Lalit Modi’s War on Cricket

Okay. The title sounds rather dramatic, but yeah – this man has declared an all-out war on cricket. So hang on, while I argue my case.

First, today’s news. Our friend, Sri Lalit Kumar Modi has gone on record saying that Australia’s domestic/international players won’t be allowed to play in the IPL if they don’t get released from their respective State teams before the tournament starts. Okay, sounds fine ? Next, this man has again gone on record saying those Australian state teams that refuse to release their cricketers by the due-date will not be banned from the Champions’ League. Good news ? No. I am pretty sure that the Aussies would stay put where they are, playing state cricket and how they are, doing their bit to further their case when it comes to wearing the Baggy Green, and if they show any signs of giving in to Lalit Modi’s demands, again – might represent a darker, unfortunate reality that we are finding ourselves in today.

This was today. Last week, there was so much of nonsense about Pakistani players being denied a Visa and missing the deadline for registration and all that, and finally when they do get the visa for the IPL, what does this man do ? Say, you’re not eligible to be playing since the time has lapsed and you must put forward your names for the auction. Excellent. It’s my way or highway, he says. Some might still hold the argument, that this man has professionalized the game so much and taken this to new heights, but is anyone even talking about the long-term consequences ? The worry or the skepticism within India is quite limited, since interests merge seamlessly, and of course – when the corporates go hand-in-glove with these presumably noble intentions that Mr. Modi have for the game, it’s become increasingly difficult to even express those very concerns/skepticisms. And the game we all love, is in a way, at war, battling against it’s very existence.

No. Why should we ? We’re the World’s no. 1 team in the world, worthy of awards from everywhere possible. So, we’re doing our bit to preserve test cricket. Another futile argument, of course. But the reality is – It’s not that Mr. Modi doesn’t know about the arguments surrounding his moves, but quite simply put – he doesn’t care. And in a way, he’s dished out the classic Bush metaphor of “You’re either with me, or the rest of the cricketing world”. Unfortunate again. And where are we helpless fans trying to cherish and celebrate every piece of real Test cricket we see and read about ? Nowhere.

And lastly, Mr. Modi wants to expand the league to 11 teams ? And then again, play 91 matches. Hello ? 91 frigging matches ? Sorry, but this is taking the war to an unconquered extreme. Surely, for now – the war is on, but cricket must do just about everything to win this war, and not let Mr. Modi’s intentions get the better of the game.

West Indies – Alive, but not kicking. Just yet.

So, before this tour began, we already read eruditely written obituary pieces about West Indies cricket from the likes of Peter Roebuck and his cronies from the generally vicious Australian media. But by the time it was Sunday, and the West Indies narrowly (yes, I’d go to that extent) missed out on a series-leveling win at Perth, the pundits resorted to making dramatic, equally eloquently written pieces – largely u-turning what they originally said. Australia might have won the series, and 2-0 clearly doesn’t quite justify the competitive attribute of the recently concluded series, but what it suggests, is that the West Indies quite clearly won everybody’s praises, most certainly post-the Brisbane debacle. Yes, some commentators may resort to the usual rhetoric of “West Indies cricket is back to its glory days,” which to my understanding would be a vastly premature conclusion, but to put it bluntly, West Indies cricket is alive, but not yet kicking. Thankfully though, they’re showing signs of not just being alive, but if they gel together as a cohesive unit as they did in this tour, it’s not far away since they’ll begin kicking.

This business of being World no. 1

If this isn’t a farce, nothing ever is and will be. Some might call it corrective action, but the cynic and the critic I am, I’d call it a late realization, a desperate attempt to avoid flak from world over and of course, face-saving at constantly being accused as a Board that wants to kill Tests, which unfortunately the BCCI is doing, ever so successfully.

