From a Mongoose

Dear Matthew,

I was pleasantly surprised to learn that a bat has been inspired by me. Just look at this, isn't the connection between a bat and me immediately obvious!

However my fraternity have felt left down. After so much hype, they don't understand why you are choosing us after 6.8 minutes in every innings. It seems distracting, halting the momentum and you are not doing our reputation any good by getting out soon after that. So for the future of all mongoose, please select a bat at the start and stick to it.

Also, the intelligent and cynical among us want to know why, if you were the leading run scorer in the IPL last year with a fantastic run rate and average, a large & strong man, doing very well with the conventional bat, why would you want to change it? You don't get 8 runs for a longer six do you?

The kind hearted among us, have felt empathy for the bowlers and have started a research fund for pig ball. Pig ball is to a ball what mongoose is to a bat. The ball will travel faster from the bowler's arm and if you look at it creatively you will see a pig in it.

Please also settle this question between us: when there are several of us around are we mongooses or mongeese?

Also while you are at it, please check if there are more than 1411 of us left?

Sincerely,
(from a concerned and friendly neighborhood mongoose)

mirror mirror on the wall

Not to single out bhajji for yesterday's performance (as the blame can be shared liberally), but came across an interview which taken out of context, resonates with the performance in the match yesterday.

"Main sochta nahin hoon" - :)

"How many bowlers send down six different deliveries in each over?"
duh, the object is not to bowl as many different deliveries, the object is to take as many wickets as possible. Heck, I think I can bowl six different deliveries an over, just not near the stumps.

"It’s sad that I hardly get to see spinners who can turn the ball on any surface." Sadly, neither do we...

"They’re happy just rolling their arm over... They should, instead, express themselves and bowl the deliveries they can really be good at... "

talking about someone else....?

Read the rest of the interview, for a chuckle or two...

media frenzy in cricket

My TV time has reduced significantly as work deadlines have overtaken me. But in the limited time I have watched the news, I have been unable to bypass the media circus surrounding the Indian cricket team. The television media (in a quest for ratings) have lost the ability to give a balanced, mature view of events. Rather hysterical reports are the norm, with decibel levels of reporters consistently at an unpleasant pitch (always shouting).

Several years ago, I used to be shocked by news items with words like lashes, blasts, snubs. Now I always believe that it is a mild statement to which some spice has been added. In fact I am tempted to get a collection of reporters and have a demonstration of lashing.

To the media, I ask to look around you in your office -- don't you have disagreements with your colleagues and bosses, or is always one happy family? Even assuming that there was a tiff , until it impacts the performance of the team, why should it become issue of this magnitude? There is almost a sadistic wish to find problems in a successful team.

Until the media starts self-policing, I will rely more on print media to get balanced reports.

Where were you?

Dear Dhoni,

You missed the Padma Shri awards given by the president. Where were you? If the award meant anything, short of an emergency, you should have made it -- if not you should have declined it a long time ago, so that another sportsman/woman should have been awarded it. Surely there needs to be a public word on why you did not make it? I did not see you in the IPL parade either (though I took only a passing glance at it on TV). Hope you were there...

You have been privileged to recieve so less criticism. It will take only a few defeats after which you will be in the same boat as Ganguly or Dravid.

PS: To the sports ministry and BCCI -- don't you check beforehand if your "wards" intend to attend or persuade them to do so?

Injured?

Is a player fit for T20, ODIs or tests? The new mantra appears to be that if you are not fit for tests, the way to get there is to play high intensity T-20 virtually non-stop for a month (though some may call it entertainment). I wonder if Watson, Symonds or Lee can make use of the same concept -- as they perhaps have been recalled at an inopportune moment (atleast financially)?

Will SRT vote?

Just wondering if any of our cricketers who are idolized and put on a pedestal, are going to request permission to come back and vote? After the hue and cry over Dhoni's name on the rolls, I wonder if any of them are planning to fly back to cast their vote?

Let's help them

More than a decade of the D/L system, we can safely say that the majority of the cricketing world including spectators don't understand it. We have now reconfirmed what we knew earlier, that even identifying the winning score is a tough job. So it is time for fans to come up with creative ideas to help teams.

