Simplifying The Daily Existence

Against the Spin » Twenty20: Cricket’s great equalizer

VVS Laxman is truly team India’s saviour when it comes to bailing out the team from seemingly hopeless situations. However, not many people realize that he is also pushing 36 in terms of his ‘calendar’ age and yet, his batting aggregate in the last 15 or so test matches is close to 66!! In fact, it seems like Laxman has discovered the most consistent patch of his career. Further, he seems to have aborted all questions about age being a factor, i.e. at least in test cricket. Steve Waugh, Shane Warne and Glen McGrath were the others who proved that age has nothing to do with test cricket and even Tendulkar seems to be championing the same cause.

So the Chennai Super Kings have won the second edition of the Champions League but I still cannot get my head around the reason for hosting such tournaments. Just looking around, it seems that no one was really interested in whatever happened in South Africa, not at least in my part of the world. The matches had no build-up in terms of team rivalries or anything significant, there were no special players who have emerged from the tournament and apart from Dhoni who seemed pretty happy to add another trophy in 2010, no one really seemed really interested or desperate enough to put-in blood and sweat to win the matches. The regional players of  T20 teams from around the world were overshadowed by the three Indian teams
that participated. That is another question I had in mind: how come three IPL teams get to qualify as against just one each from the rest of cricket-playing nations? Does this mean that IPL teams are superior to the runners-up in the English county league or for that matter, other T20 teams that finished second and third in their respective national leagues?? Just doesn't make any sense to me...well anyways, as Ravi Shastri said recently, in his typically mundane style of commentating that the "sponsors" are beginning to understand the worth of such tournaments....well, that is all that seems to matter in the world of cricket these days. You should confirm that with an individual called Salman Butt!!

 While this may sound unkind and outrightly rude to some folks, the fact is that most people who have been keenly following the game in and around the sub-continent have always believed or at least suspected that running of the game in Pakistan has always been clouded by match-fixers and the betting mafia that is very strong in these parts. It should be noted that the recent string of skeletons that seem to be tumbling out of the Pakistani dressing room are largely because of the kind of investigative media we have these days and not because the match-fixing has suddenly arisen. A few years ago, in Sharjah and in India, when such matters were reported, the technology available to the reporters and the sting journalists
was hardly penetrative as it is now. It was just a matter of time before those involved in making money by fooling the game's followers slipped in their methods and the ever-vigilant media dogs caught them red-handed...don't read too much into what is going to happen to the Pakistani players accused in this scandal...they will be banned for different durations only to be brought together as the World Cup 2011 draws near...again, not because the world cup is a very important tournament but also because it is going to be a big money-spinner for these spinsters.

It is hard to imagine that Strauss, the English captain, can actually adapt to the ODI style of batting but as it turns out, in the current One-day series against Australia, his style of batting is perfectly suited to the kind of pitches that are on display. The ball is seaming around and Strauss' typical style of batting wherein the emphasis is on collecting singles through shoves and pushes seems to be invaluable. And yes, England have won the series now!! This is remarkable considering that they usually struggle to even defeat teams like the WI on their own pitches. What seems to have really worked for the Poms is their recent victory in the T20 World Cup. The team has carried that momentum into the series and the Kangaroos have been surprised without a doubt. Add to this, the presence of useful bowlers like Swann and Broad and the England team does look like a good ODI unit for the first time in probably, the last ten years.

You cannot deny that this is the current situation in the English cricket team. Just take out the South African Kevin Pietersen from their test match performances over the last four years and team would have struggled to even come close to be counted among the top, four test cricket teams in the ICC rankings. Now, it seems that the Irish batsman, Eoin Morgan, is doing a similar act for England in their ODIs against Australia. Just look at the statistics of the first game wherein he scored a century to bail out the English side. Combine this with Morgan’s T20 performances and surely England could not have won the ICC T20 world cup without his services. I hope the immigration rule-markers in England are aware of these facts or may be they are and that is why England seems to gobble-up international players and presents them as its own!!