So, as we learnt today, the BCCI has sent Cricket South Africa a request, an incredibly late one of re-modifying their originally re-modified tour into a 2-Test and 3-ODI tour (Read: the original tour was supposed to be a 3-Test, 5-ODIs one). Superb. So, what was supposed to be a three-test series between two teams that are currently on top of the ICC Test Rankings, whose credibility is as good or as bad or as ugly as the Liberhan report (depends on which side you’re from) – are playing just two Tests. Why didn’t the original tour schedule stick ? Because an additional test would have breached the IPL schedule Sir Lalit Modi might have designed. And now, two ODIs are being sacrificed for two tests. I must commend the wisdom of the BCCI. I leave it to your judgment and respected opinion to tell me if this is a farce or not.

Now, the other argument. Some of them would reconcile to the fact that, the BCCI must be commended for taking prompt action and as a TV journalist put it today (I won’t take names, I know him) – “protect” Test cricket. Sorry, this isn’t protecting Test cricket. This is a mask of intense desperation to defeat the already strong opinion about how India is working all out and formally to kill Test cricket and of course, an attempt to give it’s team the perfect platform to save it’s World no. 1 ranking, by which the BCCI believes it won’t draw flak. A farce at best. So, if the BCCI was so hellbent on protecting (read: not promoting), I mean, why re-modify the original itinerary  ? And worse, hold five ODIs instead of a full-fledged Test series ? Their answer would be, hell yes, “South Africa visited India in March/April 2008 and played 3 Tests, so we’re just hosting the ODI-leg of the tour.” – now that sounds like a decent explanation. Over the years, India vs South Africa tours have been split into Tests/ODIs (2004 – 3 Tests and 2005 – 5 ODIs) and the last time, South Africa visited India for a full-tour was in 2000 – 2 Tests in Mumbai/Bangalore and that Hansie Cronje series (which no one will and must forget). At the end of all this, can someone offer me a decent explanation, please ?

Let the BCCI not make a fool of itself. The world, and yes I’ve worked in the UK, reported cricket from there, is laughing at the BCCI. No jokes. About time we do everything in our powers to give Test cricket the sort of respect it deserves. Yes, play the IPL – no one is stopping you from doing so. But, hey, don’t compromise on this one format of the game, that’ll live on regardless of Lalit Modi, please.

Best team in the world ? No.

Okay. Time for all the cheerleaders/patriots/chestbeaters to come to the party, not that they don’t when India win all the time, for that matter even against Namibia or in the future, against Afghanistan. Yes, India have been confirmed as the World no. 1 team by the very ICC Rankings, that some Indians rejected, when they were ranked no. 8 after a runners-up performance in the 2003 World Cup. I am not too sure if we should delve into it too much, but hey, celebrate it – but just. The rankings themselves don’t inspire too much confidence, shall I say, but still – for whatever it is worth a World no. 1 ranking is on paper, it calls for a small grin on the face. On this note, my question is simple – does this ranking anyway mean India are the best team in the world ? I don’t think so, and nor should any sane-minded person in this country. At the same time, I wouldn’t question these rankings, because in a way they stay the same for all teams. But it does raise some important questions and arguments for which I am sure neither the BCCI or the so-called cricket media will come up with. So why waste time, here it goes.

Musings of an Al-Jazeera admirer…

I confess: I am a massive admirer of Al Jazeera English. And I’ll tell you why.

I am sure you might have heard of this channel, if not seen it. And if you haven’t seen it – please make the effort of doing so. I take responsibility for your viewer pleasure/disgust.

Why I love Al Jazeera ? To put it simple – they typify the brand of journalism I believe in. Fearless, often natural and largely neutral, challenging the powers that be, mostly coming from a premise that is not considered mainstream, yet in it’s own way it is indeed mainstream – the so-called “third-world” narrative. I think in today’s day and age, where you have a host of West-centric networks, there needs to be a counter view, which in a way reflects the majority and by majority I mean not a bulk of Americans or British, but the majority – Africa, Eastern Europe, South Asia, South East Asia, Oceania (again, not Australia but countries like Papua New Guinea) and of course Latin America too. These are places, that hardly find a minute’s mention in these Western networks, but assume a greater significance in the larger international discourse. While your run of the mill CNNs and BBCs, were more preoccupied with their own domestic concerns, Al Jazeera actually bothered to track the Khmer Rouge trials – just as the ECCC was set up in Cambodia, and actually did an excellent job of it. Also, a former BBC-reporter himself i.e. Rageh Omar did a fine job of covering the Swat Operations in Pakistan, remember the documentary he produced on the specific battles in Bajaur, which was by far the first one to be aired. And then, the CNNs and the BBCs and the Channel 4s followed up. So in a way, as far as international reporting is concerned, Al Jazeera has quite in its own way raised the bar, and set it for the others to follow.

