Cricket Vignettes

Where's the Contest?

2006-01-21T20:11:00.000+08:00

So, Pakistan are 379/4 at the end of the first day's play, with both Inzi and Afridi looking good for lots more. Pakistan should go on to make 550+ from here, which would mean that the test will either be drawn, or Pakistan will win. Afridi played very well, as did Inzamam and the other Pakistani batsmen. But where was the contest? It was definitely less one sided than Lahore, but honestly, Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Yousuf fell to poor shots, and Younis to a great catch. India missed a couple of run outs, and a couple of close lbw shouts (one against Inzamam, another against Afridi) went against them. Apart from those two lbw shouts, and the wicket of Butt, the bowlers really had nothing to show. That's three deliveries out of 540. Basically, Pakistan could have been 400/2 and it would still have been understandable.

Of course, the real determination of whether this was just too flat a wicket or the Indian bowlers bowled badly can only happen once India bats, and facing a mammoth score, they might collapse (alternatively, they could concede a first innings lead of a 100 or so and collapse in the second innings, like in Bangalore last year). Today, however, there was no contest between bat and ball. That's a pity.

One of the reasons could be that Irfan Pathan has been very disappointing, and that all the seamers bowled at mediocre speeds. That's where Shoaib could be handy for Pakistan. On this wicket, I think medium pace will get slaughtered. Unfortunately for the game, Pakistan have omitted Rana, thus reducing the chances of a result. And even though India have five bowlers, I don't think it made any difference.

The toss, obviously, was crucial. On these wickets, you bat first and easily make 500+; then wait for the opposition to commit hara kiri. If they don't, it's a draw. If they do, you win. Not good. I found the day's play quite boring after about the first 45 minutes - and I'm not saying that because India were under the cosh. But because, like Lahore, it was essentially a no contest. You need bowlers like Wasim and Waqar to make these pitches interesting - watching anyone less accomplished is a waste of time for the viewing public.

Rana Out, Razzaq In?

2006-01-21T09:54:00.000+08:00

According to this news item, anyway:

"Pakistan, meanwhile, are likely to make one enforced change, with Mohammad Asif expected to step in for Mohammad Sami, and one optional one. Sami has come down with a sore throat and a high fever and is a doubtful starter, while Abdul Razzaq is in line for a recall, at the expense of the ever-willing Rana Naved-ul-Hasan."

Why would Pakistan do that? They don't really need an all rounder, and Razzaq is hardly threatening at the test level as a bowler. Rana is definitely a better bowler... I suppose we'll find out, but if it does happen, Pakistan may find themselves a bowler short, with Afridi doing more bowling than they would have accounted for.

I'm keen to see Mohammad Asif though. Always fun to see a new Pakistani fast bowler... he's got to be better than Sami (sometimes I think even Agarkar is better than Sami)

Future Tours and Programmes

2006-01-21T09:46:00.000+08:00

There has been a hue and cry about the BCCI 'going its own way' and arranging series bilaterally without regard to the ICC's FTP. I think the BCCI have their priorities right - maximize revenues and ensure that the Indian team (and the public) play the bigger opponents as frequently as possible. While the ICC's stated goal of broadening the appeal of cricket by having top countries play minnows frequently is laudable, it doesn't make for very good viewing. A far better way to popularize cricket in countries where it is not popular is to have games between top countries at those venues - they will attract revenues and crowds. That is exactly what the BCCI is doing when they talk of playing India-Pakistan games in the USA, for example. I've digressed a bit, I know, because really what India is saying is that it doesn't want to play Bangladesh more than once every blue moon. I think that's fair.If Bangladesh A can win the Duleep Trophy, for instance, then we can think of playing them more frequently. If they keep getting beaten in the first round of an Indian domestic championship, what's the point?

Also heartening is that India will now play Pakistan, England and Australia (I'm talking about Test matches) once every couple of years. And the BCCI will ensure at least one good series at home each year. Both positive. Fun times are ahead!

Back to Blogging

2006-01-21T09:37:00.000+08:00

I haven't blogged for the last couple of weeks, owing to some serious travelling and a fairly busy work schedule, but hopefully should be more consistent going forward.

Not too long to go before the second test, and the news is that Ganguly could miss out as India are looking to play five bowlers. That would also mean Dravid opens again. Some of you may recall that I had commented earlier (during the SL series) that opening with Dravid was probably the best thing for India, with VVS at number 3. Looks like the experts are slowly coming round to the same view. Gavaskar commented in his column recently (I don't have the link here) that the Sehwag-Dravid opening combination was the way to go. I agree. I think it could end up being the best opening combination India have ever had. Yes, Dravid averages quite low as an opener, but most of those innings were played when he was searching for his slot in the team - he had played at pretty much every position till then. It's very different now, when he's at the top of his game and captain. The other argument against Dravid opening is ususally that he's far too important at number 3, since he can control the innings if a wicket falls early. It's an argument with merit, but if he can be as consistent at the top as he's at number 3, then he can both control the innings and set up the middle order for massive totals. We'll see more 100+ stands with Dravid and Sehwag opening than we will with Sehwag and anyone else.

Blogs in China

2006-01-10T19:57:00.000+08:00

Here's food for thought: I can make entries on my blog from the Beijing airport, but I cannot view my blog. In fact, I cannot pull up any webpage which reads xxxx.blogspot.com! So, people in China can blog (at least on blogger.com), but they cannot read any blogs! Even funnier, I can view all the pages I want to from my companies' office in Beijing. I wonder if it's "one country two systems" even at this level! I would not be surprised if it was.

By the way, its no fun waiting at lounges when the flight's delayed (as I just found out mine is).

