Reflecting back!!!

4 years back in the runup to the world cup 2007 I had started writing cricket blog and most of those posts were related to the cricket watching experience from 1986 till date (2007). I had covered the world cup till the halfway stage and then India had exited in the first round itself. The days to follow were like being in the state of numbness and shock as none of us expected to lose so early. 

Greg Chappell was the most hated man in the country then and entire cricketing fraternity was shocked on Mar 18, 2007 when world learnt that Bob Woolmer died the night Pakistan lost to Ireland. Perhaps that was the start of decline of the Pakistan cricket which is still ongoing till today.

There was still a hope that India could still qualify to go to the super 6 by virtue of beating Lankans but it did not happen and I hated Dilhara Fernando more than I hate Jaywardhene and Sangakara now for dismissing Tendulkar on 0. Many thought that was the end of the Tendulkar saga in the World Cup.

And then one day writing from Kanbay office for that blog,I accidentally ended up deleting that blog which was more of a innocent blog with no digs at anyone, no hatred, no rants and no criticisicm of anybody. I rued that loss as i had already posted 45 posts by then. 

I got started with the other blog and the most memorable experience of blogging came with that when I blogged about the 2007 World T20 win, England series win and of course the victory over Pakistan in the last series played till date.

And then 2008 Sydney happened. It was heartbreaking, it was disgusting to see India lose to Ricky Ponting's antics. I was so anguished by teh happenings that I quit blogging and did not blog for another 8 months. Even IPL-1 came and gone, I did not blog. 

And then at the end of SL ODI series, I came back to the world of cricket blog yet again and this blog took the birth. 28 months of blogging and over 1200 posts. Drilling down Lankans, standing by the fab five of the Indian cricket and of course shredding apart the likes of Dinesh Karthik, Sangakara, Jayawardhena, M Vijay and Srikanth have been the features of this blog. 

I dont receive comments any more. I fretted initially about it, I cribbed and wrote about it, but in the end I adjusted to it not letting it affect me and my writing. I might not be the most popular blogger around, neither do I have penchant for laws of the game, neither do I have the ability to draw humorous cartoons, neither do I have ability to praise anything Sri Lankan. But passion for the game and standing by the team I like the best keep me going and I shall keep going for as long as I can. 

Arm Ball turns one.

So its a happy Birthday for my blog. 1 year complete when I returned to full fledged blogging. This has been an amazing ride. I was opinionated, passionate, looked upon as hater, chauvinist pig, racist, anti -- this, anti--that.......But in the end I enjoyed this.

IPL got me huge hits. 22000 hits in a year is a decent stat. People from USA, India and SL read this blog. I write a lot. Write more what comes in my mind. I have strong opinions on cricket. Strong liking for my generation of players -- the players of 90s. The players who attained their peak in 2000s. That was an era when the Indian cricket changed for good.

From being a good team who won occasionally it became one of the best team in the world.

I had another blog then -- Taking Strike, 22 Yards, Willow and Leather blog. All one. Finally google deleted that blog on behest of somebody I dont know. I was measured and practical over that blog. This is my 3rd cricket blog.

And the longest one.

First one lasted for a month when I accidentally deleted it after the worst tournament country ever played. Yup the 50 over world cup of 2007. Then the second one. 8 months, 340 posts and 5130 hits.

Sydney 2008 broke me on cricket blogging and I closed it down. Didnt blog during IPL - 1. Thought about it, didnt feel so to blog.

And then India won SL series in 2008 after Mendis wrecked the reputations of Indian middle order and prompted two of its best players to fade out. Thats one of the reasons I dislike SL (if you use word dislike)

I was back to the blog and with time I grew cynical. People whacked me. Some truths they didnt want to hear. Q labelled me as hater. Homer took me on when I commented as Sam and happily replied to my posts when I was anonymous :P.

Prabhu and Raj(ni) termed me anti-Tamil Nadu cos I dislike dancing jack of Indian cricket -- KKD and Subbu Dabri.

All happened here, I did not fade. I wont fade. I shall blog. I shall continue. Arm Ball turns one. If you feel something for it, do drop a note for it even if you hate it.

I know I cant attain the skills of writing some of the bloggers -- Homer, Gaurav, SP, Soulberry have. But I am here to express my joy and my anger when my team plays. My team as in my country.

So something would change here. The content. The style. The "hatred". Sri Lanka wont be blogged. 26/11 wont be blogged. Tough to forget this but then this hurts.

Happy Birthday AB.