Around this time last year, actually a month from now on, the Gaza invasion by Israeli Defence Forces began. And thats when I first watched Al Jazeera with a great amount of interest, and perhaps haven’t looked back ever since. For the sort of coverage we saw during that War, Al Jazeera came up with it’s quintessential “other” view i.e. the Palestinian viewpoint, which to a degree was ignored by the Western media. For that matter, they were the only ones who actually covered the war, so much so that the Israelis had to blackout the channel for the brave job they were doing. And that’s when I thought, this channel had well and truly arrived. Yes, I think they were pretty much the alternative for a majority of the viewers, but the Gaza invasion coverage virtually got everyone hooked on to Al Jazeera and I think, that’s when they made the transition to being a mainstream channel i.e. everyone took notice of the powerful journalism that Al Jazeera practiced. Yes, Al Jazeera speaks for the victims, oppressed, terrorized etc, but hey, they have a voice too and if someone is speaking for them, it’s well worth giving them a good hearing to. Well, we quite need the Palestinian perspective on a range of issues, even a Nigerian one for that matter. It’s time we admire those who give them the platform to speak their stories too.

Equally, I think it is about time India and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, took a conscious decision to air this channel and open up the sort of journalism that Al Jazeera have resorted to. What it has done as a channel, is developed a brand of journalism, that you may love or hate (depending on which side you’re speaking for), but one that you cannot ignore. About time the citizens of this country realize what international journalism truly is, by that I do not degrade the efforts of the BBC and the CNN, but also…present you with an alternative, that actually – reflects what you think and how you see the world.

RIP Test Cricket (in India)

Dileep Premachandran has come up with perhaps a known argument -

This is a series where the No. 1 ranking is at stake. You’d think that results mattered. But while Australia, South Africa and Sri Lanka leave little to chance as they pursue that ambition, India are content with being world leaders: at signing TV deals and producing bog-standard pitches.

And that’s something even Pradeep Magazine seems to agree with -

But what would sadden and hurt them the most is the way the Indian Board is allowing Tests to die a slow death.

And I still hold on to my earlier argument about how India must lead the revival of Test cricket. But, sorry, not with such tracks. The wicket saw close to 1600 runs being scored over 3 innings (1598 to be precise) and only 21 wickets of a possible 40 taken, and a side bowled out only once. These are staggering numbers, which of course will be forgotten in due course of time, only with the romance of a Tendulkar hundred still lingering in public memory. On the same day, only two Ranji sides – Tamil Nadu and Mumbai were able to clinch outright wins against relatively weaker oppositions in Punjab (not the same as 3 years back) and Himachal Pradesh. The rest of the matches played in both the Super League and the Plate League were dead draws as usual. So, here’s the diagnosis, but is the Board willing to treat the syndrome ? I heavily doubt it.

From the Archives: Celebrating Tendulkar, Man United & Ryan Giggs

Seems like today is a Celebrate Sachin day. I’ll do my bit too.

I wrote this piece on the very day India beat England in the Test match in Chennai not so long ago. It’s a piece that in a way compares two of the greatest sportspersons that I’ve ever witnessed – Sachin Tendulkar and Ryan Giggs – champions beyond doubt in their own respective fields. Just thought, it was a small tribute from someone who not just salutes their careers and glories, but also respects their individuality and qualities that are somewhere to be emulated.

