Another Washout?

The weather forecast for Chennai this week, and this report suggest that even if the India v Sri Lanka Test, scheduled to start on Friday, does start on time, most of play is likely to be washed out, like the 3rd ODI between India and SA. It would be too much to expect the BCCI to do anything on the eve of the elections, but here's hoping that once the elections are done with tomorrow, someone in the BCCI has the good sense to reschedule the game to another center (Mumbai would be ideal, since they're hosting the ODI today, and will be match ready).

It's not going to happen of course, but no harm in hoping!

Pitch Talk

Ravi Shastri, in his column, says that the Eden pitch would not be so green had Ganguly been playing. It didn't need to be said. Of course it wouldn't. Just like the Nagpur pitch for the Australia Test last year would not have been so green if the Vidharbha Cricket Association wasn't antagonized by Dalmiya and co. In any case, the recent Ranji scores and pitches for international games in India suggest that we have moved from the absolute flat beds of yore. Plenty of domestic games have a result now, and the weather at this time of the year ensures there's juice early on. It helps, too, that India now have some sort of a pace attack.

Looking ahead, I think we're in for some interesting pitches in the coming series. I only hope that the regionalism will not result in India giving a greentop to England when they visit. It's just as well there's no game scheduled at the Eden Gardens for the rest of the season.

Kolkata, Crowds and a Finger

India were mauled at Kolkata on Friday. But that was not all. The crowd cheered for the visitors and booed the home captain, who is also the most important player for India. But that was not all. A finger was shown on the telly. Supposedly the coach's. Allegations, counter allegations, denials, ex-cricketers blasting the coach, unconvincing explanations offered by the team management... the more things change, the more they remain the same.

Even Tendulkar was booed by sections of the crowd in Kolkata. The same crowd that rioted when he was run out against Pakistan in 1999. The same crowd that lit the stands when he stood all alone against a rampant Sri Lanka on a cracked pitch in the semi finals of the World Cup in 1996. The same crowd that cheered him when he won India the Hero Cup in 1992.

How partisan can a venue get? Is one man bigger than a team? Bigger than a nation? Did Bangalore erupt when Dravid was removed from captaincy after the series in Sri Lanka? Did Mumbai after Sachin was stripped of captaincy? This, from the Telegraph (Kolkata) dated the day after the game:

"Accustomed to being applauded, over the past month especially, Dravid had to face jeers — and at least one nasty (‘Rahul, you are not a good team man, but a good politician’) banner",

and, this:

"Indeed, the searing “go back Chappell” roar cut across the stands divide"

If this was the provokation to Chappell for the finger, why blame him? I'd have done the same. Wouldn't you?

Dravid took it in his stride, citing the booing of Sunil Gavaskar's Indians in 1983. Only the game today will tell whether he and his team will be able to get over the verbal volleys unleashed by gleeful South Africans post Kolkata.

What Friday showed, though, was the extent of regionalism entrenched in Indian cricket. Is it a wonder that the BCCI is riven with factions and all voting is along regional lines? Is it a wonder that selections don't always make sense?

But what of Kolkata? Dreary epithets about the Kolkata crowd have rolled off commentators tongues before - excitable, knowledgeable, immense, etc, etc. Perhaps one more need be added - unworthy. Indeed, the Kolkata crowd is unworthy. Unworthy of the majestic Eden Gardens, unworthy of India's cricketing heroes, unworthy, even, of its own Sourav Ganguly.

The English Tour Itinerary

The best piece of writing on the English tour imbroglio is now on Cricinfo. Rahul Bhattacharya accurately sums the situation. But it's his writing that's the best bit. If you haven't read Pundits from Pakistan, or other articles from him, do so. To my mind, he's the best Indian cricket writer at the moment.

Mumbai Start in Style

Mumbai were 329/2 at the end of the first day, with Wasim Jaffer unbeaten on 206 and Amol Mazumdar on 93. Delhi are staring down the barrel, and points on first innings lead are looking to go to Mumbai. Jaffer has been a run machine in the past few seasons. If he continues like this, he'll be pressing Gambhir for a Test spot.

Anil Kumble picked up 1/49 in 28 overs against the Railways, proving his fitness for the Sri Lanka series. Railways, in defence of the title, have struggled to 186/3 on the first day.

I'm tipping Mumbai to be Ranji Champions this year - it's been a while. Delhi are going to be hamstrung by the absence of Sehwag and Gambhir all season (why doesn't the BCCI pay more attention to the domestic game?)

