GOD Speaks

Sachin on his records spree. Perhaps that should say it all and shut the critics off that he is selfish and plays for records.

"I don't think much about records. I want to enjoy my game. If players focus on their performance, records automatically fall into place. I focus on playing the game well. If it (new landmark) comes in doing so I will be
happy"

And then on retirement talks. More disappointment for critics.

"I think you are at the wrong press conference."

On India - Australia test series

"It's going to be an extremely well-fought series which would be played in the right spirit and the cricket would be played very hard"

Ponting in his nemesis land

Can Ponting turn the tides in a country where he averages a miserly 12 in 8 Tests ? Can he cross his highest score he got in India 12 years back ? Can he get past the nemesis called Harbhajan who has now dismissed him 9 times (7 times in India) cheaply ? Would having a turban'ed Kumble down the other end work for India's favor ?

PCB

PCB is sueing CA for touring India despite Delhi bombings and not touring Pakistan over "so many daily bombings". The PCB presumes that Australia has been adopting double standards on visiting India and bunking Pakistan. The reasoning they offer is silly and stupid to say the least. India is far safer country than Pakistan in every sense and despite the terror trail, the country doesnt assume that its on the way of becoming another Pakistan where everyday a bomb or 2 goes off killing many innocent people.

My point is not being going political. PCB should look into one of the factors that why every country is refusing to visit Pakistan except India (vote bank politics to the fore again for BCCI in ICC politics) ? 5 countries refused them to visit for CT, WICB has not shown much excitement in touring Pak for Tests. Again the security issue.

How is BCCI responsible for any other team not visiting Pakistan ? BCCI has supported Pakistan Board in every situation. Right when no other country toured Pakistan or is willing to, BCCI has sent its team and would be sending one in Jan 2009 for another series which would mark the return of international cricket for Pak and in Pak.

Australia has never toured Pakistan since 1998. Their 2002 series was played at neutral venues in Sharjah and Sri Lanka. BCCI wasnt a factor then as Homer rightly puts it. Money might be a factor for Oz to tour India. But then havent the PCB been benefitted by the Indian money ? Almost every year since 2004 we see a India - Pakistan series home and away. To such an extent that it has almost robbed the excitement and tension associated with a India - Pak game.

The fact is Pakistan is no more a team it was. Its gone weak and has been trampled by the antics of the admins and the maverick players. The way Asif and Shoaib have been handled, the way Lawson and Malik are being made insecure, the way Younis Khan and Inzamam were treated. Not to say about the 2 Ws. And isnt it sick to see Pakistan playing no Test match this year. ALright lets assume if Oz had toured Pak, then 3 tests in a year ? Is this good omen for a major Test playing country ?

PCB should get its act right rather than going behind CA's ass.

Youngsters

Robin Uthappa out for 2.

Suresh Raina out for 0.

Badri out for 1

Rohit Sharma out for 15.

This is the match scorelines for Test youth hopefuls vs Australia A where the home side were blown away by Shaun Tait first and then Luke Ronchi with a superb 100. The same team which lost to NZ by 129 runs yesterday, blew India A team which had as many as 8 players with international experience.

Badrinath has been spoken of in high esteem by many players and bloggers. He got a chance to prove himself in SL ODIs, failed. He spoke about how bad he was being treated by selectors and promptly was drafted in the team as Sachin's replacement for ODIs. And now when he got a chance to prove a worthy contender for aussie test series with "seniors in decline", the chap failed. Does that sound as class ? Or a talent ? Cmon dude, you got a chance to lead, you failed. You lead India A in Emerging player tourney down under, you failed. You still feel good enuf to be in the contention for a Test slot ? Performance. Where 's that with the bat ? We need runs under your belt sir, not vocal chord decibel strength.

Raina was very good in Asia Cup against BD and UAE, but failed to Tait -- the bowler who is on a return from the break and doesnt figure in Test XV of Aussies. Uthappa is on a way out to exile for long term. Rohit Sharma, who is being viewed as next Sachin or next Richards (some ex-player said) failed once again.

