying good bye to something she might not imagine a life without. A player who is still touted as the best one when it came to playing on the backhand side, Justine retired from competitive tennis just days before the commencement of the French Open, an event which she could have got a patent for.

May be its fatigue or the personal grind she has gone through all her life, the fact remains that tennis has lost probably its final player of touch and finance. Ever since the Swiss Miss Martina Hingis bid adeu again at 25 in 2007, players of her type are virtually non existent. Justine carried forward the legacy of the likes of Chris Evert, Steffi Graff and offcourse Hingis, but with her bowing out right at the top, tennis lovers will miss the spectacle of watching an artist on court, especially when it comes to women’s game.

So what made the Belgian so special. Since the age of five, she had a dream to fulfill. Even with her average height and a normal built, she practiced long and hard in a country absolutely unheard off when it came to tennis. Making her WTA debut in 1999, Henin grew in stature with every event. She had a passion for the sport, a desire to reach where her icons (Steffi Graff and Martina Navaratilova) were. During the summer of 1992, she was taken to the Roland Garros by her father to watch the final between Graff and Seles. On that day she said that one day she will lift the trophy by winning the French Open. Just a decade later and she was crowned the champion. Now after having won over $ 17 million in prize money ( seven grand slam titles including being unbeaten in paris for the past three events) people will say she had no troubles in life.

But with success comes the bogey of carrying the same. Not everyone is master at it. The talented Belgian had a turmoil period with her marriage and beyond. Her coach became her husband and just a few months back she came back square one, being single. Probably the fact that the ttouring schedule is hectic and to take personal intricacies along with that would certainly be too much for anyone, leave alone a world class player like her. May be a combination of hectic flight schedules between events and the tense personal life lead her to make such an emotional and truly unimaginable decision.
Am sure during the course of time, she will return and give back to the sport which has taken her to the pinnacle of success.

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SACHIN TENDULKAR, THE LEGEND TURN 35

2008-04-29T03:18:00.000-07:00

ON THE VERGE OF THE MOST REVERED RECORD IN CRICKET,THE BOMBAY BOMBER IS ONE OF THE VERY FEW LIVING LEGEND ON AND OFF THE FIELD.

