In a recent article, cricinfo examines the origins of the latest fracas between the WICB and its players. In light of its magnificient history, the sorry state of cricket in the West Indies is a tragedy made even more frustrating by the utter pettiness of it all. How can the WICB look at the the heartfelt performances of teams like Pakistan and Afghanistan and not feel ashamed? Here is a  little snippet:

The present stand-off is mainly over annual retainer contracts, which the West Indies players have been reluctant to sign since October 2008. WIPA has claimed that the players have played four tournaments in a row this year without the contracts while the WICB says the demands of the players are unjust.

Having just recently returned from Jamaica, I can honestly say that, while the laid-back Caribbean attitude towards life is certainly palpable in everyday conversation, the locals undergo a change when they start talking about cricket. Suddenly, things don’t seem so trivial. The West Indians are very aware of their proud cricketing past and I am sure that the fact that they are being represented by a second string team in the on-going series against Bangladesh is absolutely heart-breaking. The fans would love nothing more than for their team to reclaim the mantel at the top of the cricketing world (and with Shiv, Gayle, Fidel, Taylor and Sarwan this would not be too far fetched), but the WICB certainly is not making it easy.

A couple of weeks ago, cricketzen made its first overseas trip to catch the two ODIs in Jamaica. It was a tremendous experience which included great seats, casual conversations with players and coaches and being chased around by a mad rasta. However, this is a cricket and not a travel blog and so here are a few thoughts about the recently concluded WI-India series.

There were some good performances with the bat. Dhonis resolute knock in the second ODI and his matchwinning one in the third stood out. Equally noteworthy was Yuvraj’s blistering century in the first ODI- one that I was fortunate enough to see live. Karthik was also impressive.

The bowling struggled. This was very evident during the second ODI in Jamaica on a hard gleaming pitch. Rampaul and Taylor had left the Indian batting in tatters. The Indian bowling response was very ordinary. For one, even though Sharma was struggling Praveen Kumar was a bad choice. Kumar has only proven to be effective on pitches where the ball swings considerably. On those where the swing is non-existent, he is completely ineffective. Sabina Park had shown no signs of swing and so Dhoni should have probably stuck with his younger pacer. Nehra showed signs of a comeback and Sharma bowled considerably better in the final abandoned ODI. Hopefully with Zaheer back, a brighter future is in store for the Indian pace department.

Overall, it was a much needed win after the 20-20 debacle. Dhoni reassured everyone of his batting and captaincy and while the Indian team looked shabby at times, they prevailed.

-Rishabh

An unfortunate outcome for the defending world champs. Yet I feel it was a necessary one. No matter how frustrated I feel at the fact that India had perhaps the best sqaud with depths of 20-20 experience, it is hard to deny that the fact that team India has has been riding a bubble for the last year or so and that bubble is now burst.  This does not take away from the increased skill and professionalism that Dhoni and his young players have infused into the team. However I do believe that this wave of recent successes have diverted attention away from some inherent issues.

Let me make it clear that this is not one of those “I think team India is divided because of Dhoni and that there is some secret conspiracy brewing..” stories. Such allegations are completely unfounded and are rooted in the medias desire for sensationalism.

Here are a few areas for improvement

1. Fielding

The fact that fielding stats are now being kept only reiterates its importance in the 20-20 format. The Indian efforts are falling way short. Maybe its a genetic thing but we are unable to produce consistently good fielders. Yes there are sparks of brilliance but these very often just fade away, a prime example being Yuvraj Singh. In our WC sqaud we had just two world class fielders- Sharma(not Ishant) and Raina. A few more of those would have probabaly saved us another 15-20 runs each game and may have even got some crucial run outs.

2. Batting inconsistencies

This is nostalgic. A short ball on international pitches terrorizing Indian batsmen brings back memories of the good old days. Overall, our batting was surprisingly inconsistent throughout the tournament and in most cases it boiled down to Yuvraj having to bail us out of a tough situation which he couldnt always do. Rohit Sharma started off purposefully in the warm up games- he looked at ease with the conditions while carrying on his sublime IPL form. The fact that it didn’t stick only echoed issues faced by many of his team mates. In all honesty though, given the talent and depth of our batting I feel that this blip will be short and the WC failure will have provided the necessary jolt.