It was heartening to see that somebody from the WI camp finally decided to bat with some semblance of spirit. As a result, the hosts are now in a position to easily draw the game unless they do something drastically stupid. Once again, the rescue act has been perpetrated by Chanderpaul. He is someone I have often written about on this blog. He appeals to my senses with his ability to succeed despite not having the natural flair that most left-handed batsmen possess or the arrogance that is trademark of the Calypso batsmen. Now, it seems that he has found an able supporter in the form of Nash. This guy is your typical grafter. He doesn't have a stroke of brilliance and if your looking for someone to make TV viewing pleasurable with off-side drives and straight pushes, Nash is not the guy one would like to recommend. He is very much like Chanderpaul, wait-out the bowler's patience and then seize upon the opportunity to score-off the slightly wayward deliveries. Until then, it is all about composure and nudging and pushing for the singles. Anyways, it is widely believed that a player's overall effectivity determines his worth in his team and not his style of performing...I hope, the likes of Sarwan and Yuvraj are listening.

If I can recall correctly nearly every player that England have looked upon to deliver them from their poor record against Australia over the last decade has disappointed to a large extent. Yes, there have been some exception like Pietersen and Flintoff who flourished briefly before becoming vulnerable to personal and fitness-related issues. I still remember how gung-ho the English media was about players like Ronnie Irani, Ealham and Mark Alleyne, hoping that these players will be able to perform since their county records were supposedly great. Now, with the Ashes coming close, the English cricket media seems obsessed with Steven Finn and believe that he is another McGrath in the making. Whether this is due to over-optimism or simply because Finn releases the ball in a matter akin to the great Aussie bowler or due to a combination of both these factors, is beyond me. However, what still surprises me is that how the media in England starts hailing any new find as a potential Ashes winner. If you remember, Matthew Hoggard was placed on a same pedestal and was suppose to swing-out the Aussie batsmen but nothing of the sort happened, at least over a sustained period. There isn't a single English player in the last decade who has an Ashes record as consistent and significant as that of some Aussie players like Hayden, McGrath and Shane Warne. At best, some cricketers from the UK have surfaced from time to time and delivered brilliantly in small patches that simply cannot be equaled to records of these Aussie greats.....but then, reality isn't everyone's cup of tea, is it?

This seems to be the theme for nearly every team participating in what is being billed as the battle for supremacy in Asian cricket. For starters, both India and Pakistan have come to this edition of the Asia Cup with players who are finding their feet in international cricket after a brief spell of being rested or dropped, for various reasons. While Pakistan aims to fight its most usual nemesis, i.e. the threat of mutiny in its ranks, India is trying to establish what could be their probable line-up for the forthcoming World Cup. Sri Lanka too are looking beyond the usual players like Jayasuriya who have delivered in the past and the onus could well be on the likes of Malinga, Herath and Angelo Mathews to stake claims not just as potential match-winners but the core of the team that is going to try and bring back the world cup to Sri Lanka. While the persistence with Muralitharan at this juncture seems a bits surprising, it is not secret that Lankans are trying to find a permanent solution to their number five, six and seven slots that seem to have been changed with unwanted regularity in the recent past.

Yes, it might seem a bit premature but the fact remains that Sri Lanka are pretty much unbeatable at home. Their record in both, the ODIs and the test matches is so good that it is hard to believe that any of the other teams would be able to beat them in the league matches. Further, what makes the Lankans such a potent force is that their bowling is well-suited to the prevalent conditions. For starters, the likes of Kulusekera can bowl slow, medium-pacers that are the best option for the slightly sluggish pitch conditions here in Dambulla and the neighboring venues. On the other hand, young spinners in the side, led by Murali will ensure that the batsmen aren't able to take much liberties during the middle overs. Even the fill-up bowlers like Angelo Matthews have showed in yesterday's match against Pakistan that these Lankan bowlers know how to manipulate the conditions to their advantage. In comparison, Pakistan's bowling line-up seems full of comeback bowlers while India just doesn't have a semblance of a pace battery or a spin attack.