24th April 1998, venue Sharjah, Opponents were Australia. Sachin Tendulkar took on the might of the ausie attack by the horns and scripted one of India’s finest wins. Back to back centuries at the dessert venue went a long way in him officially becoming the best batsman in the world later that year. That was the time when he looked at his level best and invincible. Seven ODI centuries that year and over 1700 runs was a proof that he meant business.
Ten years on and as he turns 35, I present before you an in-depth view of the cricketer, who knew that there were no short cuts to success.
Born in a middle class family of Mumbai, Sachin learned the traits of the sport from childhood. He went from strength to strength and his talent came to the fore in the form of centuries on debut in the Ranji, Irani and the Dulip Troppy. Partnering his childhood friend and formal team mate, Vinod Kambli, they amassed 664 runs stand in the Vijay Merchant Trophy, which was still recently a world record for any wicket in any form of the sport.
But these are just records, the fact that he had to fight for every inch and that he toiled day in and day out is a facet of his life that not many people are aware of. he used to go to the ground frequently around 4am in the morning for practice as well as in the evening he used to toil till late night hitting the ball. There were days when he went to the ground with the same shirt on as the resources were limited but he never missed the practice. His coach and mentor; Ramakanth Achrekar saw the raw talent in the genius and helped greatly in him becoming one of the best.
A couple of incidents symbolizes the determination, dedication and discipline that he has at that tender age to become one of the greatest.
During his early days, the coach used to put a one rupee coin besides the stumps and whoever gets Sachin out, used to get the coin but if the little master plays out the day, he gets to keep the same. He has accumulated 12 coins just like that, which he still marvels as his finest jewels. This shows his dedication towards the sport, I would say to which he was and is immensely in love.
Another scenario that comes to mind was during his first tour abroad to Pakistan. With the host looking for blood, Sachin, all of 16 years went on to the pot boiling Karanchi pitch with India in tatters. What happened afterwards will be stamped in the memory of all those who witnessed it.
A Waqar Younis (also making his debut) bouncer soared like a spitting cobra and took the nose of the maestro, it was broken and blood swamped out like a river as Navjoth Singh Sidhu at the non striking end cried out for help. But Sachin had other ideas, he tore the sleeve of the shirt and tied it on the nose while saying just two words “Main khelega”.
Imagine you being 16 years of age and being smashed by a cricket boll on the nose.It was extremely painful but yet he managed to gather all his energy to not only face up to fastest bowler of the time. But to have the audacity to smash him down the ground the very next ball. That symbolizes the courage, a sort of unrelenting determination, a discipline and a sense of belief that he belong to the international stage.
From there it was no looking back as he scripted one master piece after another to solidify his position as one of the world greatest batsman of all time.
Some of the gretest knocks that come to mind include that breath taking 114 at Perth(for me the best test knock of his), after which Merve Hughes, the fast bowler pointed out to his captain Allan Border, that the Indian would one day score more runs than him.148 at Sydney in the same series becoming the youngest player to make test century in the australi.122 in a loosing cause at Edgebaston in 1996 on a dodgy pitch which seemed and swung with variable bounce. He was the only Indian to come to grips with the conditions. That epic 136 at Chennai in one of the best Indo Pak test where he went beyond the limits for the nation to ignore severe back spasms and dehydration only to leave India a step short of the victory. He cried his heart out that day and did not come out for the presentation. Last but not the least, his knock off 194 not out helping India register perhaps the sweetest test win, first against Pakistan in Pakistan.
Test career apart, he even better in the shorter version of the sport. Started his career as a middle order batsman sachin showed his class in the short duration he stayed at the wicket. Playing under the shadow of the likes of Azhar, Vengsarkar, Manjarekar and Kapil the Mumbaikar use to come at five or six in the batting order. He scored number of half century before one incident changed not only his fortune but the fortune of India as a cricket nation.
On the tour of NZL in 1994, as Sidhu fell ill and in the absence of another genuine opener sachin went up to the then captain of India Mohammed Azharrudin to let him open the batting as they were playing at Eden Park, one of the smallest test venue in the world. Azhar gave the knot and what followed was an hour of scintillating stroke play from the master blaster which elevated him to be regarded at that time as one of the finds of cricket. He smashed 82 of 48 balls and was on the verge of producing the fastest century in ODIs when he got out softly.
I saw the innings and (I regard it as perhaps his best sub hundred knock) from there it was no looking back as he started scoring centuries from September 1994 and which continues till now.
But it has not been all rosy and hunky dory for the champion. In 1999 he suffered from his first major injury of the back which made him sit out for a considerable period. Add to that the sad demise of his father in the middle of the much anticipated world cup in the same year, and many thought it will take a reasonable time for him to get over it. But two days after the funeral Sachin returned to his pungent best to script the most emotional century of his career. Time went by and it looked like age was catching up on him. The next couple of years saw a little dip in his performance which ha his critics running for his head. But as they say, the real character of a person is shown when his back is to the wall.During the tour of England in 2002 Sachin smashed his 29th test century to equal Sir Don Bradman’s record. That was the year when wisden rated him second only to the Don in the list of contemporary batsmen of all time. That showed the intensity and hunger of a cricketer who until then had achieved a lot in the sport. In 2003 Tendulkar showed why he is regarded as one of the greatest. Match after match he produced innings of great importance as well as skill during the world cup to take India to the final. Who can forget his manacing 98 off 75 deliveries against the arch rivals Pakistan in a highly charged up encounter. The six over third man of Shoaib Akhtar is printed deep in every cricket lover’s heart. He was the player of the series and that silenced his critics once again. But in 2004 he suffered from the tennis elbow injury, which I must say has taken a lot out of him. He was out for months and when he strolled back to the field, looked all at sea against the Ausies.That prompted even his closest admirers (including me) to believe that the sun is setting on the genius. But as he has been doing all his life, the maestro who has the distinction of being man of the match the most number of times, scored two magnificent test tons, one at Sydney (241*) the other one as mentioned at Multan (194*). The next couple of years saw Tendulkar change his style and approach towards batting. That produced average results for him. But over the past couple of seasons he has been at his best once again. Just like an old whine Tendulkar is maturing into a run machine hard to stop. After scoring heavily against Aus and Pak at home, Sachin went on to plunder the English attack on his fourth and probably the final tour of the British isle.Following all this came the ultimate masterpiece. The most rigid critics of Sachin believes he never carries himself from start to finish to lead India to a win. All this changed in the second final of the VB Series in Australia early this year. Tendulkar scored an unbeaten century to take his team to one of the greatest triumphs of all time.
Today, after scoring 81 international centuries and over 27000 international runs, Tendulkar has achieved that many cricketers can only dream of. Still he is one of the most simple and friendly person off the field.
With his 19th season in international cricket, I believe he has inspired a whole generation in many ways than one to go for ones dreams and give it his best shot. No matter what he does from here, Sachin will be regarded as one of the legends to have played the sport.

