Vinod Kambli's exaggerated fixing claims

Put your head in shame Kambli

Rewind back to 1996 World Cup Semi final in Eden Gardens. 

India vs Sri Lanka. 

SL unexpectedly in the semi finals riding on the back of  hitting from Jayasuriya and Kaluwith'rna.  India on home pitches making a smooth transition to the semis beating the defending champions in Quarter finals. 

A little understatement of the journey of Lanka to the semi final was the fact that they had won most of their games chasing in that tournament. In the quarters they had demolished England on the back of 44 ball 82 from Sanath J.

In Delhi's league game, they had chased down 271 in 48.4 overs thanks to some nasty hitting from the 2 openers and other Lankans. 

So the common sense suggested that the Lankans should be put into bat cos they had a decent bowling lineup, nothing great about it. 

Azharuddin, the Indian captain did the same and invited Lanka to bat first. A dream start followed. Lanka lost both of its openers in first over from Srinath, thanks to some intelligent field placing from Azhar. Lanka then recovered to 251 for 8. India were cruising to a win when Tendulkar was batting tremendously as he had done entire world cup. 

Once he was out, the team lost composure and the scoreline read 8/120 in 35th over.  Manjrekar, Azharuddin, Jadeja, Tendulkar, Siddhu, Mongia were back in the hut and our hero Mr Vinod Kambli was on crease. Crowd trouble began and later on Clive Lloyd awarded the game to Lanka and they made it to their first final and later won it. 

So no signs of match fixing. Not a suspicion even.  Common sense from Azhar made him put Lanka to bat first and that was a correct decision given the way Lankans had chased the targets earlier.  4 quick wickets before 100 on the board vindicated his decision. While chasing Tendulkar made the target look even small. But then the disaster ensued. 

Now after Sir Condon opened his mouth over the tall claims of fixing being rampant in the international cricket in 90s and 2000s, Mr Vinod Kambli, after 15 years of quietness opens his mouth and doubts that the semi final game was fixed. 

Just cos Azharuddin had his name dragged in match fixing episode in 2000, Mr Kambli tries to put the blame again to Azhar for losing that game. And an ugly debate follows. Mr Kambli, the self styled victim, who had earlier blamed Tendulkar for not helping him much in his chequered career, now goes after Azharuddin. He talks of how his career was ruined after that game. 

He says that everyone was stunned by the decision to bowl first rather than bat first. He also said Wadekar, then coach, knew everything. None of his team mates and coach have confirmed his gibberish. 

His Test career was well over before the world cup 1996 started. He last played test against touring Kiwis in the winter of 1995. Perhaps he might want to puke some shit about Courteny Walsh and Winston Benjamin too as those lads sorted him out in 1994 series and since then he never was the batsman who shone after a Bradmanesque average in 1993. He ended up with an average of 54 in 17 tests. After that world cup game he played 35 more games for India in different broken phases. He never could cement his place in the team permanently. He got chances under Azhar, Tendulkar and even Ganguly gave him one final chance in that 2000 series in Sharjah. And post that series, he never made it to the Indian team again. 

He came out of a poor family, to be precise, a scheduled cast family, rose to limelight on the back of that 664 partnership with Sachin in school cricket in Mumbai and the cricket pundits said he was more talented than Tendulkar. In 1992 - 94 his ODI average was more than Tendulkar. He got his first ODI hundred very soon in first few ODIs only. Tendulkar had to wait for 78 games and 6 years. He made 2 double hundreds in space of 2-3 months in few tests, Tendulkar had to wait 10 years for his first double hundred (against NZ in 1999). 

Success got in the head of Kambli and he couldnt handle it. Boozing, clubbing, breaking team curfew, going behind girls (he has had 2 hot wives and thats a big achievement for him given his bald looks) was his strength instead of being in runs on the field. Tendulkar managed success with maturity, never let his priorities  wander besides cricket field and thats why Tendulkar is at the stage where he is and today Kambli has to puke some shit to remain in headlines. 

He keeps saying some Ijaz Butt style statements, good enough to laugh at and  then forget. He has no moral standing of his own, he has no character, he has had a decent cricket career. He stopped playing first class cricket in 2003 or 2004 and then announced his retirement in 2010 or 2011. Who did bother if he is playing or not playing or what the hell he is doing. His image in the cricketing folklore is going to be of a spoilt brat who got his chances (much more than he deserved) but couldnt cash in on any of those. 