3. Minor Bowling Tweaks

This is the aspect Im least worried about. Zaheer and Ishant Sharma have looked out of sorts during the tournament but given the kinds of spells they have bowled over the last year or so, Im sure they will come around. Our spin department looks solid- Ojha has been impressive and Bhajis bowling has been very hard to get away. We need to sort out the third seamer issue. I dont think Ishant Sharma should be dropped. He is a fast learner and would have taken a wealth of knowledge away from the tournament. Indian cricket needs to nurture this talent as he might provide the welcome  break that Indian seamers so badly need. As for the third bowler, I think R.P. Singh needs to become a regular fixture in the Indian team- Munaf needs to work on getting his zip back and Sreesanth should finally commit to the film industry.

Finally a quick word on Dhoni. While his batting has shown poor form during the tournmanent, much of the criticism he received has been unwarranted. The fact is, he is an enterprising and shrewd captain and it is these qualities that have brought him so much success. It is only natural that a few of  his tactics may fall through. He is not a power hungry psycho striving for supreme power in Indian cricket while trying to cause rifts between his team mates. He just wants to win. And I think, we should let him do that.

-Rishabh

Well the IPL has come to an end with the bottom ranked team of IPL season 1, The Deccan Chargers, beating out of the second-to-last ranked team from season 1, the Bangalore Royal Challengers. For everything that can be said against the IPL, even the detractors have to admit that Mr.Modi has god(s) on his side. Can you believe that it was just a few months ago that the BCCI had decided to move the tournament to South Africa in leu of the Indian election? Anyways, here are some moments from the IPL (in no particular order)  that I found special:

1. Even though I resent Dirk Nannes for depriving us of the opportunity to see Mcgrath in action, his cricket revival gave me hope that one day, I just might play in the IPL. 

2. 4 games into the IPL, the Bangalore Royal Challengers led by KP looked likely to endure a humiliation embarrassingly similar to last year’s. However, with Anil Kumble taking over the reigns of the captaincy and leading from the front with his brilliant bowling, the team seemed to be infected with the same jumbo will to win that served India so well in the past. 

3. The complete and utter self-destruction of the KKR has been a whole drama in and of itself. This was actually quite hard for me to swallow, diehard SRK fan that I am. But on the other hand, the army of “phoren babas” were not moderate in proving their incompetence, and their failure is probably for the best. Who knows, maybe we will have the privilege of seeing a KKR comeback next season?

4. Gilly’s 85  in the semifinal match against Delhi was without a doubt the best batting display of this year’s tournament. Finishing with a strike rate of 242.85, Gilly’s innings, which began with 4 beautiful boundaries off of Dirk Nannes, looked more like a game of stick cricket than anything else. What a legend.

5. Last but not least, there is Tishani Doshi. A female cricket ban based in Chennai who writes a blog for cricinfo. Need I say more?

“No comparison between the two worms, one is on an Adam Gilchrist diet”

 Finally, a commentary gem from the IPL which aptly summed up the first semi-final of this year’s IPL. Adam Gilchrist was just sensational as he took apart a formidable Delhi attack. And with that, the shabby and unmotivated Deccan Chargers of last year has been replaced by a team who in my mind are the favorites to win it all.

This must have been scripted. Gilly saving his best for last and single handedly winning the all important semi-final against the top team in the IPL would have sent memories of his World Cup final heroics racing through everyone’s minds. His intentions were clear from the very first over when he clobbered Nannes for 5 fours including a couple of gorgeous drives. The only Daredevil probably getting a kick out of this situation would have been McGrath who for some inexplicable reason did not get a single game this season.

There was a lot of talk this morning about what a competitive total might be. Most captains would have seized the initiative and batted first while trying to put up a score of at least 165 thereby placing a fair deal of pressure on the side chasing under lights. Gilchrist would have none of that. He demonstrated ample confidence in his lineup to assess any situation and get the required runs. To begin with, life couldn’t have been better. With two wickets of the first over for no runs, Delhi was in a fix. But it was their solid middle order yet again guided that them to a competitive total. Dilshan starred as he continued  his terrific form. Surely Delhi must have felt that with a couple of early wickets they were one step closer to glory…

What amazes me about batsmen like Gilchrist and for that matter Sehwag and Jayasuriya is their complete imperviousness to pressure. Never once would it have crossed his mind that they were playing the best side in the league and that his team had lost every previous encounter with them. Gilchrist came out to middle and batted with a smoothness and eloquence that was unparalleled in this year’s IPL. Quite simply, it was the best 20-20 innings I have ever seen.