Here’s the post in toto:

The Guardian’s Mike Selvey calls it Karma. I choose to call it destiny. India’s 6-wicket win over England in Chennai was inevitable, or to simply put it – was meant to be. At this juncture, let me also bring in the Champions League final between Manchester United and Chelsea in May 2008. Just as John Terry was destined to miss his chance from the spot, another United great, who embodies everything the club stands for, Ryan Giggs, was meant to score the winner. Bring that scenario into what happened on Monday, the 15th of December where it was Sachin Tendulkar, whom the British junta refer to as the “Mumbai Man”, who took his team past the line in chasing 387. Perhaps those two examples put sport into perspective.

People may ask me why I choose to relate these two events, of different sport – simply because they stand for something significant. Manchester United, simply had to win the Champions League after having to put up with a disaster of their own, the one in Munich in 1958, where the club lost 8 players and 3 members of the staff. If that was tragedy enough, Mumbai and indeed, India had to bear something worse. Incommensurable in numbers, it was a blatant disregard for humanity, life and pretty much the law of the land when terrorists held the city on gunpoint. And where does the ten percent of the healing touch come from ? I guess, sport. It was a telling moment when Sir Bobby Charlton, a survivor of the Munich crash walked up on behalf of Manchester United, to collect the medal at Moscow as it was when Sachin Tendulkar, scored perhaps his most significant hundred and that leap of joy – did mean something for someone from the city, sitting through the chills of London.

Of course, as much as we continue to romanticize the Tendulkar innings, three others were played in the background while the soundtrack hit the higher notes. Virender Sehwag who, in consensus, gave India the chance to make their own destiny and shape up a special end to the contest. At his usual, cold-blooded and no-nonsense best, Sehwag is quite literally the best batsman in the world. And, on Sunday – that was the case. He nullified two of England’s potential fifth-day threats with absolute disregard for them and that played out perfectly, come Monday. If not for Sehwag, as Dhoni rightly pointed out, India would have been defending the game, something they’ve not known to be successful at. So, to bring in Manchester United again, this was something like the header Ronaldo scored to put them ahead in Moscow. An important moment, a massive platform as indeed a curtain-raiser for something special at the finale. Gautam Gambhir and Yuvraj Singh, recent graduates into Test cricket played two knocks which, given the occasion might just slip into the background, but were no less invaluable than the ones played by Tendulkar and Sehwag. In context, they played their part too.

Tendulkar’s innings on Day 5 was special in many regards. Andrew Flintoff was steaming in with the intensity last seen in the Ashes 2005 and Tendulkar’s initial moments were indeed human, with barely any feet movement and some loose plays and misses. But once the square drive came out of the Tendulkar shot factory and not to forget that intentional upper-cut off Anderson, everything suddenly seemed so normal. Indeed, the ghosts of the venue – almost 10 years ago would have popped up in his mind during the course of the innings, but he seemed determined to bury to tag of “the best hundred ever seen in a losing cause for India” and write a new chapter into his love-affair with the MAC Stadium in Chennai. There was a method to his batting, a hunger which has been in question time and again, and a determination to see the team through, if only losing to Pakistan by 12 runs in 1999 was reminder enough. And what a moment it was, when of all the shots in his repertoire, Tendulkar brought out the paddle, or as the Poms call it the “nurdle” to settle the issue – for him, Mumbai and India. A moment to savour. That’s when my mind pops back to Moscow, when Ryan Giggs, of all the people, in his 759th game for Manchester United, in the tightest of situations had the nerves to put it past the diving Petr Cech. That was the goal, like Tendulkar’s boundary, that mattered in the end.

And, for someone who passionately supports Manchester United week in and week out and occasionally chooses to back India in cricket, the very thought of destiny being a factor was to an extent scary. Chelsea did not deserve to lose the game at Moscow, nor did England in Chennai. But thats when there’s a 12th man in destiny. To put it simply, I quote our great manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, as he so rightly and effectively stated after the Moscow triumph, “We had a cause which was very important. People with causes are difficult to battle against and I think fate was playing its part.” Ferguson said. Fate and Tendulkar played their part in Chennai too.