If this players we expect to replace the likes of Tendulkar, Ganguly or Dravid, then I am sorry to say we are next West Indies in making. This players can be found in Page 3 parties, TV ads, commercials, shaking a leg or 2 in a dance show, but would hardly be found performing where they are actually meant to. And when they get blown by second string Australian team, think of what Lee, Clarke and Johnson would do to this guys. Do we want to loose the series 0-4 inside 3 days ?

Once more the debate is out there for everybody to participate in. There are scores from seniors who have one odd failure in Lanka and the youngsters who were blown away on a flat wicket on a subcontinent track. We got to decide do we need likes of Rainas, Sharmas or Badris ?

Or the likes of Virat Kohli who has been getting better and better in the game against Sui gas in Nisar trophy. 52 in the first innings when nobody else crossed double figures and 81* right now wiping out the lead Sui gas had before. If there is one contender for Test team, then here it is. Virat Kohli. Sheer genius.

Think about it.

Performance matters

Lets have a decent performance criterion to judge the merit of player in the team. No public sentiments, no media pressure and no age limits. Teams dont get selected in the way we want them to happen in India. A bad series and writing people off who have had successful times till one series back doesnt sound logical. To me thats whimsical.

Performance is the key. Thats it. Doesnt matter if the player is 38 or 18 or 28. Certainly not on basis of a whimsical selector who on an average in India hasnt seen the dawn of international cricket doesnt has a right to decide the future of a player who has played in hundreds of Tests.

It doesnt sound logical that Venkatpathi Raju take a call on Anil Kumble's tenure as skipper or Ganguly's future. For one, he played under Ganguly in 2001 Oz series and his international career never kicked off as he played second fiddle to Kumble in 90s. Or for that matter a Bhupinder Singh would decide on Rahul Dravid ? Or a Jagdale on Laxman ?

Get real guys. Aint we showin typical Indian ingratitude to the icons who have given only happiness in otherwise gloomy scenario (terror, slowdown, reducing jobs etc etc)in the country over a decade ?

Funny EnglishBone

I bet my ass, nothing more funny can be found than what Scyld Berry writes on England 's Ashes chances against Australia. This is when they have won a solitary test against SA in a dead rubber contest and a few meaningless ODIs against tired jaded SA. They are yet to tour India and WI before the Ashes kicks off. Enjoy the excerpts :

England end this soggy non-summer in rude health: in every format they have the right mixture of experience, youth and scope to grow under a captain who pursues excellence with an un-English zeal. Australia have not only passed the peak that was personified by Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne, they are showing further signs of fatigue and decline. England to regain the Ashes in 2009? Steady on. Let's just say, at this stage, there could well be only one game in it, not five.

The Australians, therefore, have already creaked at the seams, and that process looks likely to accelerate this winter. This is because some of them are serving two masters, both of them pretty greedy, so instead of being fit and raring to peak against the Poms by July next year, they will be as knackered and injured as England have been going into the last 10 Ashes series – except for 2005.

If England are lucky, as they were at Edgbaston in 2005 when McGrath stepped on a ball and effectively injured himself out of the series, Stuart Clark – who is horribly similar to McGrath – will be exhausted by the winter schedule, though he is sensible enough not to have signed for IPL, yet. Brett Lee will be 32 by next summer, and averages 40 against England and almost four runs an over; so whatever Australia's pace resources are, they cannot match up to Steve Harmison, Andrew Flintoff, James Anderson, Ryan Sidebottom, Stuart Broad and Simon Jones, provided four of them are on song.

Aussie Tour, BD Defection to ICL and Munaf Patel to Baroda

With the unfortunate and condemnable (i guess thats too little a word) blasts in the capital city of the country, the Aussie tour might run in trouble and we could see the typical antics from the Oz and then their enemies Poms to follow. There are already reports emnating from Ozland about the security apprehensions in the country and it might happen that the tour could be scrapped.

Unfortunately the venues Aussies play in India are the cities which were hit by the terror blasts. Tour games happen in Hyderabad and Jaipur. The first Test happens in Bangalore and Delhi hosts 3rd Test.

Not the right forum to say but I strongly feel that the "government" (if any) headed by the Italian blonde babe and her puppets should come out strongly on the home grown breed of terrorists. Having said that if wishes were horses, then we would have been a better country than what we are now.