After losing two successive matches to a Zimbabwean side that is devoid of even one truly internationally-accomplished player, the Indian selectors should seriously consider resigning from their posts, ensured that their families have enough life insurance or medical insurance supplies and then jumping from the top of the buildings in which they reside and make us believe, they work in those chambers for the improvement of Indian cricket. For starters, it still escapes the mind that what they were thinking sending five or six new, greenhorn bowlers when not even one of them appears to be capable of running through a side in either an ODI or a test match. All the bowlers put together have looked pedestrian at best and then to actually believe that these guys were going to whitewash the Zims just because they are ranked at the bottom of world rankings is the kind of thinking that only the politically-inclined men working at the BCCI are capable of....my bet is that the India A squad at the moment has more skills than the Raina-led team, even though it consists of many players with far lesser experience.

International cricket certainly isn't going to go score many points for equality of the genders. For starters, there is little that the ICC has done for the female cricketers in terms of scheduling tournaments across the world. Secondly, the broadcast of women’s matches for something as important as the world cup were done so shabbily that not many people even realized that just when their teams were fighting out for a semi-final berth in the West Indies, the women counterparts of the men’s teams were also sweating it out to make a point, both in terms of engaging attention towards their skills and winning an ICC tournament. I still don’t get it—the viewership for T20 World Cup itself wasn’t too encouraging and further the spectator interest in island nations was also abysmal, then how scheduling women’s cricket matches in the same stadium really helps the cause of women’s cricket?

The T20 World Cup in the West Indies has just ended and just like 50-over format World Cup that was held here in 2007, the entire tournament was a dampener in terms of stadium spectator volumes. This has become an increasingly worrying trend ever since the native, West Indian side started sliding after their 1996 Frank-Worrell Trophy loss to the Australians. Ever since that debacle happened, except for the test matches wherein Brian Lara was involved, the stadium volumes have been dwindling and the authorities including the WICB have not done anything constructive to resolve it. The 2007 World Cup was an absolute disaster
in terms of the non-participation of the spectators in the proceedings of the match. Yes, the ban on the usual musical stuff and alcoholic beverages that the West Indian spectators were always allowed to carry inside were also banned then and this did play a part in reducing the amount of spectator interest However, there was nothing missing from the T20 World Cup and even then, the venues had an empty look to them. Take-out the number of Indian fans who descended from the US and you can be assured that the stadiums might have been half-empty. I was just wondering whether the West Indies still qualifies as an international venue for matches wherein the home team is not involved?

It was heartbreaking to see that one of the most honest and forthright captains in contemporary cricket, Mahender Singh Dhoni, was spilling-out excuses in the aftermath of being kicked out of the world cup T20. It was unusual to see MSD so hesitant and confused when asked to give reasons for the team's failure during teh post-match conference. Usually, Dhoni is a picture of being calm and is able to handle all queries with a degree of rustic honesty that had become his trademark. Some commentators even joked that he was so forthcoming in his views about defeat or victory that it was almost impossible for the journalists posing the questions to find the captain on the wrong foot. However, it seems that the recent spate of defeats and the fact that the Indian team has been kicked out of its third, straight world cup campaign proved too much for Dhoni. How else do you explain that the man who openly argued about the un-taxing nature of the IPL and its supposed 'zero effect' on the team's international performance suddenly realized that the late-night parties were eating into his players' energy levels. More than the defeat, it was the manner in which MSD handled the entire after-match period that will make most Indian cricket fans feel edgy about their team's future. To be brutally honest, besides MSD, there isn't a single guy in the team who looks responsible or fit enough to be burdened with Indian cricket captaincy. Every good thing comes to an end...I was hoping, Dhoni's charm would have stayed with us a bit longer..nothing else!

I have not watched many matches of the just-started WC 2010 in the West Indies but I can easily tell that at least during the group stage of the tournament, the pitches are going to be rather slow and the batsmen might have to work a bit harder than they are used to. In fact, this is a bit of a pleasant change considering that T20 games are largely decided by batsmen who are given the luxury of scoring off every ball, courtesy, the shorter boundaries and dead pitches. In this regard, it is worth mentioning that the boundaries too seem stretched out in the West Indies which means that batsmen would have to run harder and there would be less boundaries scored in the match. Whether this was done by default or through meticulous planning to make the game more even is unknown but it must offer some relief to the harassed T20 bowlers.