Ganguly Comeback - Part 2

Dileep Premachandran, calls Ganguly's inclusion in the Test squad as one being driven by sentiment. I disagree. I think that given the political pressures on the selection committee, they really had no choice. Left to themselves, they would have omitted him. In the ODIs, his injury made it convenient for them for the first two games, and India's performance thereafter gave them the ideal excuse. For the test team, they didn't have a choice, otherwise they would not have included him as an "all rounder" and said that Zaheer and Ganguly were in contention for the same spot.

In any case, that's water under the bridge now. Since Ganguly is in, he'll play in the starting XI. If he does well, and gets back to the free flowing Ganguly of old, then he could actually serve India in the longer version of the game for a few more years. In the ODIs, his fielding is a big negative. That he's not the captain will hopefully, help his batting. If he fails, then this looks like his last opportunity, specially as Yuvraj is looking in good touch in the ODIs, and should not be kept out of the Test team for long. The important question, however, is not one of team balance, or even how he performs. The important question is whether his presence in the dressing room will destabilize the team? I think not. Since he's not the captain, he doesn't have any authority anymore, and if he's not following the regimen that everyone else is, he can get pulled up for it. His statements indicate that he is desperate to perform, and I think he will do everything to slot back in.

Updates: Prem Panicker says that the selectors didn't have any good reason for leaving him out. I agree.

In a funny punchline, the Hindustan Times says "India's search for an all rounder seems over"

According to this report in the Indian Express, the captain and the coach are said to have opposed Ganguly's inclusion. If it's true, how is Dravid going to handle Ganguly? Interesting. It also says, MS Dhoni and RP Singh's inclusions were prompted by the coach. That's a good sign. The report also confirms (if it is true) my suspicion that if Ganguly fails to perform in the first Test, he's out. Hmm... with Murali in the ranks, he's got his work cut out.

Well, our newest all rounder has taken 5 wickets in the opening Ranji game. Well.

England v Pakistan 2nd Test Day 4

Pakistan closed the day at 183/6, leading by 199. They would ideally like another hundred runs or so by lunch, and the Test would then head for a draw. I think Pakistan missed a trick by not sending Afridi to open or at no. 3. A quick 40-50 from him would have given them the momentum and they could have been looking at a declaration. As Osman Samiuddin notes, they showed a lack of ambition. As a result, they don't have enough runs, and if England get Inzamam early today, Pakistan may have given the game away.

It's too early to tell, but it seems that the Pakistan team is not confident of itself, and performs only when backed into a corner (like in Multan, or in Bangalore earlier this year). That's a good sign for India. In January, if India can ensure that it doesn't allow Pakistan back into the game, the series should be won. Under Dravid, hopefully, India will not allow oppositions to get back into the game.

First though, let's see how India perform against Sri Lanka. Anything less than a 2-0 win is not going to be comforting.

The Test Squad

Has finally been announced. My prediction was pretty much spot on, with the exception of Zaheer Khan, who has not found a place, and Murli Karthik, who has. Still, 14 out of 15 is not bad, though I should have guessed Karthik would make the team.

The interesting bit of the news is that Ganguly has been included as the batting all rounder! Huh? They could have just said that they were giving him the last chance - after all, he's a batsman. Who are they trying to kid? Sure, he can bowl a bit, but not to "all rounder" proportions. Or is it perhaps a way out in case he doesn't make the final XI? My prediction is that since he's in the team, he'll play in the final XI for at least the first game (otherwise why include him?) and if he does not perform, he'll be out of the 15. The squad is only for the first game remember.

The Ranji Trophy Begins

Today. With Delhi v Mumbai and Railways v Karnataka being the two interesting games. Mumbai seem to have got off to a good start, with Wasim Jaffer making another 50. His stats are really interesting - an average of more than 50 over 113 first class games. He didn;t get a good run in Test cricket though, to be really tested out.

Apparently Piyush Chawla is not in the UP team, which is surprising, given that he is being touted as Anil Kumble's successor.

I'm sure most people would love to watch the domestic players in action... let's hope the BCCI gets its house in order after the elections next week and domestic games are telecast by whoever gets the TV rights.

Needed: An Indian Kerry Packer

I posted the below as a comment to Amit Varma's post on Wicket to Wicket. It expands on some of the ideas I had spoken about in an earlier post. The thesis is essentially the same - without private participation in Indian cricket, things won't improve too much.

To see whether cricket has a bright future in India or not in the age of increasing demands on time, one must look at sport broadly. First, cricket is the foremost sport in the country, and likely to remain so for a long time (till such a time as India wins a football world cup, for example). Given that, what we're really talking about is the future of sport in the country. If, as the country develops, incomes rise, so also must the value of leisure time. Where will Indians spend that time? If it is sport, it must be cricket. And as examples from the developed world have shown, to a large extent, people still spend time on sport.