When Gilly bats like the way he did, you wonder if age is any factor at all. You sit there staring at a television screen, mesmerized as this absolute champion effortlessly flicks one a 108meters into the stands. It is then that you realize how much he is missed and that international cricket will never be the same without him.

-Rishabh

When watching England lose in spectacular fashion a few months ago in the Carribean, it was hard to envision an Ashes contest worth following-unless of course you are one of those particularly sadistic individuals who love nothing more than watching the English cricket team get beaten into the dust (me). While Australia was off in South Africa showing off the new talent it had found in the likes of Philip Hughes, Peter Siddle, Marcus North, and Ben Hilfenhaus, England was busy proving in inimitable fashion just how fall it had fallen since the infamous 2005 Ashes victory. But now all of that has changed. Boasting a new attack led by the fiery Jimmy Anderson, England was able to easily dispatch the Windies (with ample aide from Mr. Gayle) in both matches. Then, of course, there is Ravi Bopara. After scoring his 2nd consecutive test hundred at Lords, he audaciously signaled the dressing room to start etching his name on to the honors board. His performance at the critical number 3 position has been a revelation for England, especially considering how much of a pain this has been for them in the past. Despite my dislike for the English cricket team, I have to admit that Andy Flower has done a great job. It did not take any amount of god-given cricket insight to realize that some of the players were too comfortable with their situations. Flower has done everything in his power to make sure that each and every player in the XI realizes the value of his spot. Indeed after the first test, when Bopara scored his century and debutant Onions took a 5-for, Bell and Sidebottom were immediately recalled to the squad. 

Although the majority of media coverage has been focused on England’s rise from the ashes (pun intended), Australia also has the makings of a very competitive squad. Yesterday the selectors led by Andrew Hilditch announced a squad with few surprises other than the exclusion of Andrew Symonds in favor of the frankenstein-esque Mcdonald. Though it might be hard to see what the selectors see in the gangly “all-rounder,” it is clear that they view pace as the key to victory, having also reintroduced Stuart Clark and Brett Lee into the squad to compete with incumbent pacers Peter Siddle and Ben Hilfenhaus. The Aussies will have go into the Ashes with a superior level of confidence, having defeated South Africa, the number 2 test team in the world, in their own backyard. Not to diminish what England have done, but beating a West Indian team led by a reluctant captain in the freezing English May weather does not exactly demand a Herculean effort. 

Anyways, here’s to a great summer of test cricket ahead of us. Let’s hope for a hard-fought contest between two great teams.

Let us never make the grave mistake of equating a national sport side with its country’s political situation. Cricket transcends domestic and international conflict and serves to excite and unite people everywhere. Such struggles have almost eliminated Pakistani cricket from the international scene. The  recently concluded series against Australia in the U.A.E is definitely a way forward. Even though they lost, Pakistan fought valiantly and won appraisal from its fans and critics alike.

Do I think ICC was unfair in moving the World Cup matches from Pakistan?-No. This can hardly be a surprise given the fact that Pakistan failed to provide their promised presidential level security. And given the kinds of crowds such an event would draw, it is not worth the risk. On the other hand cricket should not be banned indefinitely from Pakistan. The ICC needs to give the Pakistan Cricket Board a clear description of the standards it expects and Pakistan should strive to achieve them. Once these have been satisfactorily proven, cricket should resume.

In the meanwhile, Pakistan needs to continue to play cricket in all forms. Nations should host them and neutral venues should be taken advantage off.  We must work collectively to preserve Pakistani cricket. As an Indian engaged in much Pakistan bashing,  one might think that the title of this post is rather strange given the kinds of slogans thrown around in the Wankhede no matter which team is playing. But believe me, Indian fans would much rather have a Pakistan team to steamroll rather than not. The fact that we have not seen game between these two great sides for an agonizingly long time is only testament to this vacuum political strife has brought about in cricket.

-Rishabh

“Panesar to Sarwan, no run, like Mrs Panesar most surely is, that is a very tidy maiden indeed. Not that I’ve ever met her,mind”                                                      

“Sidebottom to Chanderpaul, 2 runs, very wide by Sidebottom – or Widebottom, as he is never known – and it’s clattered off the back foot, but so slow is the outfield that he only gets a couple

“Man you drive me nuts with your biased commentary!” grumbles Peter Davies. “First Pietersen is settled then he is like a jack in the box…. yada yada yada.” Yes Peter, settled against a lacklustre Taylor, then caught unawares by a pumped-up Edwards. Is it really so hard to comprehend?

