IPL and Boycott issue.

Travor Baliyss

Murali

Vaas

Chris Broad

Simon Davis

Go boycott and get all this individuals banned PCB. They have said something or the other against the Pakistan cricket. So its against the interests of Pakistan cricket, even if it means some truth and has some value to it. After all the question comes, who all is Pakistan Board going to get banned ? Rather than this boycott / ban activities, the PCB should apologize to SL and the world cricket community for the unfortunate incident in Lahore and tender an apology to India for forming an image in the world that India too is unsafe for cricket. That’s not true. Cricket is safe in India. Until of course……

And those guys who are having apprehensions about playing IPL or international cricket in India should back out. They should not go ahead and place wrong facts in the media about the unfortunate bomb blasts that happened in Jaipur last year during IPL. If this individuals think that security is an issue, it’s better for them to return the money to the franchises and back out. Likes of Pieterson, Stephen Fleming, Duncan Fletcher and now Martin Crowe. Yes Jacob Oram too. Guys, do what your erstwhile generation did. Guys like Ian Botham, David Gower and Richard Hadlee hardly toured India in their playing days. Its other thing that first 2 travel for media commentary purposes now. Stephen Fleming has got a lucrative coach cum player contract with Chennai Super Kings. Yet he holds opinion that Indian leagues hamper the Kiwi cricket. Nobody forced the likes of Lou Vincent, Hamish Marshall , Daryl Tuffey and of course Shane Bond followed by retired stars like Harris and Cairns to go to ICL. They went on their own. And current Kiwi players have got lucrative representation. Dan Vettori is with Delhi, Ross Taylor is with Bangalore, Oram is with Chennai, Mcullum is with Kolkata and of course Fleming with Chennai.

And if biggies fail or don’t come to IPL, its not that the IPL would loose its sheen. Even if there was no foreign representation in IPL, the crowds would have come in. For that matter, the fiercest rivals the country has are not coming due to their own imaginary security problems. Which Pakistani player has ever been attacked in India ? On the contrary the victorious team in Chennai’ 09 got a standing ovation when they won by 12 runs despite Tendulkar classic of 136. So IPl has been a victim of inter country politics and also the victim of nonsense Indian politics where the home minister questioned the schedule and then the ruling UPA states ruled out the security to IPL in public. On the same hand Mr Modi, the Gujrat CM promised the security and may be that’s the reason, the city of Ahmedabad is hosting the IPL games. Well the Ahmedabad is Karachi of India or SSC of India where the wicket is damn flat and the most scorching draws have been earned there in this country barring the SA loss.

So the stern message is if you want to play in IPL in India for all its glitz, glamour and cash, come be part of it and win the hearts. We would give you all the adulation, love and shower flowers. But don’t speak a bit on the security issue on India cos its not an issue. 11/26 wasn’t an internal thingie, it was done by outside elements. So that doesn’t make India an unsafe country to play in. And if you don’t want to play in India for IPL, then just return the cash you got and shut your mouth off. Security situation in Pakistan or Bangladesh or Sri Lanka or for that matter USA is not related to India.

No Indian cricketer has ever said about the mugging events that happen in South Africa. Johannesburg and CapeTown are murder capitals of the world, yet Indians mingle with the migrant population whenever they tour the country. No Indian cricketer complained about the ethnic violence that happens in Sri Lanka. Their job is to go and play the cricket. Either they are in, or they are not in. We haven’t heard of security comments in public in full media glare from the Indian cricketers. IPL doesn’t need foreign cricketers. It’s the foreign cricketers who need IPL. So when they want to enjoy the booty, they should do it with their mouth shut. Else we will be forced to ask Ijaj Butt and Javed Miandad to go and file complaints against them in ICC and BCC!.

Tendulkar : GOD

What a man. Hundred no 43. Keep going sir. Hats off. ** LONG BOWS**. You rock. You are GOD of batting. Last time he hit a 100 in an ODI, India won a CB series first time in Australia. Today if India wins then he would take India to first series in NZ almost.

Whadda man. Whadda GOD. You made my day sir. Sachinnnnnnnn song never got so louder as it is in last 20 years. Imperious.

Making amends ?

I just hope nobody in NZC or the ex-cricketers gang say that NZ dished out flat batting tracks to India in pressure of BCCI to amend the 2002 mistake J. Nobody would prefer giving the matches in dish and platter with the toppings to the opposition. If India is racing away to big score and has rattled Kiwis in last Power Play then well its kudos to the batsmen India has. And then Kiwis yet have to get their skipper on to bowl. Why is he holding back ? Alright that apart, I m missing the fun watching. I am sitting in the office working even on Sunday J

BTW Happy Women day to the female bloggers on cricket. Have a good one.

Whatta Test match

Australia bowled out for 352 from 4/303. In reply Saffers realing at 4/6. Smith retired hurt, virtually that’s 4. That’s superb Test cricket by Australia. Who said they would be losers.