The issue then boils down to how to keep cricket the premier sport in the country. This is where the BCCI comes in. It needs to professionalize. At the same time, domestic cricket needs to be made interesting enough for the audience, so that the game is not dependant on the fortunes of the national team.

Where can such a change come from? There are three possibilities:

1) The BCCI is forced to professionalize by a concerted effort from the media and the players, specially the latter, because they can effect a change.

2) A domestic league is started, playing three day games over weekends, and organized by either the Indian equivalent of Kerry Packer, or by one of the TV channels. If the organization is left to a private individual or organization, the marketing will ensure that it becomes popular. That will revolutionaize domestic cricket in India, and it will force the BCCI to change things.

3) A private organization sponsors (best done by a TV company) the Ranji Trophy and changes its format (the money will force the BCCI to think) to attract a weekend audience and ensure participation by the national stars. High prize money, proper scheduling and and effective league format to create a US baseball style league, with its own "World Series".

There are other reforms, of course, but realistically, any major reform will emanate from a private individual or organization staking plenty of money on Indian cricket. It's not impossible. The bid for TV rights for the next five years reached USD 300 million. For a fraction of that, a league can be created and managed, with TV rights, and rights to the endorsements of major players. A start could be even made with high school cricket - leveraging the popularity of the Harris Shield and similar competitions to create a national schools competition.

All it needs is a little bit of imagination from our big corporate houses. It's futile to wait for the BCCI to do something.

Dravid is Captain

The selectors have done the right thing and appointed Dravid captain for the Sri Lanka Test Series. If his captaincy in the ODIs is any indication, he will be aggressive, and in general, will not allow the opposition to get back in the game if India are on top. Hopefully, his lack of runs during previous stints as captain was just an aberration. It's been a very long time (since Tendulkar gave up the captaincy) that India have had a captain who can be expected to consistently score runs in Test matches. If he does score in the manner that has become norm for him, he will lead by example. And India will win many more matches.

Also interesting was the Board President's XI. The non-inclusion of Dhoni and RP Singh is interesting. Are they being thought of as ODI players only at the moment, or does a Test call await? It would be surprising if Dhoni is not given a Test berth, after his form with the bat in the ODIs. RP Singh should get a look in as the third seamer. The fast bowler's spots will be interesting, and I'm sure will attract much debate. Pathan is a given. There will possibly be three other spots. Agarkar should be retained given his consistency in the ODIs. For the last two - Zaheer and RP Singh? Or Zaheer and Nehra? Zaheer should be included given his form in the domestic competitions. Hopefully, it will be RP Singh. No better place to blood a youngster than a home series and as part of a strong team.

Finally, Ganguly. He'll probably make it into the 15. If he does, he will be in the playing eleven as well.

My prediction for the 15: Rahul Dravid (captn), Virender Sehwag (vc), Gautam Gambhir, Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, SC Ganguly, MS Dhoni (wk), Irfan Pathan, Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh, Ajit Agarkar, Zaheer Khan, RP Singh, Yuvraj Singh, Mohd Kaif.

We'll see tomorrow

Shameful

That the Cricket Association of Thailand has a website, while the BCCI doesn't

The Whingeing Poms

Are at it again (or at least their media is). David Hopps, this time. Even I would agree that Agartala was a case of rubbing it in, as I said in this post, but to say that it shows "disrespect" is stretching it a bit. Enough said on the subject though. The BCCI has probably slotted Agartala in as a bargaining chip. They'll move the practice game to Delhi or somewhere more suited to the Barmy Army, but keep the rest of the itinerary intact.

Pup is Dropped

Michael Clarke has been dropped from the Australian squad. In typical Australian fashion, being the golden boy didn't count for anything when confronted with a run of low scores. He now has to prove himself in domestic cricket again. I think these are the principles Greg Chappell wants to bring into Indian cricket, and we'll be better for it. If Yuvraj has a string of low scores, he should be dropped as well. Or anyone else for that matter. Australia would even drop Ponting if he failed in three series (like they did with Mark Taylor). Looking at it the Aussie way, it would be surprising to see the brouhaha over Ganguly's exclusion from the team.

Eng v Pakistan 1st Test Day Two

Belonged to Pakistan. Didn't watch the game, but Inzamam's run out was shocking. England should not have appealed, but perhaps they, too did not know the rules. It was hardly fair play, though. That said, Afridi and Inzi ensured Pakistan cannot lose this game, and the Pakistan pacers ensured England have to still score 149 to avoid the follow on with seven wickets in hand. Seeing how the English bottom half collapsed in Multan, they may struggle to get there if Ian Bell goes early. Of course, Flintoff may come to the rescue again, but looks like Pakistan are heading for a series win here, specially as England will probably have to bat last to save the game, something they're not very good at.