“Powell glares over his shoulder at Pietersen. Which is all very well, but that delivery hardly warranted an angry “come and have a go if you think you’re hard enough” stare”

“I reckon you guys should do all your commentary in SMS format,” says Ameya. “U’ll sv tym n be abl 2 updt us wid scores mch quikr..” I think the correct response to that is: WTF“

“70 balls for their fifty partnership. Bopara’s going to bowl now, with his shirt hanging out. What does he think this is? An Essex second XI match? Oh no sir.”

In what can only be seen as a massive step backwards for the West Indies cricket team, Chris Gayle has announced in an interview with the Guardian that he does not intend  to hold on to the captaincy for much longer. The whole drama began when he requested an extension from the WICB so that he could line his pockets by playing a couple of more games for the unfortunate Kolkata Knight Riders in South Africa. Personally I do not really hold anything against Gayle for this decision. He and several other West Indies players lost out on a lot of money when the infamous Allen Stanford was exposed as the Madoffesque slime-ball that he is, and the riches of the IPL were able to provide some financial and mental consolation. I also just really  like watching Chris Gayle play- he is probably one of the most exciting, and most hilarious, players on the scene at the moment. But, as an ardent test cricket fan, I simply cannot understand his latest comments about the premier form of the game. Hitting back at Andrew Strauss, the English captain, who insisted quite understandably that showing up the day before a test match (at Lord’s no less) does not set a good example for the rest of the team, Gayle went on an angry tirade in which not only told Strauss to stay out of his business, but also that he “wouldn’t be so sad,” if Test cricket perished at the DLF-hand-lotion covered hands of T20 cricket. 

 

Wow. 

 

Previous cricketers in the West Indies, including the legends that are Gary Sobers and Viv Richards, have quickly come to the defense of Test cricket, calling Gayle foolish for turning his back on the form of the game that made him what he is today. Of course there have also been calls from several members of the West Indies’ cricket fraternity  who believe that Gayle should resign the captaincy immediately. I totally agree. Going into a test match with a leader who has publicly announced his lack of desire to lead can’t be healthy for the team. Befitting their lack of common sense, though,  the WICB has refused to make the tough choice and the 2nd test match has gone ahead with the reluctant Gayle at the helm. Coming off their hard-fought series victory over England, the West Indies have really begun to improve as a squad, but this latest series of events has the potential to leave a permanent scar on the chemistry of the West Indies’ squad. Let’s just hope that the WICB snaps out of its seemingly permanent state of digicel-induced detachment and does what is important for the future of what could be a top test squad in the coming years.

When I saw this picture just a few days ago, I felt as if I had to respond in some way. No blog is ever a cricket blog without a passage on Sachin Tendulkar, yet every line written about him sounds more clichéd than the previous. Everything to be said has been said about him, his divine countenance, the purity of technique that surrounds him and his unparalleled humility. Yet, here I am writing yet another paragraph on the “Little Master” that is Sachin.

I find comparisons to Don Bradman meaningless; they both played in completely different eras of the game with starkly different social contexts. Much has been said about the expectations and hopes on the Indian cricketer’s shoulders and this is even truer in the case of Sachin. Nevertheless he has rarely disappointed. Don’t let those cold hearted statisticians fool you- its not that his centuries failed to provide victories for India, its just that the majority of them came at a time when the reliability of the rest of the Indian cricket team at its best resembled the American stock market at its worst. Yet every morning Sachin walks to the middle with the same determination he had in his eyes when he was a teenager hitting Abdul Qadir for three sixes in a row. Even today if you were to ask him what he would like to be remembered for it would not be the 85 international centuries or the World Cup records he holds. It would not be the nightmares he gave Shane Warne at the peak of his career nor the serene hundred he hit in Chennai last year to set the tone for the England series. He would say-“I want to be remembered as a team player.”

One of the most intelligent discussions on Sachin Tendulkar and definitely my favorite came in an interview with Harsha Bhogle (The man who was once bald and frankly I prefer him that way). He said something that is so true yet so often ignored by critics who engage in unsubstantiated cricketer bashing, that Genius will always find its way. Sachin is a Genius, a God in his own right and if we are so hell-bent on worshipping someone, we might as well worship him.

-Rishabh