So I have seriously come up with some:

- Build an application, that senses that captain or coach is about to do something crazy -- it needs to send out a high pitched shriek, like a car alarm, that is to warn all in the vicinity of impending disaster. It would be wasted to build a system that just computes the current score, the alert system prior to the wrong action is imperative.

- Automatic chopper - that will chop away pieces of the paper that are no longer relevant -- so that you don't look at columns for earlier overs or lesser wickets.

- Have a D/L chief strategist - has to be part meteorologist and will assess the ground conditions, light situation, weather conditions, team capabilities and come up with a detailed strategy for each match. While this goes beyond identifying the right score, it is obviously not fool proof either, because it needs to be communicated to the players in the middle.

-So hire a speedy runner to run in between overs, communicating to the players important messages like - "if either of you plan to get out, you will need 10 runs in this over, if neither of you get out, you will need only 1".

-The above is also problematic, as the runner may forget the numbers and send a different message, so the last solution is to hire either Duckworth or Lewis to be in your team -- to compute and identify the right score and communicate it. And if that fails and the team feels done in by the D/L method (rightly or wrongly), a D/L chase can have a new meaning.

Asif

Lets forget all the world's problem and send Asif to a neutral venue-- perhaps to Burkina Faso, Timbuktu, Ulan Bator or the most neutral of all places Switzerland :) You wonder what has taken the IPL to long to handle what I believe is an open and shut case? During the same time, Harbajjan has been suspended, recovered, danced, played matches and won and has started chirping again. Shree, the slapee has been on a mysterious injury sabbattical, only to arise for dancing, and some (un)neighbourly chit-chat. Usually, by this time, someone would have been suspended, written a book, reinstated and it would be time for the next offence. So IPL, don't lag behind --- and on a serious note, I hope there is zero tolerance drug policy and hold a video conference with Asif and get this resolved. This no action for 6 months sends out a very poor precedent.

Dravid - What now?

Looking back at this post written in July, things have continued to slide down further for Dravid - and I think it is time to drop him or for him to retire. As a sincere fan of Dravid, it pains me to watch him - I think luck has totally deserted him and if he does not want to quit, it is time for him to wait in the sidelines for his form, luck and confidence to return and not at the crease.

The other day my nephew tells me aunty (ok, the tamil equivalent), Dravid is a "bad player". I was shocked, and try to tell him that he is legend...

-That he is one of a handful of players with over 10,000 runs in both forms.
-That he has opened when the team asked him to when he is not an opening batsman.
-That he kept wickets just so that India could play the extra batsman.
-That he changed his game to suit ODIs more.
-That he has had many match winning patnerships.
-Why he got the nickname "the wall".


But my nephew remained unconvinced -- the bottom line is in the year or so that he has been watching cricket, he has not a seen a single memorable, authoritative performance from Dravid.

So already we are talking to the next generation about Dravid's past achievements and not his current form - the last hurrah does not appear to be in the cards. Perhaps he needs to think that his is no longer a prized wicket for opponents. And perhaps he needs to think whether he wants to be dropped and never recalled or retire now.

Zaheer - why?

I have been distressed by hearing about this news item about Zaheer Khan. Why the hollow sentiment of giving match fees to mumbai victims and cops if we cannot first follow basic rules and respect security staff? This is not the time for exceptions and as cricketers they need to remember that the security is trying to protect not only them but others around them as well. There are armed escorts for the teams and apparently they manage to traverse the distance between the hotel and stadium in 10 mins which for normal folks takes nearly 45 mins!

Perhaps it is an inconvenience, perhaps it is confining, but this is needed at the present time. It is no pleasure either for the fans to leave water, snacks, mobile at home, and be frisked several times to watch a match. The only consolation is that it will safe within a crowded stadium if everyone is scrutinized in the same way (if we start having exceptions - the security is pointless).

Zaheer, put yourself in the cop's shoes - how would it feel to be scanning baggage after baggage not knowing what is in it, or screening irate visitors. Would you trade your shoes for the theirs? So how about an apology? Hope every member cuts off the "prima donna" stuff if not for their own sake atleast for others around them, simply allow the security team to do their job.