I'm becoming a big fan of this Pakistan team. They play with flair and imagination, and are never out of a game or series.

India v South Africa 3rd ODI

Looks like being a washout. Unfortunate. This was the one ground where dew would not have had an impact

Update: The Indian Express says that there are chances of play, and in another story, raises an important question: Why schedule matches in Chennai at this time of the year when it's highly likely that it will rain?

Rotten to the Core

An illuminating story about a 16 year old in Delhi, whose talent should be nurtured. Instead, as it happens all over India in every field (except, perhaps, the private sector), he cannot get a look in because he doesn't know the right people. This is how we squander talent.

Ganguly Comeback

According to this report in the Telegraph (India):

"Rahul Dravid is strongly favoured to keep the Team India captaincy for the three-Test series against Sri Lanka, beginning in Chennai on December 2, but Sourav Ganguly is going to figure in the 14/15.
The former captain, though, won’t (as of late Sunday) be making his ODI comeback either at the Eden or at the Wankhede — venues for the last two matches of the ongoing series versus South Africa."

Given that the reporter is Lokendra Pratap Sahi, I'm inclined to believe that this, indeed, will be the case. Let's hope Sourav hits a quickfire hundred against Murali and co. If he's in the team, then hopefully it will be as his old self.

Grow Up Guys

Scyld Berry in the Telegraph (UK) says:

"England, who play their next Test series in India in March, are considering the diplomatic snub of playing their warm-up games in Pakistan. It would be a significant step by England in their feud with the Indian board, who have drafted an itinerary which can only be called humiliating."

He goes on to say

"India's attitude is the complete opposite of Pakistan's. Both the Pakistan government and board cannot do enough for England, in the hope that more touring teams of various sports will come here, and tourists with them. "

Interestingly, Berry links this "snub" to the fracas over the allocation of the 1996 World Cup. Honestly, it's hardly a snub. England were happy to play in Mohali and Ahmedabad last time, weren't they?

Well, if England expect special consideration because they are, well, English, they're talking to the wrong board. At the moment, it's more lucrative for the ECB and English cricketers (in fact any cricketers and any board) in India than elsewhere. Let's face it - developing country or no, India is world cricket's economic hub now, and if the English can't accept that, then good luck to them.

Although, as I said in this post, perhaps India should alter the itinerary to suit the English tourists.

Update: Cricinfo's Anand Vasu has analyzed the issue and says that the itinerary is certainly not through design. But he seems to suggest that it may be better to limit the number of international venues in the country to a handful. I disagree. I think we need to upgrade the facitlities at the existing venues and increase the number of venues (maybe a few in the hills?) so that people all over India get a taste of international cricket. Yes, the scheduling could be better (keeping flight schedules etc in mind) so that the players don't get tired just travelling.

Right Noises

Sourav Ganguly makes the right noises ahead of what's looking like a comeback to the Indian side. If he does, let's hope we see the Ganguly of old - stepping diagonally out to the quicks and slashing a six over cover - and not the Ganguly we saw in Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe.

And let's hope he's not made the captain again. Give Dravid a fair go!

Engalnd v Pakistan 2nd Test Day One

This was the first time I watched the English team live after the Ashes, having missed the first test against Pakistan. It's fairly clear that their bowlers are struggling in alien conditions. Pakistan lost three wickets before lunch, but those were mainly due to mistakes by the batsmen rather than great bowling. To my mind, Flintoff looked good in patches, and Harmisson was not as quick as he could be. Hoggard shouyld make early inroads, but once the new ball has been seen off, on wickets as flat as the Faisalabad one, the English were never going to be a threat. And Inzi and Afridi proved it. Giles is tight, but hardly looks threatening, and Udal, frankly, is just not good enough to take wickets in the subcontinent. It will be interesting to see if England pick him for the India tour. As an Indian supporter, I hope they do!

300-4 at the end of day one is a great position for Pakistan to be in, and even though I think Afridi will go early on day two (swinging new ball), Pakistan look good for 450 at the moment, specially as Inzi looks set for a big one. Kaneria will be a handful on this track, and Pakistan look favourites to wrap up the series, unless they self destruct (which cannot be ruled out).

Looking ahead, India need to be wary of the Butt / Malik opening combination when they tour. Butt looks very capable, and he can make quick hundreds. With Afridi in the lineup, and learning how to play big innings like Sehwag, the Pakistan batting does not look weak anymore. And they can score quickly. One century from Inzi is pretty much guaranteed when India tour, so the Indians need to plan carefully for all their batsmen. In fact, at the moment, Pakistan's batting looks stronger than their bowling, something I never thought would happen.