Meanwhile BD players are on line to sneak into ICL many of which are current players who played last in Australia in addition to the discards like Bashar and all. Frankly who bothers if BD play IPL or ICL or international cricket. If this defaction happens, its good for international cricket and a bit bad for Mahela Jaywardhena s men. They wont get free bunch of wkts for the cheat and Mendis. Ian Chappell writes a very good write up on place of BD in international cricket here.

Munaf Patel moves to Baroda from Maharashtra in Ranji trophy. I hope the lanky bowler makes up for his renewed vigor for international cricket in his new team and improves on his work ethic. If he maintains good form in international cricket, Baroda might miss him in Ranji games.

BCCI must do whatever to ensure that Oz tour is not scrapped. And the chief has a major say in the government affairs as he is also a minister in bunch of Union jokers :)

End of Symmo ?

So what was feared has come out to be true. Symmo isnt figured anymore in Oz squad for Indian Test series and that practically sound an end for him. Tough to understand the reason why he snubbed the team meeting for fishing. Was that more important for him than 4-5 yrs of fruitful and rockin career ? Thats where defining the priorities come to picture. You got to think whats more important for you ? And thats when you got to take the call and act accordingly on the choice you make. Symmo made a wrong choice and he is paying huge huge price for it. Not only it is unfair for him, but also for world cricket.


Barring Symmo out of the Indian tour, the gloss of the series has been lost. I fear the next generation of players from both teams wont be able to sustain the intensity and passion we have seen in the series in this decade. The classic tag might soon be archived. The maverick nature of pros like Bhajji and Symmo is essential to keep the flare alive for the series. Would you shell out hard earned money to watch McGain bowl to Rohit Sharma or a Suresh Raina ?

Aussies have chosen a weak team, which gives India an edge to start with. Experience is the key in crucial series and India has aplenty of it. Even if you take out 109 out of the cumulative experience, you got 150 from Tendulkar, 132 from skipper, 97 from VVS, 125 from RD, 70 from Bhajji and 60 from VS + 53 from Zaks. Stack that against Aussies and you see India way ahead of the fiercest rivals.

Only 4 players -- Ponting, Hayden, Katich and Clark(Pup) have played a Test in India before. And Hayden, Ponting are injured. Aussies lack a genuine spinner. Ok McGain is a M, but he is not Mendis or a chuck, so Indians wont submit to him. Krezza is a rookie, Boulinger and Siddins wont get a game. So its more or less in the hands of Lee, Johnson and Clarke to share the load of bowling.

Jacques and Watson/Katich/Hayden 's opening pair doesnt look as intimidating as Hayden and Langer. Batting looks a bit settled with Clark and Hussey as main anchors.. It would be the last time the Fab 5 of Indian cricket would take on the Aussies home or away. And nothing short of classic series win would suffice for the greats of Indian cricket.

Whatever be the team compositions, the series promises to be a cliffhanger and close one. Depends if it would be classic as 2001, 2003 or 2007. Wish that Symmo is out for now and would be back soon. He would be certainly missed, after all we have not forgot that he took the Test away from us in Sydney no matter riding on luck and bad umpiring.

Bunny Ponting

How about Bhajji and Ishant Sharma naming Ricky Ponting as their bunnies together. Ponting has had absymal record in India, thanks to Bhajji and before Adelaide Oval 100, Ishant Sharma troubled Ponting in Australia. To add to his woes, he is coming straight out of the injury. Not enuff match practise. Distractions in form of Fishgate, a weak team and lack of experience are other issues in front of Ponting. Why dont Indian players esp bowlers or Sehwag start the mental disintergration job for Aussies ?

Would be interesting to see how tough minded Aussies cope with this ?

SL worthy of Spirit of Cricket Award ? Noooo

How can Sri Lanka be awarded the ICC Spirits of the Year award when they have two illegal chucker bowler in their ranks in :

1) Muralitharan

2) Lasith Malinga

Aint they killing the spirits of the game ? Isnt the Chuck earning cheap wkts against the likes of BD and Zim ? 200 odd wkts in 23 Tests against this 2 minnows. Is that boosting spirits of cricket ? ICC adjudicators (minus Siddath Vettimuny) got to answer that. IMHO SL kill the spirits of cricket in worst way like no other team in the world does.