And yes, as someone who’s been mesmerized and entertained by both these stalwarts, I can only sit here and hope both Sachin and Ryan Giggs give us a few years more of their talent. Like everyone is, I can’t imagine the day when both these players choose to hang their boots and move on from their respective sporting disciplines.

India must lead Test cricket’s revival

In India, cricketing discourse today, unfortunately revolves around one-dayers and twenty20 cricket. Test cricket is in this country is as good as a forgotten format, or one that exists, but public consumption of the format is negligible. The state of Test match cricket in India is hardly desirable, and by India, I speak for the sub-continent (Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh) and unless these very nations, with India at the forefront take the initiative to save this format of the game, not just through aggressive marketing, but ensuring that Test match cricket is given it’s due position in a cricketer’s mind and equally in the viewer/audience’s minds. If India is considered to be epicenter of cricket, the focal point of all decisions taken today, India must also ensure that Test cricket doesn’t die a slow, painful death, in this country.

The Manoos Politics – Dissent of a different kind

Was it a grand coincidence that two rather non-mainstream elements, who would have otherwise spent their time asking foreigners or in one case, North Indians to lay off, made prime-time news in countries continents apart on the same day (Oct 22) ? Yes, Raj Thackeray and Nick Griffin may have absolutely nothing in common, except that their respective parties – Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and the British National Party (BNP) have quite signaled the gradual rise of the ultra-right wing as a small but reasonable political force, in a country where the populace might have fallen out with both the politics and the policies of the centrist (right/left) parties. This is where, what I choose to call, the Manoos politics, has made its presence felt, to the disconcert and concern of the masses, justifiably so.

Some more Qs and As for Indian cricket – Part II

I admit, I woke up late on Sunday morning. But, it wasn’t a typical one at that. By 9:30 am IST, half the Indian team, which opted to bat first were back in the dressing room for a meager total of 27, and the other five were just about to begin a battle to save from being marooned. As we figured out later, 170 was a score, chased down rather easily by the Aussies, but then again – some of the questions asked in the previous part weren’t quite answered, nor am I expecting them to be done anytime soon (unless Sri Lanka give India a hiding of their lives in the next series). So, I just thought, why not raise the next set of questions and answers – quite on the lines of burnout, bench strength and accountability.

Question #1 : Is burnout a problem with this team ? If yes, why are they not being upfront and honest about it ?

Answer: Indeed. It’s not nuclear science that burnout is a serious concern for the Indian cricket team. But, until and unless players are forthcoming and honest about it, I am afraid, it’ll remain a concern. In a casual discussions with some people involved with the setup, contrasting opinions is what I get to hear. While the public admission is that burnout is never an issue with our cricketers, privately they take a different view of the topic. Read between the lines and you’d know there is a problem, which the players are quite constantly living in denial about. How much cricket is enough cricket ? No one quite has the answer for that question, thanks to contractual engagements with both the franchises who play in the IPL and their respective commercial sponsors. At the end of the day, as it’s been said before, and at the cost of being repetitive, the body comes first – not currency notes or cheques. By burnout, I don’t necessarily mean on the field engagements itself nor do I refer to injuries (cliched “part of the game”). Travelling the length and breadth of a country is equally exhausting, go ask the journalists. Or even for that matter, spending a hard-earned break (like they did between the West Indies ODIs and the Sri Lanka triangular) satisfying commercial engagements, instead of giving their mind and body enough rest to come back stronger and fitter for important challenges ahead. The BCCI, as usual needs to be accountable for not going hard on cricketers, who don’t bother themselves with taking care of the body. I don’t quite have the numbers, but the average Indian cricketer plays close to 200-250 days of cricket in a calendar year. If this is the case, poor scheduling is to blame. Add the headache of the IPL and redundant cash-cows like the Champions League, and the number swells up. What the BCCI needs to do is to enforce some discipline on the contracted (to BCCI) cricketers, to put their body before commerce first. If not, there’s no way out of it.