England v India in March - hopefully we'll have wickets like the pitch for the Bangalore one dayer. Then the English have no chance.

The Dew Factor

Greame Smith has, predictably, attributed Saturday's loss to the toss, saying "... it was a gutsy effort to get to 170, " adding that the pitch helped the spinners in the first half and the ball went soft after six or seven overs in the second half. Watching the game on Saturday, it was quite clear that SA are going to struggle against spin on even a moderately turning track. The bigger question is how much of a factor dew really is going to be in the rest of the series. From all reports, it may not be too much of a factor in Chennai, and if that is the case, the toss may be rendered irrelevant - India should look to bat first and put up 250+, and then strangle SA with spin, as the wicket traditionally is a turner. In Calcutta and Mumbai, dew will be a factor, and the team batting second has a distinct advantage. However, watching the Indians play SA's new ball bowlers on Saturday, I think if India are chasing any sizeable score (250+) even with the dew in the last two games, they might struggle a bit. Tendulkar is looking very patchy, though Gambhir is looking very good.

On a side note, it probably makes sense to have Sehwag at no. 4 for the rest of this series. He doesn't have to face Pollock who can frustrate him into indescretion, and he can be devastating against SA's weak spin attack.

Looking ahead to Chennai. If it is cloudy, dew will not be a factor and we should have a good game.

Irfan Pathan - The Face of New India?

When Irfan Pathan got Greame Smith lbw today, the expression on his face suggested not so much joy, but what can only be described as one suggesting vengeance. Only three days ago, Greame Smith's shuffle had caused Irfan to stray in line and get taken at more than eight an over. This was payback. On his first delivery to Smith, no less.

This is not the first time that Irfan has come back from being hammered in one game to torment his tormentors in the next game. In Pakistan in 2004, he was dropped for a game. He came back, and won India the last one dayer at Lahore. This is a player who does not want to lose, and knows he doesn't need to. His very rise to being the spearhead of India's attack is a lesson in overcoming the odds. It is also illuminating for what it tells us about the direction of Indian cricket in particular, and the changing face of Indian society in general.

Irfan is from humble origins. His family lived in the precints of a Baroda mosque before he became a star. Doubtless there was no money flowing around for training and kits. That, and being a Muslim in what is argubly the most communally sensitive state in India could not have helped his cause. Sheer hard work, and a desire to succeed must have driven him then. Those qualities are still evident when he plays. Now of course, money, fame and recognition are his constant companions. He has overcome the odds and succeeded. But I doubt if he will forget his roots. And that will continue to drive him.

Irfan is an example, and excellent one at that, of what the opening up of the Indian economy since 1991 has done to change the opportunities available to the average Joe in India. In cricket specifically, it enabled private television coverage, leading to enormous sums of money being poured in to the doemstic game. That lead to increase in facilities for talented kids whose parents could not afford the equipment or the training. That in turn, has lead to players from not very privilaged backgrounds bursting on the national scene. What is more interesting is that the opportunities are available irrespective of the religious or social background of the players.

Like Sharukh Khan and Aamir Khan, Irfan (and Kaif and Zaheer) are no longer identified with their religion. This is great news. As the economy continues to open, and opportunities in other fields open up to the Irfans of tomorrow, more heroes from the minority communities should emerge. When they do, India will become truly secular, because then, as it does in cricket now, religion will cease to matter. Hopefully, Irfan Pathan is the face of the India of tomorrow - driven to succeed, from a humble background, and desptite being from the minority community, a part of the mainstream.

The Future of Indian Cricket?

Ashok Malik, in the latest post on Wicket to Wicket - The State of Indian Cricket , raises an all important question - what happens when the quintet of Dravid, Ganguly, Sachin, Kumble and VVS hang up their boots? Safe to say that apart from VVS, none of them will be around post 2008. Sehwag seems to be being groomed for captaincy. It's a good question, but not because, as Ashok seems to suggest, of a lack of leadership skills. It's a good question because those are immense boots to fill. How will we replace some of the finest Indian players ever? Can we get another Sachin, or another Dravid? Another Kumble? Even Ganguly? Apart from Sachin, all these cricketers took time to become the world beaters they are. Will we have that kind of time? Unless the process of indentifying youngsters and giving them the opportunities to fail begins now, we might find ourselves in a position that Australia found themselves in when Greg Chappell, Rod Marsh and Dennis Lillie retired on the same day. It took them years to rebuild.