Captain Imperious...

Scores yet another 100..........5th one in the season. But would he be able to inspire his team to a series and pride saving win ?

Andrew Strauss and England are the contentious bones here.

Between the two tours 2002 and 2009

Dravid gets a 100.

Sehwag fires yet again. Tendulkar gets his groove back.

India is back to being unstoppable on the field. 2 T20 defeats seem far behind. The unperforming party boys are out. Yuvraj is back to SL 08 form. Time for him to get the groove before Mar 18. Thats the real Test.

You can say that the pitches now are flat, slow, whatever. Pitches are batting friendly. As they were not in 2002. That was one sided contest when neither side could claim to be superior over other. The team which won the toss, won the game in albeit every match.

What followed in 2002 was a grand 2003 World Cup run. And youngsters of that team are now the star performers of the current ODI team. Sehwag, Gambhir (2003), Yuvraj, Harbhajan, Zaheer, Dhoni (2004) form the crux of the team. Tendulkar continues to be the frontline batsman in both forms of the game.

No young player, supposedly young player or read batsman has been able to make a mark in past 3 years. Raina, well he is inconsistent. Rohit Sharma, well less said the better. What Ganguly did to the team in 2001-05 and then Rahul Dravid from 2005-07, the results are visible right now.

Flexibility was the keyword in Chappell era too as is in Kirsten age, but then flambuoyance is the difference. The ex-coach was dominant and fiery. He was least secretive of all. Kirsten is happy being laidback, his results say it all. He played against most of the team members of this team untill 2004. And now he is back coaching them. And best part is, everybody speaks in high respect for him.

Thats the difference. And the presence of senior players inspires Indians. Not like the neibhours where they are accused and thrown out. And thats the difference between the 2 teams.

A pity that 2nd ODI was washed out. And nobody knows if we would have even single 5o over game in the series.

Sissy Babies...

Javed Miandad has to say this:

"I made it clear at the meeting to the Chairman (Ejaz Butt) that we must demand a ban on Broad for his remarks which are aimed at isolating Pakistan cricket. When he came for the one-day series with Sri Lanka he was satisfied with the security. But despite my insistence then he had said he could not comment on the security publicly as the ICC didn't allow match officials to give statements. Yet he had no problems making fun of the security and our brave policemen at a news conference on returning home,"

Tauqir Zia has to say this:

"He has tried to damage Pakistan cricket's image with his criticism about the security arrangements. How can he make these remarks when six policemen lost their lives trying to protect the visiting team and officials”.

And the ever affable Izaj Butt has to say this:

"The council agreed that we need to review the security plan which is implemented for visiting teams and to beef it up further. But everyone admitted it is going to take some time and convincing by the board to get teams to tour Pakistan again.

Saying this the esteemed personalities of Pakistan cricket forgot that their reputation has nullified and today no sane person wants to tour their country for cricket. Noone knows from where the terror would strike. And when Broad, Murali and Taufel said that security was lax, then there has got to be some truth in it. And if rather than working with the govt to fix the security issues, this high profile gentlemen spend their time to get their team boycott Broad, then they would just fool themselves and dent the Pakistan cricket even further. PCB has been acting like a sissy child whose candy has been robbed forcibly (read terrorists). And this one example provides the same instance of the crying act.

Strong start for Australia in Durban Test

Alright, its just 3^rd session in play for the Durban Test. But its already 2-0 for Australia and I am on course of a victory here on my bet for an Aussie series win. The score right now 2/234 perhaps shows which side the momentum is and even a 1-4 defeat in ODIs after the Sydney win hasn’t dented the Aussie juggernaut in Tests at least now. Hughes might just have edged Jacques and may be Warner from the opening slot in all forms of the game. Good start to the kid’s career with a duck, match winning 50 and perhaps the series winning 100. He came true to the words of Tugga (Steven Waugh) that Hughes would make good opener in the international cricket. Perhaps that has revived Aussie fortunes from the sluggish days of Haydos in home series. The opening starts have again raced back to 100s and perhaps 200s. Middle order has started coming good, though its too early to say anything for now. Hussey is hurting the Aussie fortunes, but then who knows he might click sometime soon too.

Pyschological edge

If anything that indicates where the so called psychological edge lies in the 2^nd ODI tomorrow is this:

Last 5 ODIs India have won 4 and lost one.

Last 5 ODIs NZ have lost 3, won 1 and had 1 no-result. The solitary win came 4 matches ago. Since then they have lost 3 and no result in 1.

And the last 4 ODI wins for India haven’t come in friendly home conditions.

Gully cricket epitomes Indian cricket

Why should IPL not be played after the attack in Pakistan ? Why should we put our cricket on stake ? Is India too an unsafe country to play cricket in ? Perhaps answer lies in the cricket games that go on and on in the country when riots happen and curfew is imposed. Gully cricket can never get better than here anywhere.