He was from Mumbai, the powerhouse of Indian cricket, yet he let that chance go to earn a big name for himself through cricketing records. Instead he chose the wrong way to be in the limelight. By making the fixing claims on that painful game of 1996 world cup, he has let his credibility down and it wont be wrong to label him as Ijaz Butt of Indian cricket.

Ricky Ponting : time to retire now

Ricky Ponting fell for a duck in the first innings of the ongoing 2nd Test vs South Africa. When he should have scoring a 100 to save his career, instead he has fallen for a duck.

And that should be it for his career. The curtain should fall on his illustrious, controversial and colorful career. Ponting the man who led Australia to its decline from the top, the man who led them to a world cup loss earlier this year, the man who lost 3 Ashes, none of the Aussie captains before him lost even one, the man who hasnt scored a 100 in 2 years, a 50 in one year, now should walk in retirement. 

The man who led Australia to all glories when he had a great team to his disposal, something which he got as legacy of Steve Waugh, failed to win a single game when those great players retired.  He lost in England twice, lost Ashes in Australia becoming first Australian captain to lose a series to England in 24 years, he lost to South Africa in 2008, lost to India twice 0-2. Actually he never won a test in India as captain. 

He had a very ugly role to play in the drama of Sydney test in 2008.  He never walked when he had nicked one to the keeper, but was prominent in appealing the catches which were not clean.  He believes he has been good in nets and he deserves chances to get that elusive big innings soon that shall redeem his career. But he is no Tendulkar or Dravid or even Lara.

The runs aint coming to him, his decline which seemed to be a small patch is now a terminal decline. And if he has to be remembered as a great Australian batsman, then he should retire on his own. Else the bloody Indians await and this time they certainly would want to win the elusive series in Australia, which they have failed to do so courtesy Steve Bucknor in 2008 and 2004.  And India would ensure that his career average shall drop even further.

Eden Gardens Test : Day 2

India have scored the highest score in last 11 games for themselves. And also crossed 300 first time after 10 innings. Something that reflects the torrid times the team had in England quite unexpectedly.  The 2nd day at Eden Gardens saw quite a lot of milestones:

1. Dhoni scored a hundred after 32 innings and 21 months on the same ground. Last one being against SA in that hard fought victory.

2. Laxman scored # 17, 5th in Edens and first in 15 months. He also became highest scorer in any ground in India.

And with a mammonth 631 on board, the bowlers did a good job in sending back 2 West Indian openers to hut for only 34 runs. And then bad light came to WI's help. Else few more wickets would have tumbled.

The biggest thorn in Indian flesh is going to be Shiv Chanderpaul and if he is accounted for soon, then India would have a very strong chance to win sooner than the case when Chanderpaul gets going with his irritating (though effective for West Indies) batting style.

There are few questions going to be asked after this Test is over for Yuvraj Singh -- how many more chances he is going to get to prove he belongs at the Test level. He is  the most talked about player right now in terms of players who are insecure or whose position in thet eam is not secure. There are too many incumbents around to take his place and Yuvraj isnt helping his own case with low scores like he has had in 3 innings so far. He might not be coming out to bat again in 2nd innings, but I feel he should be given a free run of 4-5 tests and then a judgement call be made if he belongs to the test level or not. He has rarely got more than 5-6 Tests at stretch to prove himself. Most of the chances have came after Sourav retired in 2008.

And since then Kohli, Raina and Pujara have been tried for # 6, none being successful to make that place his own for different reasons (form or injury whatsoever). Yuvraj should make it to the touring party to Australia where his left arm spin would be handy to break partnerships. India is not going to play 2 spinners in Australia and most probably its going to be a toss up between Harbhajan(experience), Ojha and Ashvin to occupy that slot of lone spinner. Sehwag has a dodgy shoulder and he doesnt bowl that much now as he used to say a couple of years back. So Yuvraj would be one handy person to turn to roll his arm over to break a partnership. Having said that, the primary responsibility of Yuvraj would still be to score runs and score big. And if fails over course of next 2-3 Tests then may be it would be apt to ignore for the future.

I also feel once the holy trinity of Tests is gone, Yuvraj would be one of the replacements, but again depending on how good he comes through this set of opportunities.

And as of Sachin's most awaited 100th 100, the only folks continue to be worried are the mediamen and those impatient fans. The man himself, as Rahul Dravid mentioned, isnt bothered about the impending milestone. The 100 would come when it has to. The media is continuing to create some needless pressure on the man who today completed 22 years in international cricket.