The sun is out

There is bright sunshine in Chennai today, so that perhaps bodes well for the match. You wonder how it is so sunny in Chennai for most days in a year and for the few days it rains, a match is scheduled! I am interested in seeing how many people show up, given a chance of rain, the additional security checks, diminishing interest in test matches, and the economy (I doubt very many working folks will decide to take time off - I am checking to see if any friends/family are interested and at this point there are no takers). I personally am keeping Sunday as an option though even that is unlikely (the only reason I am still even considering it is to show solidarity and applaud the teams for coming back :))

This was my experience of going to the stadium during IPL, and is just one of the reasons why you think twice about going to a match. MRTS is an option for the test matches though (not really for the late night matches unless you live right next to the station). Also once upon a time, you would look at your fellow spectators and wonder if their snack was more interesting than yours, now you watch them for odd behaviour :)

Many thoughts

Several thoughts in no way connected to each other run through other.

Ishant's hair: I have talked glibly about it in the past, but it is a loss to the cricketing world :) You know you are succeeding in cricket in India, when you can cut your long hair!

ODIs much too complicated.: I yearn for the days when you could look at the scoreboard and could predict what was needed in terms of runs/overs even in a rain restricted game. Now you score 166, but you mysteriously end up 198 and no one knows the powerplay rules in these cases -- perhaps not even the players, umpires or the ICC.


Rain: Won't the same rain system follow them to Cuttack?
I hear a lot about the ground cannot be covered completely -- but why can it not be? It is afterall a finite space, with clearly defined dimensions, and you don't have to cover it with a precious metal. How about some creative solutions like a low-level retractable roof to be used when it rains to cover the ground (not suggesting indoor cricket), just a mechanism similar to that...? That may be expensive, so how about creating semi-tent like covers or slopping roof facades so that the water drains in areas you want it to drain to? When you have hammers and moppers on the field, I am sure there are viable alternatives for covering grounds.

TV Coverage: To the folks producing this, please note that it is common courtesy to wait till the bails fall out when a wicket is taken, both feet land on the ground and the fielder is given a chance to throw the ball into the air after a catch, or allowing the commentators to finish a sentence before cutting to a advertisement break. You are now competing with DD on the level of coverage!.

Speaking of breaks, the RBS ad puzzles me. I doubt the target audience in India currently has much faith in a foreign bank - so perhaps a wrong time to launch a big ad campaign. And everytime I see it, I think what a nice ad Sachin has done for Raymond and don't think of anything related to RBS :)

KP's quote

Pietersen has this to say:

"We need the bowlers to take wickets and the batsmen to score runs"

Insightful...??

Champions League

BCCI asks ECB to delay the start of the test series by a day so that Dhoni and perhaps Badrinath if he selected in the test team will have a chance to play in case CSK qualify. At the time of scheduling, they did not make this request - I wonder why now?

Assuming that remains unchanged and CSK qualify, I have been wondering who will be the captain. Fleming is expected to be the coach instead of Wessels? My guess therefore, is that it would make Hussey the most logical choice, thought whether he would want it especially if it is against his "other" team.

Here is the draw.

Does the four foreign player restriction apply for the champions league?

I don't remember seeing Murali Vijay in the CSK line-up for IPL -- was he in the squad?

This is going to be one odd tournament - Aussies and New Zealanders will fly down after their test series which ends on Dec 2nd and the champions league starts on the 3rd - won't they be jet-lagged?

Two of them (Morkel and Hussey) will play against teams they are currently representing, though they got their home teams $200,000 each for this release.

I for one can never imagine in soccer Real Madrid and ManU qualifying and say Beckham having to choose one!

Do you think the Champions League concept will generate as much interest as the IPL?

Dhoni's schedule

Wow! after wicket keeping in 4 test matches and captaining in 2, he now has to play 7 ODIs, captain, bat and keep as well - then participate in some Champions League matches (captain, bat and keep wickets there as well) and then go and play 2 test matches - captain, bat and keep again... And all of this is within the next 40 days. Except for 10 day break between a couple of tours, this continues until next July/August atleast.