DD Not to telecast Series Part Deux

2006-01-10T19:22:00.000+08:00

Rahul Bhatia is right:

"It's not the ideal solution, but compared to what was, Prasar Bharati's decision to not broadcast the Test series live will do for now. There are those, including the government, who argue that putting free cricket on every television in India is not only good, but also national duty. They're missing the point: seizing legally acquired private property for public consumption is illegal"

As I said before, it doesn't make sense for Ten Sports to share feed with DD at rates that are unprofitable for it. However, seizing legally acquired private property for public consumption is not illegal, as long as compensation is paid. That is why the Right to Property is not a fundamental right in India (unfortunately). If the State so wishes, it can sieze private property by giving 'adequete compensation/' How much that compensation is is decided by the State. That is why DD is so bold. And that is why the SC's decision is to be welcomed.

Now, I only wish Ten Sports do not use Arun Lal or Laxman Sivaramakrishnan to commentate.

Inzi's sense of humor

2006-01-10T19:15:00.000+08:00

Inzi has the best sense of humor among current cricket captains. He had amazing one liners during the last tour. And he hasn't lost his form. Here, in reply to whether his fever would keep him away from the first test:

"Not me but the entire country is in cricket fever. The Indian cricket team is in Pakistan and with them here, my fever has no value"

Ha! There will be more, I'm sure. And I can't wait to hear his one liners.

No Games on DD

2006-01-10T18:57:00.000+08:00

According to this report, anyway. I wouldn't take this as definitive, though. Things always happen at the last minute. However, if DD is not allowed to telecast the games, it only serves them right. If they want to piggyback off their position as the 'public broadcaster', they should be willing to pay for it.

Meanwhile, in a piece that a year ago would be sacrilege, Harish Dugh seems to suggest that Tendulkar should be dropped if he does not perform in the Pakistan series, since he's no longer the best batsman in the side. Well, I agree, at the moment he's probably not. But that's hardly a reason for dropping him! Worse, he seems to ask whether it's worth having Tendulkar in the team since he's not as important to the Indian team as Ponting is to the Australian team:

"In fact, one can say that Ponting is better than Sachin currently as he scores at such devastating speed that he not only terrorizes the bowlers but also builds up the morale of his team to do well. He has put steel in the minds of his players to deliver outstanding personal performances. Look at the new-look Matthew Hayden, the mind-boggling Andy Symonds and the spectacular Mike Hussey.
In short Ponting powers his team not just with the bat, but also gives booster shots of confidence to the entire team to ensure Australia win matches regularly, ensuring their status as world champions.
So, is Sachin, as a mentor, worth as much to Team India. One must say that he is not. However, having said that, if we drop Sachin, do we include Wasim Jaffer, Mohammad Kaif, Suresh Rains, Venugopal Rao? None can say their blade carries more weight than Sachin’s."

Convoluted logic certainly. No one would disagree that Ricky Ponting is the best around at the moment. He may even go on to make all the records that people always though Sachin would (I think there's a 50% chance of Ponting ending up with the highest number of centuries and most runs, by the way). But that's hardly a reason for dropping Tendulkar. He'll probably make one hundred this series, or three fifties otherwise. He may not be his 1998 self anymore, but he's still one of the best we have.

Three openers?

2006-01-10T18:40:00.000+08:00

Well, Sunil Gavaskar has suggested that India play three openers to counter the threat of Pakistani bowlers. I won't say anything except that by definition you can only have two openers, and then the middle order kicks in. And if we did not need three players capable of facing the new ball in Australia 2003, we certainly don't do so now. Besides, who will be dropped? Yuvraj or Ganguly? C'mon!!

On a more serious note, though, he also says:
"The tracks in the sub continent are the same. In fact it would suit the Indian bowlers, since they may be green on the top but are soft underneath"

This is interesting. I had commented earlier that the instructions to prepare hard and bounce surfaces may backfire on Pakistan due to the weather, and Gavaskar seems to be saying the same thing - if the wickets are soft underneath, they will not give bounce. We'll know on Friday. Weather permitting of course.

Blogging and Airports

2006-01-10T18:24:00.000+08:00

I'm coming to the conclusion that airport lounges are the best places for blogging. One usually has an hour or so to kill, is not interrupted by too many calls (if it's an evening flight), and is usually left alone. So here I am, killing a couple of hours at Beijing airport, blogging between glasses of Chinese red wine (which I must say, is surprisingly good!). It does require that the airport is good enough to have lounges with internet access, which, sadly, most Indian airports don't, and I'm headed there next (sigh!). The again, the slow connection here does tell you that you ain't exactly in the first world! That, and having to navigate through Chinese Windows!

It seems that I'll miss live action for the first two days of the first test, travelling again. The irony is that I will be in India, but will miss the action, since there's work to do... hopefully I can catch the highlights!

Pakistan team to be announced today

2006-01-09T13:28:00.000+08:00

According to this report, the Pakistan team for the first test will be announced today. Wonder if Hasan Raza is included? Or Farhat? If Yasir Hameed is still down with typhoid, who is Pakistan going to open with? Also, as Osman Samiuddin notes, Asim Kamal may not make it to the final XI. My prediction for the Pakistan XI:

Salman Butt, Imran Farhat, Younis Khan, Mohammad Yousuf, Inzamam ul Haq, Shahid Afridi, Abdul Razzaq, Kamran Akmal, Mohammad Sami, Shoaib Akhtar, Rana Naved, Danish Kaneria.

I think Pakistan will play Sami instead of Gul, as the latter hasn't impressed in the warm up game. Looking at the possible lineup properly for the first time, I have to say that India are going to have a very tough time. Pakistan have five wicket taking bowlers (including Afridi), and Razzaq as an optional sixth; they bat down to number eight (Akmal) with an explosive lower middle order (Afridi, Razzaq, Akmal); and they have an in-form Inzamam. I just hope they don't bat first on a flat wicket.

Man to man, the Indian batting line up of Sehwag, Gambhir, Dravid, Tendulkar, VVS, Ganguly/Yuvraj, followed by Dhoni and Pathan looks better, but the bowling attack (depending on pitches) looks really weak, with only Pathan looking good among the seamers. It's up to India's batsmen really, to bat Pakistan out of the game if India are to win.