And Rahul Dravid continues to be in golden run of form when he has almost 1000 test runs and 5 hundreds, most by any batsman in 2011. He is all set to finish up with 1000+ runs and 13000 runs by the year end (2 more tests India plays before year end). He is just 21 runs away from the 13000 run mark -- 2nd Indian and 2nd in the world to do so when he reaches there.

More on Peter Roebuck

This is not right time to talk anything on slain Peter Roebuck, but I feel the issue behind his suicide was his own creation. Why does in the world he needs to be so desperate to have pleasure with a Facebook friend of his. When he returned back to the hotel after the dinner with the Australian team on Saturday night, he found SA police (who doesnt choke unlike its cricket team) detectives to question him on an alleged assault.  And the fear of detention (as pointed out by Jim Maxwell, fellow commentator) led him to jump out of the window to end his own life. 

The biggest question is was this desire needed for him to be fulfilled which led him in the trap of police and ultimately costed him his own life? Was it so important? Was it so worth that a life was lost for it? Was the cause so moral to have sought so much importance to end his own life? A life lost for such a futile issue which at best is attributed to inner instincts.  If you can control your instincts, then you can avoid pitfalls like what Peter Roebuck had. Its been an enormous loss. Loss of life, loss of a prodigy in cricket journalism, loss of a complicated soul who was so well respected among the followers of the game and those who play it and those who govern it. 

Was it essential for him to go and invite that Facebook friend for make up?  And that too in a foreign country when he doesnt (in the past context) have a phone number good enough to contact a lawyer or contacts whom he helped and coached in times of despair. 

From what has emerged out in the media, it seems his jump out of the window was out of despair and a strong desire to escape police detention. Perhaps if he had controlled himself, he would have been alive and a life would not have lost for a stupid reason what is being highlighted in the print and electronic media.

Stupid step by Peter Roebuck

In the end it turns out to be that Peter Roebuck committed a suicide in a fit of anger and rage on being quizzed by detectives on a sexual assault charge. What a vague loss of life? And for what ? A suspended sentence handed over good 10 years back? What he if he was not angry and in rage? What if he thought over the situation and let it pass before his emotions got better of him? He would be alive today, may be little bit depressed. But then that state would have passed right with the time and he had been still writing columns bashing BCCI and praising everything Australian even though crap.

This to me looks like a sheer waste of life. Peter, you made a stupid mistake in jumping over the hotel only to end up your life.

Fallen Australian heroes

9/21 for a team that not so long ago was world beater and perhaps the greatest Test team of the modern era. The scoreline of 47 might have saved them from holding the pitiful record of lowest Test score, but it has certainly raised a lot of uncomfortable questions over the ability and composure of Australian team. They have now been bowled over under 100 for 3 times in last 15 months or so in different countries. 98 in MCG, 47 in NewLands and 88 in Headingley.

When ball moves, Australiam batsman shievers. Perhaps Shahid Afridi should have quipped on a moving leg of Aussie batsman on facing Shoaib Akhtar.

There have been demands for axing of 3 players who havent been performing at all. Mitch Johnson, Phil Hughes and the once great Ricky Ponting. 

Johnson has really struggled over past few Tests and hasnt got the wickets a spearhead is expected to. 33 wickets at 43 in 12 tests over 18 months dont do the justice to a bowler who has to step in the shoes of likes of Bret Lee and even Glenn McGrath.

Shane Watson is overworked, he is the best Australian bowler over last 18 months with 3 5-fors but he also opens the batting and that makes him prone to batting failures. 

Their batting isnt the same as it was even in 2008, let alone 2007.  The likes of Ponting are in terminal decline, what it seemed a slump, is now a prolonged decline. Perhaps selectors would need to take a call on his future sooner than later. 

The media back home in Australia is impatient and is gunning for the heads of the fallen heroes of NewLands.

And it would be great that this slump continues till the end of their summer at least India is then able to win its first series in Australia, which they were denied in 2004 and 2008.

RIP Peter Roebuck

RIP  Peter Roebuck.

Staunch Australian commentator, had strong views on the cricketing matters, not very India centric, shocking news about his sudden departure.

Will ICC look into Capetown pitch?

Australia are just past the lowest Test score ever of 26 and are in tatters at 9 down for 30 odd. This has been a spectacular test match in terms of runs scored and wickets fallen. 21 wickets on day 2 for 190 odd runs. Its still a possibility that the lead of 220 odd is a matchwinning one and Australia might still go and win this test. 