Just thinking about it makes me exhausted. And he was limping, sniffing yesterday. I hope they give him a wicket keeping break in the middle and possibly rest him as well. But there does not appear to be an alternate wicketkeeper in the ODI squad?

Slow over rate

Ponting gets a gentle slap in the wrist - a 20% fine (of course the lost match is probably what is going to hurt him more)

Dhoni himself was guilty of slow over rate in some sessions, though the end of the day tally was generally okay.

The extra half hour has been used everyday- something is wrong - that should be for contingencies.

The fines and threat of suspension are not working. If this continues, the day is not far off when during the end of the day you see only 70 overs bowled and captain gets suspended for the next match (and given the hectic schedule, they will be glad to take that break!) ...


A different approach would be to penalize per session. If you are supposed to bowl 28 overs pre lunch, and if you are 4 overs short, then take the worst runs per over for a bowler (with a minimum of 4 runs per over) and add it to the team - and add it immediately - at the end of each session.

So if Ponting was 10 overs short, and one bowler gave away 6 runs per over, the opponent team would get 60 runs immediately.

We will see over rates come into control immediately, like how free hits has reduced the number of no-balls.

Thoughts/Suggestions?

Only eleven?

It does not appear that to anyone outside the Aussie team the strategy after tea was remotely sane. Why was something that was so obvious to one and all, missed by Ponting and his team? I wonder if they were busy planning the next book. I would have loved to listen in on Dhoni's and Bhajji's conversation in the middle when they saw White, Hussey and Clarke bowl instead of Johnson/Watson/Lee.

And what was White doing with the ball - peeling off something from it? If Bhajji had been doing the same... what would the reaction be?

PS: the number of books promoted by aussies this series almost exceeds the number of felicitations. Knowing how "felicitation friendly" India is, that is a not an easy task.

random thoughts

It will be odd to see a test match without Ganguly or Kumble. Kumble had one of the better voices in the cricketing world :) As there are already proposals of him being a spin coach, I think he should give match refereeing a shot as well.

But as I watched the lap of honour around the stadium - I was well and truly stunned when Dhoni lifted him on his shoulders. Prior to that when Dravid and Zaheer lifted him, I was impressed but atleast there were two people. Now Kumble is no Sivaramakrishan and they were not stationary either... Could anyone else have carried him singlehandedly from the team?

What is the secret of Dhoni's strength (not energy -- mind it!)

Daily Court

Just like we have a pre-game and post-game show, it is time to have a daily court session to handle disciplinary incidents between the two teams.

I am sorry Gambhir and Zaheer - I cannot condone your behaviour. Much of the time, I watch the matches with my young nephew and his friends, and what Watson said could not be heard or copied by them, but they very much see your actions. Being provoked does not make this right - it is upto you to have handled this better. If it was accidental, an immediate apology would have been better.

Just because the Aussies use abusive and offensive language, there is no need for you to do the same. Atleast use your mother tongue - that is bound to annoy more than an English swear word. Imagine, Watson says something to you, you turn to the batsmen at the other end, and simply but loudly say something generic, not targeted at anyone, something meaningless -"tamatar phenkege to kitni dor jayegi", or "Gadha acha jaanwar hai", "dimag ke andar kuch nahi hai" and laugh. (I am sure more pertinent lines can this be used that can allow you some relief) This is bound to be more infuriating and definitely smarter and nothing to offend even if it is translated.

To the Australian team, you are the inventors of this entire sledging business - and playing hard but fair is the most hypocritical statement. You say that you don't cross the line - but whose line it is - because you crossed my line of acceptable behaviour a long long time ago.

The ICC, please note that Watson getting a 10% fine and Gautam penalized for a match, simply indicates that you believe folks need to be clever at sledging and that verbal abuse is acceptable. This does nothing for the spirit of the game as they both offend in equal measure. Have a more balanced system for penalizing all offenders, as otherwise this will eventually blow into another Sydney test at some point.

Champions League in Chennai

The champions league is going to be held from Dec 3 - Dec 10 with several matches in Chennai including the final.

Now has anyone from the organzing comittee visited Chennai in the past week - are they hoping that the monsoon ends before December first week?