Weather Blues

2006-01-09T13:10:00.000+08:00

Osman Samiuddin, in this piece on Cricinfo, says the first couple of tests are likely to be hampered by bad weather (fog, maybe rain). I think fog will be a major factor, though looking at the scorecard of the practice match in Lahore, it seems that at the moment, things are not too bad. On the first two days, about 75 overs each were bowled till 4:30 p.m. local time, which gives hope that if weather conditions remain the way they are, we should be able to get around 80 overs a day in the first test (which, I think, will be enough for a result). We'll have to see. If the fog is anywhere as bad as it can get in Delhi (which may be possible, given Lahore's proximity to Delhi), we'll be lucky to get 4 hours of play in a day. Let's hope that doesn't happen.

The other interesting thing about the weather in Lahore, as attested by Siddhartha Vaidyanathan here, is just how cold it is. According to WeatherUnderground, temperature today at 10:00 a.m. was just 10 degrees. Combine the cold weather with little sunshine, and it seems to me that the pitch for the first test will be anything but fast. The ball, however, could swing quite a bit, which should bring Pathan in play. If Inzamam is to be believed, the wicket will be hard and bouncy, but the weather may prevent that from happening, leading to either a flat or swinging wicket. The other interesting thing is that in conditions which are more English at the moment (by the looks of it) than sub-continental, will India play two spinners? And if India do play three seamers, will it be too much of a risk, considering that apart from Pathan, neither of the remaining two look like taking test wickets at the moment?

The other selection conundrum will be the opening slot. I think Gambhir will still play, but if he fails again, they'll have to give Jaffer a chance. What will be crucial for India is that Sehwag makes runs - if the middle order is exposed too early, Shoaib and Rana could have a field day.

The other curious feature of this tour has been the lack of frenetic build up from the media. It seems like a more 'normal' tour, which is a good thing. I also heard on the news last night, that the PCB and the BCCI have decided to hold India-Pakistan series bi-annually, along the lines of the Ashes, which seems to me to be more sensible. Annual series take the edge out a little bit.

So Who's the Most Net Savvy Indian Cricketer?

2006-01-06T09:53:00.000+08:00

Sehwag.

And this is his blog!

The value of a "Not Out"

2006-01-06T08:43:00.000+08:00

In the current Aus v SA test match, Jacques Kallis was 50 not out when SA declared their innings at 194 for 6. As Peter English noted in his verdict on yesterday's play on Cricinfo, Kallis is prone to trying to stay not out even when it's in the team's interest that he go for quick runs. In this case, SA made 194 from 42 overs - a run rate of 4.61. Kallis made 50* from 96 balls - a run rate of 3.125. In doing so (remaining not out, that is), he has boosted his average by 0.376, as he has played 133 innings where he has been out (being not out 28 times now). Look at it another way, combined with his 111 in the first innings, his average after this game would increase by about 0.80 to become 57.24. If he had made 50 and been out in the second innings, his average would have increased only by o.40. In general, if a batsman has played a 100 "out" innings and averages 50, the value of a not out century is an increase in average by 1.00, and that of an "out" century is only about half that.

Where am I going with this? I suppose what this means (and admittedly this is no great insight) is that the batting average can be fudged by batsman to a certain extent. Let me illustrate with the following:

The averages of six current batsmen, who could be considered the best around, are as follows (prior to the current Syndey Test Match):
Ponting: 56.27
Dravid: 57.16
Tendulkar: 56.72
Lara: 53.87
Inzamam: 51.62
Kallis: 56.45

Now, the numbers below are their "not out" innings as a percentage of the total number of innings:
Ponting: 13.41%
Dravid: 11.39%
Tendulkar: 10.34%
Lara: 2.80%
Inzamam: 10.86%
Kallis: 16.98%

You can see where I'm going. The final set of numbers are the averages assuming not out innings are counted - i.e. giving no benefit for being not out:

Ponting: 48.72
Dravid: 50.65
Tendulkar: 50.85
Lara: 52.36
Inzamam: 46.01
Kallis: 46.87

So we have two sets of averages. Which one is a better indicator of how many runs, on average, a batsman scores per innings? I agree that some benefit should be given to "not outs", but as the numbers above illustrate, they can really skew the averages. The skew in Kallis' case for example, is a whopping 10 points! Even in Ponting's case, the skew is about 8 points. But the most revealing thing about the last set of numbers is that by looking at averages without taking "not outs" into account, Lara comes out on top of the heap. Subjectively speaking, it does not make sense for Lara to average 3-4 points less than Ponting, Dravid, Tendulkar and Kallis. The reason he does that is because he hardly remains not out. Correcting for the "not out skew", as it were, the numbers, to my mind at least, give a better insight into how many runs that batsman has scored, on average.

Perhaps the "true" average lies somewhere in the middle of the two numbers. But clearly, the current method of averaging leaves scope for improvement.

A Quality Indian Cricket Magazine

2006-01-05T13:39:00.000+08:00

and about time, too. Cricinfo has launched its magazine for Indian readers. A preview of some of the articles gives a taste of things to come. Should be good fun.

Among the articles posted on the website, a few interesting bits:

Rahul Dravid says in his interview (on the kind of team he would like to have):
"Which is, obviously, tough, competitive - a team that is looking to improve and have some fun along the way. Not taking things too seriously, as at the end of the day it is sport and we must have a lot of fun playing it and must play it hard."
Absolutely. It's sport, after all, and should be played hard, but with fun. And if the team is having fun on the field, we can be sure that the fans will have fun off it. I hope Tendulkar starts having fun again.