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Australia World Champions in Cricket and Intimidation, Time to counter the manace of sledging

2008-03-07T20:26:00.000-08:00

On the eve of the high voltage clash at Sydney, where India would like to erase the bitter memories of the New Year test, I present to you the other side of the so called invincible Australian cricket team. May 29th 1999, Headingley, Leeds, in a crucial world cup encounter Pakistan took on hot favorites Australia. The enthralling battle took everyone’s breath away as the pendulum swung from one end to another as the Wasim Akram lead side beat the men from down under by just eleven runs. So what was so significant about that? Well, for those who don’t follow the records much, that was the last time the team from down under have lost in a one day international at the world cup.Time went on and the team. First lead by Steven Waugh and then by Ricky Ponting has perhaps won everything that the game has to offer. The talent and camaraderie that the team has shown, has been exceptional, and one that is hard to mach by any side till date. There is invincibility about the way they approach the game and how clinically they take the oppositions to the cleaners. Australia have proven time and again that in terms of temperament and skill, there is hardly any side that can mach them. Be it winning sixteen tests in a row twice, or winning three straight one day world cup events. Australia are streets ahead of others when it comes to big match cricket excellence. Over the years teams, especially from the subcontinent, have toured down under and felt let down on many a fronts. Apart from there performance, teams have with a silent mouth spoken of the kind of dubious umpiring calls that they have received. Its like in places like Australia, the umpires get intimidated by the manner in which the players from the host nation try to get the decisions in their favor. The matter has gone to such a point where people are talking about the art of appealing when it comes to the players from Australia. All this had lead to the ICC bringing in the ruling of making neutral umpires stand in test matches. But has that made things easier? I guess not. Rewind to the cricket world cup of 1992 and the first mach of South Africa in the world cup after apartheid. The first ball saw a big nick of the Ausie opener caught by Dave Richardson of Donald, given not out. There were no snickometers or third umpire for that matter. Cut to Jan 2008, sixteen years down the line, the face of technology as well as cricket has changed 360 degrees, but has the decisions? Andrew Symonds was out not once but thrice, but was given not out at the SCG, we had the third umpire as well as all the technology that a sport like cricket requires, still on one occasion the third umpire Bruce Oximford, went on a joy ride and gave Troy not out even when the TV replays showed he was gone. So what is there in Australia that makes it the place of a nightmare for tourists. I guess its time to have a serious thought about the state of events that take place in Australia whenever a team tours. I guess may be it’s the aura that Australia has which makes the athaurities sulk under pressure, otherwise how can one explain the fact that Ricky Ponting, the current Ausie captain goes Scot free even after abusing Harbhajan on field and mentioning it in a newspaper daily in India. Not even one person from the Ausie media or the ICC fraternity is mulling a sniff at what had conspired in the last one dayer at Adelaide. From the time of Allan Border or Mark Taylor in the 90s, to the so called invincibles of Sreven Waugh and Ricky Ponting, the behaviour of this much vaunted world champion side has taken a beating. They call it mental disintegration, probably a sophisticated word of taking a sport to the level of war. And today the side of Ricky Ponting poses a real threat to a sport which has been for long and widely regarded as one of the cleanest and gentleman like in the world. What conspired during the test in Sydney was definitely unprecedented but an incident which was waiting to happen. The Australia Cricket team is one of the best winners but perhaps the worse losers. We saw it time and again during that historic test series with India in 2001 as well as the 2003/04 Border Gavaskar Trophy. When the tide starts to turn against them, the men from down under not only lose their cool but their temper as well. Be it humiliating Rahul Dravid at Mumbai in 2001 or taking a plunge at Haarbhajan at their will, the world champion side wants to win at all costs. Avery popular and reputed writer from Australia, Peter Roebuck was categorical in pointing out the kind of harsh treatment India have got on the current tour. Its not that the teams from the Asian subcontinent, which has been put to the sword, who can forget that memorable run chase by WI to run down 418 in the test, where Glenn McGrath spared no words for Sarwan as if he was a dreaded criminal. There have been numerous incidents of such magnitude . But no major action is taken on behalf of the governing body. Its time the ICC look into the matter of so called mental disintegration, as called by John Buchanan which is eating into a sport which has already been tarnished by allegations of mach fixing and drugs. Author: Asif Islam, A dedicated sports lover since 1989, following closely the various aspects of popular sports worldwide. Writting articles and analytical reports on players and events since 2003.Email - asif2311@rediffmail.com