Happily, Greg Chappell seems to be aware of the need to groom youngsters over the next 2-3 years. The process has begun with the ODI squad. Hopefully that will be carried over in the tests as well.

As for leadership skils - it can hardly be an argument that if someone cannot speak in English properly, he or she cannot be a good leader. Dhirubhai Ambani was one, in case people have forgotten, and he built India's largest public company.

Swing and Seam - India v South Africa ODI 2

So, Rahul Dravid has opted to bowl first. I'm sure it was a tough call, but on balance, h couldn't have done anything else. There is still a significant risk - before the dew comes into play, SA's swing and seam could cripple the top order, as the ball will move around more in the first ten overs of the second session. One only has to go back to Irfan's spell in the last Lahore ODI against Pakistan in 2004. Dew was a major factor, but before it came into play, the game was pretty much decided.

Also, India need to restrict SA to 275 or lower. 300 is not going to be chaseable against this bowling attack - dew or no dew.

Here's hoping for a good game

Not Again!

According to this report on Cricinfo, Ganguly might return to the team if India performs badly in the next few games. Interestingly, it also says:

"However the selection committee's forthcoming two meetings could be crucial in respect to Ganguly's future. At the moment it appears that three selectors of the five are in favour of Ganguly's return to the Test side, as captain. But that could very easily change between now and the next selection meeting, as at least one of the five selectors is a known fence-sitter on this issue, and could swing either way"

Hmm... so let's say India lose this series 3-2 or 4-1. Ganguly comes back to the Test side, as captain, and Dravid, having been given 12 games to "prove himself" will find himself out even though one series was won convincingly. I'm not sure why the selectors would do this as it cannot be based on any principle of management that exists. If they had to re-instate Ganguly as captain, they should not have removed him in the first place. Surely, with regards to captaincy, nothing much has changed in one month? And how could anyone justify making Ganguly the captain of the test team, when after the last selection meeting he was not deemed good enough to be part of the opening three one dayers against SA? Besides, since that meeting, he has scored a pair in the only first class game he's played. Sure, there is a case that he can be part of the Test team, but not part of the one day team (like VVS). Even though that is strange (Ganguly was always a better ODI bat), it would be even stranger if he were made captain. After all, he's no Steve Waugh.

There is another issue to consider. For how long is Rahul Dravid going to stand for this? And how is it going to impact the younger players? Will they see it as a vindication of the policy that it's who you know that counts, not what you do? If they do see it that way, and they should not blamed if they do, Indian cricket will go back to the lethargy and complacency of the last season.

Hopefully, better sense will prevail

Ministerial Debate

You would think these gentlemen had better things to argue about. And you would think that the TOI had more newsworthy events to report. Alas!

Greame Smith's Diary

Pointed out by Vishnu on his blog, this diary rocks!

Cricket Coverage in India

Not sure whether Indian newspapers intentionally do this, or whether it's just poor quality reporting. I could give several examples, but here are a few priceless gems from today:

In a piece titled "What do selectors want from Ganguly?" the TOI says "Anger has given way to anxiety. The ODI series against South Africa has begun and Kolkatans are bracing themselves for the worst - a match at the Eden Gardens without Sourav Ganguly!" Hello, hasn't the Eden hosted a game without Ganguly before?

Another one, from TOI as well, says "Ganguly endorses Chappellway", when he did nothing of the sort, as you can see from the article.

And the headline of another one, also from TOI, makes Nehra a crusader, whereas he didn't say anything that could be interpreted as such.

A story in the Telegraph, yesterday, is titled "After the high, Indians get a dose of their own medicine- Selectors will have to look at Sourav if top order crumbles again." Come on guys, gloating when the national team fails because a player has not been included is not nice. Besides, it ignores the obvious - the top order crumbled regularly even when Saurav was in it, most recently in Zimbabwe.

I could go on, but you get the drift. Why does the MSM sensationalize reportage of the sport? It's tabloid journalism at its worst, and the readers are poorer for it.

But I suppose when they can do this, we shouldn't really expect too much.

Another TV Rights Controversy

Apparently the problem is not limited to cricket. According to a report in the Hindustan Times (I cannot provide the link since it was on epaper):

"WITH LESS than a month left to go for Champions Trophy hockey, there is still confusion about the telecast rights for the elite six-nation event beginning December 10 in Chennai. Telecast details for the event are yet to be finalised.
While earlier reports had claimed that national broadcaster Doordarshan (DD) was not interested in the terrestrial rights and had in fact asked for money from the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF), officials say this is not true. "It is true that we have met with DD officials and they had initially quoted some expenditure as opportunity cost for telecast. The fact is they haven't said anything final. They haven't demanded money from us either. We are still in talks with them and hope to sort out the problem soon," said IHF secretary K Jothikumaran"

What is it with our sports organizations? Can they never get their act together? As for DD, well, whatever.