Mukul Kesavan deplores the subcontinental habit of devaluing home results:
"Central to our anxiety about home conditions is our acceptance of the Anglo-Australian definition of a "sporting" wicket. The good pitch has a light covering of grass, it has bounce and movement, it doesn't turn till the fourth day, the ball comes on, and it has something for everyone. Anything else is either a feather bed or a vicious turner, not a fair Test wicket. " and
"Saqlain Mushtaq invented and Murali perfected the doosra to counter hard-charging, bludgeon-wielding modern batsmen who were threatening to make finger-spin obsolete. Sarfraz Nawaz and Imran Khan invented reverse swing to move the ball in conditions that English seamers had only whinged about. To watch Tendulkar and Navjot Sidhu and VVS Laxman destroy Warne on turning tracks by reading him from the hand, skipping down the wicket and hitting him inside-out from the leg-stump rough through cover, was to be given a masterclass in batsmanship. And conversely, to watch Murali bowl doosras around the wicket in Delhi and utterly bewilder those same Indian batsmen, the best players of spin bowling in the world, was to be present at one of those pivotal moments when the game makes an evolutionary leap. "

Quite. It's about time we give our heroes their due. The ability to bat in spinning conditions should be as valued as the ability to bat on greentops. After all, cricket is supposed to be the great leveller.

Osman Samiuddin, meanwhile, asks India to be afraid of the new Pakistan. As I've said before on this website, India could be in for a shock when they visit Pakistan, and his article gives you the reasons why.

India begins to pull its weight

2006-01-04T17:18:00.000+08:00

Off the field that is. First there was the report that the BCCI wants to play more games against the higher ranked teams; now the BCCI is calling to scrap the ICC Champions Trophy, saying that the opportunity cost for them to host the event is USD 70-80mm. Whether you agree with the BCCI or not (I do, on both counts - India should be playing more tests and tougher opposition, and the Champions Trophy is meaningless given we have a World Cup), what's interesting is that the BCCI has started to pull its weight in international cricket affairs. As James Sutherland admitted, India accounts for more than half of ICC's revenues, and with a marketing savy BCCI, that proportion will rise. It doesn't make sense for India to have played 8 tests in 2005 (two against Zimbabwe) while Australia played 15 and England 13 (two against Bangladesh). With the BCCI pushing the ICC, the Indian cricket calendar could finally look more interesting.

Happy New Year

2006-01-03T09:40:00.000+08:00

To all of you. Hope you had a wonderful new year. I'm back from my holiday, and I have to say that watching the Northern Lights is one of the most amazing experiences one can ever have. If you get an opportunity to do so, take it!

To cricket then, and apart from the itinerary being finalized, the word games have started. Rahul Dravid has said that Pakistan's ploy of targetting individuals won't work. He has also said that both teams start even, whereas Inzi believes India are favourites. Perhaps it's his way of taking the heat off Pakistan. The Pakistani camp has played up Pakistan's chances in general, as Zainub summarizes in a good post on her blog.

So, ten days to go for the first test, though the warm up game should be interesting from the perspective of the Indian middle order. At the moment, Indian batting is looking a little shaky at the top, as the two tests against SL showed. It's premature to say whether they can turn things around, but it requires just one innings. I'd say Pakistan have a slight edge at the moment with the form of Inzi and Shoaib. However, if Sehwag returns to form in the first test, and Tendulkar shows some consistency, the scales will be balanced. India is probably not going to be able to make the 600+ scores this time round, so the games should all go down to the wire and both innings will be crucial.

As far as I am concerned, Jan 13 cannot come too soon!

Back to the Future?

2005-12-24T16:22:00.000+08:00

It was not my intention to blog while on holiday, but waiting for a connecting flight, and idly surfing the web, I just read that the Indian team to Pakistan has been annouced. And surprise, surprise, Ganguly makes the cut! Zaheer has been recalled (which was expected), but so has Parthiv (as reserve keeper). Kaif has been dropped. Ganguly's inclusion was explained by experience, and his exclusion for the last test v SL was explained by the "need to give youngsters a chance."

It's futile to even point out the contradictions in the selectors' logic from the squad that was announced for the Ahmedabad test to this one, so glaring are they. So I will not ask why it was necessary to recall Ganguly after dropping him for one test (with an "eye on the future"). Nor will I ask what signal this sends to Kaif (as one of the "players of the future").

My first thought, though, was to wonder how anyone was going to justify dropping Yuvraj from the starting XI after the series against Sri Lanka? And if they don't drop him, which batsman do they replace with Ganguly? Tendulkar? Because, according to the Chariman of the selection committee, Ganguly could not be in the team and made to sit out (statement made before the announcement of the team for the Ahmedabad Test). But I underestimated the selectors. In classic doublespeak, Kiran More has turned around 180 degrees and said that "it does not mean Ganguly will play in the starting XI. That will be for the team management and one selector who is accompanying them to decide."

I think it will be that Yuvraj will be sacrificed at the alter of compromise. Change at the top or no, Indian cricket is alive and well. When Ganguly had been omitted from the third test, I had written earlier that dropping Ganguly in the manner it was done was not right. The reversal of that decision is even more illogical. Two wrongs did not make a right. A third added to it definitely does not, because it shows a complete lack of spine as far as the selectors are concerned, and it smacks of political interference in selection matters. If he had been included in the Ahmedabad Test, and then included in the tour to Pakistan, it was one thing. Dropping him first, and then selecting him later, can only show the Selection Committee in an extremely negative light.

It is possible that the idea is to give Ganguly "a fitting farewell." If it is, I hope it's announced, because then there is some logic. If it is not announced (and I don't think it will be), then the uncertainty continues, and a poor performance against Pakistan awaits...

It's that time of the year...

2005-12-24T00:58:00.000+08:00

Holiday season... and I'll be spending the next week somewhere north of the Arctic Circle, trying to catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights. It's been an interesting year for Indian cricket, with the team drawing a series they should have won; performing abysmally in ODIs initially and then coming back; a new captain, new coach, and a new way of thinking. Interesting times are ahead with two tough series coming up.

So I'll spend the holidays in anticipation of the 14th January, when the battle with Pakistan resumes.