But the bigger and relevant question here is will ICC look into the pitch and call for investigation of  Capetown pitch and ban it? They have already banned Kotla, had a look in Galle and Green Park when this 2 nations were involved in a result. 

And its again SA and Aus, so are they going to take some action over this?

Rockstar Ravinder Jadeja

The fake RockStar

The real rockstar -- Sir Shri Ravinder Jadeja Maharaj, the future # 6 batsman in Indian Test team, a worthy replacement of "worst panicker of Indian cricket" -- SC Ganguly.

India vs West Indies : First Test at an interesting stage

India are 124 runs away from a win in Delhi Test.  This has been an attritional Test match, albeit an old school classic. One team ending up dominating a day's play followed up by comeback by the other next day. Something I hope wont be the case on day 4 and in almost session and half India shall be home with a comfortable win in the end. 

The pitch has been slow, low and having variable bounce. Not that it has impacted a lot of stroke playing or resulted in dismissals of a lot of batsmen. If one is ready to grind on this wicket and have patience, the runs scoring would be lot easier. Chanderpaul showed it in both innings, Dravid has shown in both innings aided by Tendulkar in 2nd innings. Sehwag too had said that the collapse in the first innings had to do with the soft dismissals rather than the demon in the pitch.  

India were typical of them in the first innings when they batted, collapsed. Worrisome part is they havent got to 300 more often than they would have liked to in past 8 Tests (starting WI tour, disastrous England tour). 209 is not a  score that reflects the batting might of the line up India has, but it does say of the sorry state of mind India had on day 2.  They self destructed, which they so very often have done in the 2nd part of this year in longest format of the game. It seemed that India were still stuck in the ODI mode. The likes of Tendulkar, Laxman and Yuvraj fell to soft dismissals. Sehwag and Gambhir fell to freak ones.  And Dravid in first innings was setup off a short ball by Rampaul which invoked wild celebrations by WI captain Sammy.

Can you believe 3 wickets in first innings fell to Sammy and he further had a hand in 2 more wickets.  Barring openers and Dravid, none reached 25 and India conceeded 95 run lead. The highlight of the first innings was the approach from Sehwag that showed that he is almost back to full fitness.  Dravid continued his good form and barring that nothing much to write about. Chanderpaul continued to torment Indian bowlers for 10th year in row now which began in 2002. 3 hundreds then followed by 2 this year in back to back tests.  His stance has grown weirder than ever before and he has been dour and ugly to watch. But he continues to make runs, valuable to the team which boasts of youngsters and has inexperienced batsmen.  

Ojha got 6-for and Ashvin got 3. 

2nd innings, West Indies had a chance to extend the lead to 350 plus and shut the door on Indians but they collapsed in the end and except Chanders and Sammy, none of the batters contributed. Ashvin got a dream debut with a 9 wicket haul, 2nd best to Hirwani, current selector.  Ojha got 7 wickets in the match, Ashvin got 9, Yadav got 2 and Ishant Sharma got 2. 

Ishant Sharma impressed with his rythm and pace. He almost got 3 wkts on 3rd morning but for crooked ignorance of Dharmsena to a plumb lbw and a drop catch (tough) from Ashvin, he could just show for 1.  Umesh Yadav showed pace, but leaked runs at critical juncture on 3rd morning just before lunch to ease off pressure on the Windies. Still early days for him in Tests and he would (should) learn in the future.  Both spinners earning wickets mean more bench time for Harbhajan Singh. He going wicketless in Ranji game didnt help his case either.  Except for injuries and dramatic collapse on day 4, the team for 2nd Test shouldnt change.

India's 2 most experienced batsmen are on crease and they would want to ensure on day 4 that they do the job for India rather than leave it to the next 3.  They survived the day 3 with some resolute batting and gritty determination. 

IPL Ashvin has evolved a great deal and I have to eat my own humble pie when I said previously I wasnt a big fan of Ashvin.  He would need to continue to be in the wickets for the remaining 2 Tests to be able to remain in contention for Australian tour later this year. 

Gambhir and Sehwag need to bat longer than just 12 and 9 overs in this game and convert 50-100 to a 100-150 as they did in the past.   Laxman and Dhoni would need to get some runs under their belt too. 

All and all a good Test match with a classic finish in sight.