Bent Elbows

Have been reported for Shabbir and Shoaib Malik again. They'll still play the next game, however. According to the Match referee:

"...and while it has been shown that in laboratory conditions they are capable of bowling within the legal limits, the match officials had concerns with the actions they used during certain stages of this match when viewing their actions with the naked eye.
This has led the team of officials to request the ICC to commission biomechanical reports into their actions in accordance with the new process introduced earlier this year."

So, if they bowl within the legal limits in the laboratory again, they'll be allowed to bowl. If the umpire then thinks something is wrong in the next series, they go back to the lab again? Doesn't make too much sense to me. My opinion: if they've been cleared once, they should be allowed to bowl. If then, during a game, the umpire thinks they're throwing particular deliveries, they should call a no-ball and ask the bowler to rectify.

Cricket on the telly

Andrew Miller's extremely readable diary on Cricinfo wonderfully evokes the joys of switching on the television to see cricket on all the time. At times, I feel it's worth going back to India just for the cricket on the telly. Sigh!

The State of Indian Cricket

Wicket to Wicket has a new topic for discussion - the state of Indian cricket. It should make for a very interesting debate. There is no doubt that several suggestions - some workable, others not - will be made to strengthen the game in what is becoming its spiritual homeland. The only question is, will it make a difference?

Cricket in India is governed by what is essentially a private club, whose members elect its office bearers. As such, there is no accountability. Moreover, the structure of the BCCI is such that the office bearers and members have no incentive to promote accountability or change the manner in which it functions. It's just the opposite. So long as the BCCI remains a private club, the members will continue to wield power over the game - power no one will willingly give up. Till such a time as the BCCI becomes corporatized along the lines of Cricket Australia, there will be no consistency in policies regarding domestic cricket, television rights, selection, player contracts and the overall direction of the game in India. This is not to say that the people in the top echelons of BCCI do not necessarily care about the game - I'm sure they do - but within the context of how the BCCI functions, they have to play the power games to effect policy. Unfortunately, as it so often happens, eventually power itself becomes the objective.

The one thing everyone on the Cricinfo panel is sure to agree on is that the BCCI needs to become a professional body. It needs to be a professional body so that it can respond to concerns of the public in a timely and coherent fashion, achieve consitency in vision, and be forced to respond to non-performance, like a public company. But fans and commentators do not have a say in the running of the game. At best, they can be a pressure group, but by its nature, such a group will be a disparate one, unable to influence events on its own. What then, can be done to influence the course of events and force change?

Consider the stakeholders of Indian cricket - the public, the sponsors, the television companies, the players (domestic and national) and finally, the BCCI and all its members. Of the above, the sponsors will respond to the market - i.e. how much interest the game and the team generate at any point in time; ditto for the television companies; the players will respond to their career opportunities and the BCCI members will respond to power equations that will effect their position. Note that all the stakeholders, barring the BCCI members, have their interests aligned - the most important factor for all of them is the success of individual players or the team. This is the diconnect that leads to volatility in Indian cricket. As mentioned before, the public cannot do much to influence the BCCI - but it can influence the sponsors and the television companies, through market forces (lower TRP ratings, for example). However, that takes a long time to play out, and there is always hope that things will be better. The television companies are beholden to the BCCI in so far as the BCCI awards the rights, and the process is not transparent.

The only stakeholders who can have a major say in how things are run are the players. Without them, there is no team, no sponsors, no television money - nothing. What the media and the commentators can do, is to encourage the players to form a Player's Association, which could act as a counterweight to the BCCI, and help force the changes that everyone wishes to see. It will not be easy, and will require strong convictions from the players, but short of government intervention (which would be even more undesirable), it is perhaps the only way that the BCCI will be forced to clean up its act, even to a certain degree.

There is another way - if India can find it's own Kerry Packer.

Pakistan Surprise

Well, not really. One expects the Pakistan team to come back from any position. That said, England were always going to struggle in Pakistan. It's interesting to note that Pakistan won despite being lacklustre for the best part of the test match. Inzamam has compared this victory to those over India in Bangalore (this year) and Lahore (2004). In terms of results, they are, of course comparable. However, in both Bangalore and Lahore, Pakistan were on top from day one, with India playing catch up. In this game, it was Pakistan doing the catch up. It's a throwback to the Wasim-Waqar days when Pakistan could be relied upon to come back from any position. The series could still go anywhere, but one thing is for sure, India are going to have a very tough time when they tour Pakistan in January.