Happy new year!

Top Gun

2005-12-22T15:28:00.000+08:00

Is Virender Sehwag. Gotta love the guy's attitude. Here's a sampling from the post-match press conference, as reported on Cricinfo:

On what areas needed work before Pakistan
The opening partnership. But we're very confident that we can handle them as easily as we did last time

and

On Inzamam's request for fast and bouncy tracks against India
Our bowling is also good. If they give us pitches with good bounce, they will also struggle. Their batsmen are technically not that good. If the pitch supports the fast bowlers, we may play three of them.

... and

On what had gone wrong for Sri Lanka
You'd better ask them. I think our bowlers did a great job.

His candour, confidence (some might say arrogance), and lack of playing up the opposition is refreshing. None of the "they're a very good side" platitudes. Of course they are, but there's no point getting overawed by it. It reminds me of what he said after making a big hundred against Australia in Chennai in 2004. He was asked by Atherton on whether he agreed that that was the best bowling by Shane Warne in India. Sehwag just said "he spins the ball quite a bit, but I didn't think he bowled that well." I loved his attitude then, and I love it now. He's India's Top Gun - confident to the point of arrogant, totally aware of his own ability, and not afraid of anything.... and really cool. Let's hope he keeps making runs, because he'll be a great captain when his time comes.

Lot of work to be done

2005-12-20T17:28:00.000+08:00

By the Indian team, before the Pakistan tour in three weeks. The top order is looking decidedly shaky, and while Tendulkar can be expected to perform in one of the three tests against Pakistan, he's not going to be consistent, going by recent form. Sehwag has not had a good series against Sri Lanka, and looks a far cry from the Sehwag of 2004-2005. Gambhir has decidedly been found out against better bowling attacks than Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, and the prospect of him or Wasim Jaffer facing a rejuvenated Shoaib and an in-form Rana Naved does not inspire confidence. Dravid, again, will be expected to perform in at least one game. The only silver lining is the form of VVS, Yuvraj and the lower order; but the Pakistan attack is going to be a much stiffer challange than Sri Lanka's. As of now, it's difficult to see Pathan succeeding against Shoaib, for example.

The bowling is also an area of concern. Agarkar has looked flat. Perhaps he'll be replaced by Zaheer, and if the wickets are fast and bouncy, that will probably be a help. Again, if the wickets do not assist spin, it's difficult to see Harbhajan being a force.

It's going to be down to the batsmen. And on current form, they do not inspire confidence. A very tough tour awaits

What's the value of the BCCI?

2005-12-20T08:50:00.000+08:00

At least 1 billion dollars. Here's how:

a) The team sponsor has been decided. Air Sahara will pay Rs. 313.80 cr (USD 70mm) over the next four years for the right to have their logo on "the chest and leading arm of the player's shirt." This excludes potentially 50 more days of international cricket over that period, the value of which is estimated to be Rs 100 crore (USD 22mm) according to this ToI report. So the total value of the chest and leading arm of the players, so to speak, is USD 92mm.
b) In the same Business Line article, it says:

"Besides this, bids for team kit and apparel would be finalised soon and the Board will also be called for branding of the non-leading arm shortly. "

Assuming, conservatively, a discount of, say 80%, to the above bid for the kit, apparel and non-leading arm, one would expect that bit to be sponsored for, say, USD 56mm.

c) The telecast rights will be finalized by mid-January. The highest bid the last time round was USD 300mm by Zee. Given the downlinking norms imposed by the GoI which will force the winner to share its feed with Prasar Bharti, one would expect that number to reduce significantly. A number reported in the Times of India is Rs 400 cr (USD 87mm). I'm assuming that is for the four year period, not annual (which would not be consistent with the Zee Sports bid prior to the downlinking norms). Of course, the spanner in the works could be thrown by the courts, if they rule that content sharing is illegal. For the purposes of this analysis, we'll assume that the GoI decision is upheld, and that the winning bid for the TV rights is USD 100mm over four years (a discount of 67% over the previous highest bid).

d) Rights are also going to be awarded separately for DTH, Internet, video and mobile telephony. Also FM radio and broadband (MMS, SMS, even gaming). It's difficult to put a value to these, but conservatively, the sum of these should be at least 10% of the TV rights. For now, we'll go with USD 10mm.

e) There will be official partners - airlines, hotels, transportation partners, time keepers, etc. One would expect each of these partners to trump up at least Rs 20 cr over a four year period. Still, being conservative, let's put the sum total of these over a four year period at Rs 50cr (USD 11mm)

f) Tournament sponsors - assuming that Pakistan visit India once every two years, and with England coming next year, and South Africa, West Indies, Sri Lanka, and New Zealand all slated to visit India again over the next four years, it gives us six home series. This excludes ICC events like the ICC Champions Trophy. Samsung had famously paid USD 4 million for the India - Pakistan series in 2004. Assuming an average of USD 1.6mm (Rs 8cr) per series, the BCCI should expect to earn about USD 10mm from tournament sponsorships over the next four years. No doubt, they will also sell the rights for the domestic championships, but these won't generate much revenue, so we'll discard that for now.

Right, so sponsorhip and TV rights etc can be conservatively expected to generate USD 280 million in revenue for the BCCI over the next four years. Again, as a caveat, the TV rights could easily increase that number to USD 480 million depending on court orders. For now, we'll go with USD 280 million.

The next biggest source of revenue is, of course, match tickets and in stadia advertising. It is estimated that the Rajasthan Cricket Association made a profit (not revenue) of Rs 4 cr (approx USD 900,000) from the recent India - Sri Lanka ODI. Over the next four years, India will host (including the Champions Trophy) approximately 50 ODIs and 15 test matches. The combined profit from these, asusming the BCCI is corporatized and markets the events properly should conservatively be USD 50 million. I'll treat this as revenue instead of profit, to be even more conservative.