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Australia World Champions in Cricket and Intimidation, Time to counter the manace of sledging Options

2008-02-29T20:49:00.000-08:00

May 29th 1999, Headingley, Leeds, in a crucial world cup encounter Pakistan took on hot favorites Australia. The enthralling battle took everyone’s breath away as the pendulum swung from one end to another as the Wasim Akram lead side beat the men from down under by just eleven runs. So what was so significant about that? Well, for those who don’t follow the records much, that was the last time the team from down under have lost in a one day international at the world cup.Time went on and the team. First lead by Steven Waugh and then by Ricky Ponting has perhaps won everything that the game has to offer. The talent and camaraderie that the team has shown, has been exceptional, and one that is hard to mach by any side till date. There is invincibility about the way they approach the game and how clinically they take the oppositions to the cleaners. Australia have proven time and again that in terms of temperament and skill, there is hardly any side that can mach them. Be it winning sixteen tests in a row twice, or winning three straight one day world cup events. Australia are streets ahead of others when it comes to big match cricket excellence.

Over the years teams, especially from the subcontinent, have toured down under and felt let down on many a fronts. Apart from there performance, teams have with a silent mouth spoken of the kind of dubious umpiring calls that they have received. Its like in places like Australia, the umpires get intimidated by the manner in which the players from the host nation try to get the decisions in their favor. The matter has gone to such a point where people are talking about the art of appealing when it comes to the players from Australia. All this had lead to the ICC bringing in the ruling of making neutral umpires stand in test matches. But has that made things easier? I guess not. Rewind to the cricket world cup of 1992 and the first mach of South Africa in the world cup after apartheid. The first ball saw a big nick of the Ausie opener caught by Dave Richardson of Donald, given not out. There were no snickometers or third umpire for that matter. Cut to Jan 2008, sixteen years down the line, the face of technology as well as cricket has changed 360 degrees, but has the decisions? Andrew Symonds was out not once but thrice, but was given not out at the SCG, we had the third umpire as well as all the technology that a sport like cricket requires, still on one occasion the third umpire Bruce Oximford, went on a joy ride and gave Troy not out even when the TV replays showed he was gone. So what is there in Australia that makes it the place of a nightmare for tourists.

I guess its time to have a serious thought about the state of events that take place in Australia whenever a team tours. I guess may be it’s the aura that Australia has which makes the athaurities sulk under pressure, otherwise how can one explain the fact that Ricky Ponting, the current Ausie captain goes Scot free even after abusing Harbhajan on field and mentioning it in a newspaper daily in India. Not even one person from the Ausie media or the ICC fraternity is mulling a sniff at what had conspired in the last one dayer at Adelaide. From the time of Allan Border or Mark Taylor in the 90s, to the so called invincibles of Sreven Waugh and Ricky Ponting, the behaviour of this much vaunted world champion side has taken a beating. They call it mental disintegration, probably a sophisticated word of taking a sport to the level of war.

And today the side of Ricky Ponting poses a real threat to a sport which has been for long and widely regarded as one of the cleanest and gentleman like in the world.

What conspired during the test in Sydney was definitely unprecedented but an incident which was waiting to happen. The Australia Cricket team is one of the best winners but perhaps the worse losers. We saw it time and again during that historic test series with India in 2001 as well as the 2003/04 Border Gavaskar Trophy. When the tide starts to turn against them, the men from down under not only lose their cool but their temper as well. Be it humiliating Rahul Dravid at Mumbai in 2001 or taking a plunge at Haarbhajan at their will, the world champion side wants to win at all costs. Avery popular and reputed writer from Australia, Peter Roebuck was categorical in pointing out the kind of harsh treatment India have got on the current tour. Its not that the teams from the Asian subcontinent, which has been put to the sword, who can forget that memorable run chase by WI to run down 418 in the test, where Glenn McGrath spared no words for Sarwan as if he was a dreaded criminal. There have been numerous incidents of such magnitude . But no major action is taken on behalf of the governing body. Its time the ICC look into the matter of so called mental disintegration, as called by John Buchanan which is eating into a sport which has already been tarnished by allegations of mach fixing and drugs.

Author: Asif Islam, A dedicated sports lover since 1989, following closely the various aspects of popular sports worldwide. Writting articles and analytical reports on players and events since 2003.

Email - asif2311@rediffmail.com

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