While on the subject, John makes a good observation on his blog - England still allow other teams to come back in a game, something Australia have made a habit of not doing. It doesn't augur well for England's chances on the subcontinent, but it does mean that there will be some very interesting games in the current Eng-Pak series and when England come to India.

India v South Africa 1st ODI

India's challange was always going to be swing and seam, as I mentioned in my earlier post, and they duly collapsed in the first ten. Most commentators have said that it is a good wake up call for India, and it probably is. I'm not sure, though, whether the Indians will be able to turn it around as quickly as the next game on Saturday. It will probably take them another couple of games. While the fightback from Yuvraj was excellent, like Lahore last year, it didn't make any difference. The Proteas look good enough to chase 300, so it's really important for Dravid to win a couple of tosses and put them in to bat. I'm still predicting 3-2 to SA. We'll see.

Rubbing it in?

According to this report, one of the three day practice matches for England's tour of India have been alloted to Agartala (and the other to Jamshedhpur)! This, after the BCCI refused to change the venues for the Tests and the ODIs. Case of rubbing it in?

The Show Must Go On

The Karachi blasts yesterday near the hotels where most international teams stay when they are in Karachi have, hopefully, not derailed England's tour. As Shehryar Khan pointed out, terrorism is not particular to Karachi or Pakistan. New Delhi was rocked by blasts a few weeks ago, Bali (again) last month and London in July. Even Sydney and Melbourne have received threats recently. As such, Pakistan is probably as safe a place to play cricket in as anywhere else in the current global environment, and the ECB should take a similar stance. On a side note, hopefully the BCCI will not raise the Karachi bogey again - India should play a test in Karachi in January given the reception given to the Indian team and spectators last year.

India v South Africa

I suppose the important question is whether India will be able to counter as many as six swing and seam bowlers, all of whom are quite good. Most commentators have focussed on SA's lack of spinning options, but they probably don't need any. Between Pollock, Ntini, Kallis, Nel, Andrew Hall and Justin Kemp, they have all the bowlers they'll need. If Botha does get a look in, however, it might backfire on the Proteas. The Hyderabad XI is not the same as the Indian team. For India, Sehwag needs to make more than 50 in an innings. SA look capable of chasing 300 against the Indian bowling attack. If I were to hazard a prediction, I would say 3-2 in favour of SA.

Scheduling Conflicts for England Tests

This topic has been blogged to death on Sight Screen, after a couple of English journalists raised the bogey again. It's been all quiet since then, but it does beg the question - shouldn't India schedule Test matches to suit the home team? The proposed itinerary hardly does that. Besides, the rotation policy does ensure that the Tests do not take place at the grounds which would be most conducive to an Indian win. For example, it makes no sense to have Sri Lanka play their first Test at Chennai (spinning wicket, hot, humid) where they would feel right at home. Ideally, Sri Lanka should have their first Test at Mohali and maybe the second at Bangalore, where the wicket will not play to their strengths. Similarly, the English tour should open with a Test in Chennai (again, spinning wicket, hot, humid) so that India has the best of that draw. That should be followed up with Kolkata (to drive the point home) and then Delhi or Mumbai. That way the Barmy Army can enjoy the sights, and the Indians can get on with the game...

Tendulkar's consistency

According to this list on Cricinfo, Tendulkar has never made 500 runs or more in a Test series! Neither has he made hundreds in each innings of a game. He also does not figure on the list of batsmen with most hundreds (or fifties) in consecutive Test matches. Doesn't diminish his quality as a batsman, but is that why we tend to think that he is not a consistent matchwinner? Perhaps we should not expect matchwinning consistency from him...

The hinterland comes to the fore

The recent phenomenon of Indian cricketers from small towns, written about by Gulu Ezekiel here and commented on by Prem Panicker is interesting. Even though some of the facts in the original article were incorrect (Irfan Pathan's background, for instance), and allowing for the fact that Ghaziabad is not a small town (it's a Delhi suburb), the emergence of players such as Dhoni (Ranchi), Kaif (Allahbad), RP Singh (Lucknow) among others indicate that Indian cricket has finally penetrated the hinterland to a great extent. This phenomenon is definitely a result of, among other things, parents in the 1990s becoming aware of professional cricket as, well, a profession. A steady stream of talent from the hinterland will ensure that Indian cricket only grows stronger, but to sustain it, it is also necessary to strengthen domestic cricket and improve the lot of domestic cricketers who do not make it to the national team. A properly marketed and organized domestic championship (unlike the Ranji Trophy which nobody watches) would give more exposure to domestic cricketers, increase their remuneration, and really encourage more parents to think about professional sport as a career for a talented kid.