This gives us total conservative revenues over the next four years of USD 330mm, or USD 82.5 million a year. There are other sources of revenue. DVDs, merchandize, video games etc. Difficult to put a number on these, but as India develops, the revenues from these could become significant. Will discard these for now.

The BCCI's expenses comprise a) player contracts and match fees, b) spending on upkeep of grounds, transport etc and c) infrastructure. Of these, only the first two are what one might term current expenses. Infrastructure development is a capital expense. According to the contracts, players receive 13% of BCCI revenues, plus match fees (which would be, for 15 players playing 10 tests and 25 ODIs in a year, @ Rs 2.5 lakhs per test and Rs 2 lakhs per ODI, Rs 11.25cr, or USD 2.5mm). Assuming, even, that the BCCI's other current expenses are another Rs 45 cr (USD 10mm) per year, the profit before infrastructure expenses of the BCCI could be close to USD 60mm per year for the next four years, with potential for increase after that if the marketing proves successful.

Now here's the killer. IF the BCCI was going for a listing, seeing the growth potential of India in general, and cricket in India in particular, they could acheive a P/E ratio of at least 20. Which would value the BCCI at USD 1.2 billion. Conservatively. And plenty of people would invest.

Sanity Returns

2005-12-19T10:34:00.000+08:00

More in the Hindustan Times:

THE BRING-BACK-GANGULY brigade will be disappointed. A special discussion in the Parliament over the former Indian captain exclusion from the Indian cricket team has been ruled out. Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee announced the decision on Sunday though he allowed a special discussion in the House on the future of Indian sports. Chatterjee's remark is significant as BCCI president Sharad Pawar had frowned on the issue of Sourav Ganguly's in Parliament. A motion was moved by Samajwadi Party MP Mohan Singh on Friday, seeking a discussion on the politicisation of Indian sports. "The submission moved by an honourable member on the politicisation of sports is a good one. Parliamentarians will discuss the future of Indian sports," Chatterjee said, on the sidelines of concluding day of Second India and Asia Regions Commonwealth Conference.

Debating Ganguly in Parliament was a bad idea. But this offers hope. Politicization of Indian sports is a subject worthy of Parliamentary debate. It's about time, too.

Conflicts of Interest

2005-12-19T10:20:00.000+08:00

The Hidustan Times reports:

"THE INFORMATION and Broadcasting Minister, Priyaranjan Dasmunshi said on Sunday that he was personally against the new down-linking norms that make it mandatory for private sports broadcasters to share their live feed with Prasar Bharti.
Talking to Hindustan Times he said that he was personally against this policy even before he took over the I&B Ministry. "I did not like this policy and made it clear publicly when the decision was with the Group of Ministers."
Dasmunshi said that he was aware of the problems the different cricket boards and the International Cricket Council were facing all over the world. "At the moment I am not in a position to say that the policy will be changed. But I have called a meeting on December 24 and will review the whole thing. There could be some change in the policy."
While Dasmunshi, who has recently taken over the I and B Ministry from Jaipal Reddy, was not ready to comment further on it, one could understand his predicament over the whole issue.
He himself is the president of the All India Football Federation, which recently has entered into an agreement with a private sports channel.
If the Government decides to continue with the present policy, the AIFF pocket will also be hit hard.

How can the I&B Minister - responsible for formulating policy regarding broadcast of sports - also be allowed to hold the top position in a national sports organization? What if Sharad Pawar was the I&B Minister? Unfortunately the Indian system is not very strict on conflicts of interest... they should be.

Clearing the Air

2005-12-16T19:40:00.000+08:00

According to this report in Outlook, Ganguly's dropping from the team was prompted by the team management's decision to play Yuvraj at no. 6. To me, this is probably the truest account of what really happened. Let's look at the sequence of events:

1. Ganguly is included in the Test squad for Chennai, against the wishes of the coach, with the captain silent on the issue.
2. Chennai test - washout in all senses
3. Delhi test - India wins, and the team management feel their hand is stronger. Ganguly has performed, but a logical case for having Yuvraj at no. 6 can be made. It is made, and the selectors have no choice, really. They could have kept Ganguly in the team, and the team management would not have played him. That would have caused bigger problems in the media.

So, neither Chappell, nor Dravid have evidently told Ganguly that he's not in their scheme of things irrespective of whether he scores or not. That much is clear. I have always had the greatest admiration for Dravid. But the way he has handled this situation has shown him to be a poor man manager at best and hopelessly insensitive at worst.

Fair to say that from this point onwards, not many people will give Dravid the benefit of the doubt. The squeaky clean image has been tarnished just a little bit.

The Death of a Prince

2005-12-16T13:19:00.000+08:00

When beggars die, there are no comets seen;The heavens themselves blaze forth the death of princes.

Julius Cæsar. ACT II Scene 2

And the heavens have blazed on what looks like the end of Sourav Ganguly's career. Members of Parliament writing to the BCCI President; former cricketers, for once, united in their condemnation; even the BCCI President has expressed shock. There are the predictable protests in Kolkata. Amit Varma weighed in on 23 Yards, and even Harsha Bhogle has expressed the tiniest bit of disgust at the manner Ganguly was dropped.

Was there logic in the decision? Yes, but by that logic, he should not have been picked in the first place. Now it's two wrongs. And they don't make a right. As Sambit Bal points out, his performance in the Test did not merit an exclusion from the side. At the very least, he should have been allowed to choose the manner of his exit. India's toughest, most successful captain deserved a farewell of packed galleries, applause, and lumps in the throat. Not the axe. Steve Waugh, in his autobiography, says how the selectors always kept him informed of their thoughts, so he knew when he had to up the ante. He could choose his farewell when it came. Ganguly deserved no less.

His career looks over. I think it's premature. His batting in the Delhi Test, and his attitude showed committment and resolve. There's no doubt that Yuvraj, in this form, merited a place in the starting XI. Perhaps it would have been an idea to get Ganguly to open. He's done it in the ODIs. He would know he had to perform. And if he had, India would have been better for it.

We'll probably never see those flowing cover drives again. That's a pity. But what we'll miss most is his bull headedness and his resolve.

Update: In another Julius Caesar parallel, Gaurav Sabnis compares Rahul Dravid to Brutus... "not that I loved Caesar less, but I loved Rome more." It goes on, and is a brilliant analogy on the whole episode. Wonder who will be Mark Antony, though? The press is doing a fine job of it. Let's hope it does not result in Dravid's character assasination, as it did in the play.

Dravid as Opener?

2005-12-11T09:37:00.000+08:00

Rahul Dravid opened yesterday. And he played quite well for his 24. Not bogged down, and handling the quicks very well, as is usually the case for him. If one were to agree that Yuvraj is a better batsman than Gambhir, then perhaps Dravid should open with Sehwag. VVS is a natural at no. 3, and makes lots of runs in that position. So how about this batting order when Sehwag is fit: Sehwag, Dravid, VVS, Tendulkar, Ganguly, Yuvraj?

I think that would be a killer batting order. What do you think?

Breaking Free

2005-12-11T01:02:00.000+08:00

India v SL 2nd Test: India 245-3 at stumps, Day 1

As Samit Bal says, the defining emotion greeting Sachin Tendulkar's 35th was relief more than joy. As I said in my previous entry, I think it was important for Tendulkar individually, and the Indian team collecively, that he got the milestone out of his way as quickly as possible. Thankfully, that has happened. Today is another day, and it is to be hoped that having completed the 35th, Tendulkar will now be mentally free to just play. It augurs well for India. Whatever he may say at press conferences, it was clear both from the way he celebrated and his relaxed manner at the press conference that the 35th had been weighing him down.

To the innings itself. He was lucky in the beginning, specially with an LBW shout against Murali, when Taufel didn't detect pad-bat. The first 32 runs were a crawl, and he spent a long time on 28, and then on 32. He was 48 not out at tea, and reached his 50 in 112 balls. It was slow, but after the few early shouts, essentially chanceless. He didn't give the Lankans a sniff. After tea, he opened out a bit, and it was really when he was on 61 that he stepped on it. A cover drive, a cut and a square drive in succession off Murali took him to 73. A couple of singles, then, ususally off the first ball he faced as Ganguly took interminably long to get his feet moving at the other end. A six out of the blue, hitting the wall of the stands behind long on, took him to 81. By this time, the timing was perfect, and the shots were eliciting oohs and aahs. Finally the hundred. The last 50 runs were the prettiest 50 runs I've seen Sachin make in the recent past. Off 65 balls only, against his favourite opponents. Things are looking up for the Indian team for the rest of the season. It is incredibly important for India that Tendulkar does well.

While Tendulkar was scratching around for his first 30 runs, VVS Laxman played like, well, VVS Laxman. At almost a run a ball in the beginning, swishes and flicks and whirls of the wrists. VVS is back at somewhere close to his best. That is great.

And then, Ganguly. I hope he goes on to make a hundred today. He deserves it for the way he has stuck at the task. His cover drives and square drives yesterday were like the ones he played at the Gabba in 2003 - feet coming forward and head over the bat (and ball). His horror patch seems to be ending, and that can only be a good thing.

The Sri Lankan tactics have become quite clear, and on the evidence of the one day series, are not likely to change much. They mostly comprise getting Murali to bowl 40% of the overs, and Vaas to bowl about 30%. Atapattu has tried to choke off the singles, and did succeed for the better part of the day. Vaas and Murali's accuracy ensures not many boundaries are hit, and so the run rate remains low. However, Vaas didn't really look like taking a wicket with the older ball. Fernando kept bouncing, allowing the batsmen to leave balls. Last year Australia had successfully frustrated the Indian batsmen into indiscretions by employing in-out fields, drying up the singles and the boundaries. But they had strong back up to McGrath and Warne in Gillespie and Kasprowicz. Sri Lanka don't. And on the evidence of yesterday, India is better prepared this time to play the waiting game.

Logic suggests that India go on to make 500+ from here and shut out the game. If things go to plan, they should be looking at declaring an hout before close. If things don't go to plan, they're still looking at a score of 400 or thereabouts. All in all, a good position, and India should be able to press for a win from here.

A Hesitant Middle Order

2005-12-06T13:02:00.000+08:00

As I write this, India are 113/5 in the first Test, with Dhoni and Ganguly batting. The result of this game is not in question, but the manner in which the middle order has batted raises several questions. Admittedly, it looks like a difficult pitch. But apart from Sehwag and Dravid, none of the batsmen have played the way they usually do. Tendulkar gave more respect to the new Sri Lankan leggie Bandara than he ever gave Warne, eventually departing for 22 off over 110 balls. VVS didn't open his account for almost 30 balls. Ganguly refuses to run even easy singles, and ran VVS out again. This is looking a very shaky middle order indeed, and even allowing for the dead game nature of this match, the signs are not good. None of Tendulkar, VVS and Ganguly have used their feet to the spinners. Tendulkar's insistence on defence has made him go on the back foot to every ball, allowing Murli to get on top of him. The performance of these three, in fact, has brought back unpleasant memories of the Bangalore test against Pakistan - what is worse is that this time there is no match to save or win.

Tendulkar's 35th century is obviously weighing on his mind. It seems as if he wants to make sure he gets there, and as a result, keeps getting out. VVS is not sure of his place in the side. Neither is Ganguly. The battles each of them is fighting with himself is working against the team interests. This situation, if allowed to remain as is, will pretty much ensure that India doesn;t make runs quickly enough to put pressure on the opposition. We may still beat Sri Lanka in this series, but there is no way India will be able to beat Pakistan when three of their middle order batsmen are struggling with themselves.

Let's hope Tendulkar, at least, gets the 35th out of the way this series - otherwise, signs are not good for the Pakistan series.

Update: Even as I was writing, Ganguly was out - caught at point (again). 117/6 and Pathan and Dhoni at the crease. These two will probably take us past 200. But the worry continues. The middle order is very hesitant.

Update 2: 167 all out. Hmm. The pitch is not exactly like the one in Mumbai against the Aussies, but it's close. Let's see how Sri Lanka go.

Which Channel?

2005-12-02T08:58:00.000+08:00

Zee Sports has been awarded the rights to telecast the India - Sri Lanka test match series, hours before the first test match. What can one say? It's a good thing that there is no home series till March next year. Perhaps, by then, long term rights will have been awarded to someone, anyone really, so that it's easier for viewers.

Unfortunately, Zee Sports is not available in Hong Kong. Willow TV beckons I reckon.

India v Sri Lanka 1st Test

2005-12-01T08:53:00.000+08:00

Is scheduled to start tomorrow. I say scheduled, because as I had noted earlier, the game already looks headed for a draw owing to rains that are likely in Chennai. It may even be abandoned, if this weather report is correct - thunderstorms and rain expected through to Monday. So I reckon we'll be left with effectively a two test series. My prediction - India win in Delhi and the Kanpur game is drawn.

Update: According to this report in the Hindu, the BCCI's tours and fixtures committee will meet on Sunday to find an alternative venue for the thrid Test (currently scheduled in Kanpur) after the UPCA said it wasn't able to host the game.

I wish the TNCA had said the same thing, given the weather forecast.

Reason for Hope?

2005-12-01T08:45:00.000+08:00

This article, by Dileep Premachandran, describes Ganguly at the nets with the Indian team for the first time since Zimbabwe. And it's very hopeful. Ganguly and everyone else seem to be just getting on with the job, which is just as well. The bit I liked best:

"After his own spell in the nets, Ganguly spent some time watching Sachin Tendulkar practise his drives against a boy throwing from 15 yards. With a smile on his face, he walked up for a word and for a brief moment, as Tendulkar waved animatedly with his gloved hand, you were transported to the days when the two were the most feared batting combination in the history of one-day cricket. "

As Premachandran notes in the article, it would be a foolish person who writes Ganguly off. In a way, his removal from the captaincy, and Dalmiya's ouster from the BCCI decision making process, is probably the best thing that may have happened to Ganguly. All he needs to do now, is score runs - lots and lots of them. Hopefully, that will give him a single goal to focus on, because it is only by scoring runs that he can retain his place in the side. He's a fighter - that's the quality we liked best when he was captain - and that's the quality which, if he displays it again, will enable him to serve the team for the next few years.

He will play in the Tests against Sri Lanka. And if I were a betting man, I would bet on at least one Ganguly century in the series.

A Changing of the Guard

2005-12-01T08:29:00.000+08:00

Sharad Pawar, as the new BCCI chief, is making the right noises. According to this report, the focus of the new administration will be on infrastructure, a media committee, TV rights, players contracts, salaried employees and a CEO. Essentially everything we could wish for. It's easy to be cynical about politicians as administrators, but Pawar's history gives reason for hope. He's never lost and election, been Chief Minister - twice - and Cabinet Minister. You don't do all that without having some administrative qualities (yes, there's always a Laloo, but Pawar, by all accounts, is different). Further, according to this report, Pawar has asked the working committee to meet once a month. In terms of process, that's a significant change.

Much needs to be done of course. Anand Vasu has an excellent checklist here. One of the poorest clauses in the BCCI constitution is one that restricts the term of the Board President to 1 year. It's would be difficult for anyone to perform if they were worried about elections around the corner all the time. Hopefully, this will be changed to a more practical 2 or 3 years.

Another Washout?

2005-11-28T10:53:00.000+08:00

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

2005-11-28T10:48:00.000+08:00

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

2005-11-28T09:55:00.000+08:00

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

2005-11-24T15:23:00.000+08:00

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

2005-11-24T10:02:00.000+08:00

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

2005-11-24T08:45:00.000+08:00

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

2005-11-24T08:35:00.000+08:00

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

2005-11-23T16:49:00.000+08:00

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

2005-11-23T16:42:00.000+08:00

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

2005-11-22T18:34:00.000+08:00

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

2005-11-22T16:04:00.000+08:00

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

2005-11-22T14:53:00.000+08:00

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

The Whingeing Poms

2005-11-22T10:01:00.000+08:00

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

2005-11-22T09:43:00.000+08:00

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

2005-11-22T09:37:00.000+08:00

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

2005-11-22T09:33:00.000+08:00

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

2005-11-22T09:29:00.000+08:00

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

2005-11-21T08:09:00.000+08:00

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

2005-11-21T07:55:00.000+08:00

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

2005-11-21T07:46:00.000+08:00

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

2005-11-21T07:35:00.000+08:00

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

2005-11-21T07:25:00.000+08:00

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?

2005-11-19T20:19:00.000+08:00

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?

2005-11-19T16:48:00.000+08:00

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

2005-11-19T16:44:00.000+08:00

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!

2005-11-18T17:00:00.000+08:00

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

2005-11-18T10:35:00.000+08:00

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

2005-11-18T09:50:00.000+08:00

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

Cricket Coverage in India

2005-11-18T09:25:00.000+08:00

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

2005-11-18T08:52:00.000+08:00

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

2005-11-18T08:43:00.000+08:00

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

2005-11-17T14:04:00.000+08:00

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

2005-11-17T11:20:00.000+08:00

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

2005-11-17T08:22:00.000+08:00

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

2005-11-17T08:06:00.000+08:00

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?

2005-11-17T08:02:00.000+08:00

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

2005-11-16T09:35:00.000+08:00

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

2005-11-15T14:43:00.000+08:00

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

2005-11-15T12:34:00.000+08:00

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

2005-11-15T12:33:00.000+08:00

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

2005-11-15T11:43:00.000+08:00

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.