This might seem a bit premature to most cricket fans but considering the performance of Lasith Malinga over the past two years in T20 matches, it is almost sure that if the Sri Lankan team is able to enter the final four of the World Cup 2010, the slinger from the Emerald Island is bound to become the best bowler on show. The reasons aren’t difficult to understand considering how regularly he bowls yorkers with such amazing accuracy. Further, he has the ability to bowl about 20, block-hole deliveries
in his given quota of 24 deliveries and he has been doing so very impressively. There is nearly no other bowler who can claim to bowl the full-length ball with so much ease. Even Steyn from SA, despite having lots of pace, does struggle to keep-up six balls on the go, around the middle stump, fullish length like Malinga. Since T20 is all about containing the batsmen rather than dismissing them and if this parameter is taken into account, Malinga perhaps has no other competition. The only other bowler who comes close to Malinga in terms of hitting the yorkish length is the wild-card entry from Pakistan, Mohammad Sami but then again you can never say much about a Pakistani player considering their tendency to self-destruct.

I might be getting a bit too suspicious here but the fact is that on the eve of their departure to the West Indies for the forthcoming World Cup 2010, the Indian captain did seem very mindful of the fact that most of his team members had participated in the very demanding format of the IPL3 and that this Indian squad certainly wasn't the freshest one in terms of the participating teams at the Caribbean event. What makes me believe this is that MSD himself isn't the greatest of supporters for the theory of playing non-stop cricket.

If you look at this captaincy record, there have been instances where MSD had himself sought the permission of the BCCI to take a rest between two series-something that no other Indian captain has dared to do in the past. Further, Dhoni himself has a very suscpet back that has been troubling him for the last two seasons. Further, to maintain the balance in the team, he cannot risk taking upon another specialist keeper to resolve this issue. So, there is basically no way in which Dhoni can reduce his workload and further, some critical teammates like Ashish Nehra and Yuvraj Singh are still recuperating and are yet to hit peak fitness.

He can hardly speak a word in English and he has that raw, out-of-this world kind of expression on his face but Umesh Yadav can do one thing that most Indian fans have been desperately waiting for and that is, He bowls fast and I mean, consistently fast without looking as if he is really exerting himself. Playing for the Delhi Daredevils in IPL 2010, this young bowler from Bihar has been exemplary in his first stint in competitive cricket. Further, he has not even played for his state side on a consistent basis and yet, he can bowl steadily at around the 145 km/hr mark.If you are an Indian fan that much speed is perhaps the maximum that any Indian bowler has ever generated. If Yadav can put in some eye-catching performances in the domestic scene, it is just a matter of time before this lad will be seen sharing the new ball with Zaheer. Ishant Sharma must be thinking how fast can life turn around:(. However, he is still young and capable of making a comeback...at least, I hope so. There have been just too many disappointments in the past with the likes of Irfan Pathan falling apart. It is still a mystery what actually happened to the young Pathan who was supposed to be the next, Wasim Akram. However, there seems to be something more to Umesh than what meets the eye. Firstly, he doesn't really exert himself and yet, he hits the 140 Ks mark with regular ease. This does point to the potential of being quick in the league of someone like Brett Lee. But then again, these are very early days in his career and these are just the first impressions....keeping my fingers crossed. Further, his bowling action is such that he doesn't exert too much pressure on his back and lower limbs, something that has been the scourge for most of the quick bowlers over the last five years.

One of the few things that I like about the IPL is their method of issuing orange and purple caps for the tournament's highest run-getter and best bowler, respectively. I am wondering if this can be introduced for international matches. I am not recommending this for tournaments but for every team. This mean that every team can cap and mark-out its most successful bowler, its highest run-getter for the season and may be the Most Valuable Player or MVP too. The MVP system has been used in professional basketball and many other American sports for a long time. This does not do much in terms of making the game more interesting but is just a small change that can seep into the present system and add some value-addition for the TV-watching, cricket audience.

The next edition of the T20 world cup is upon us and a rather strange question has entered my mind. This is regarding the state of the current teams, i.e. in regard to their overall conditioning and their preparedness. As assumed, most of the test matches have been wrapped-up since the shortest format of the game will be played in the world cup in the Caribbean and it just doesn’t make sense to carry on playing for five days when the matches will last for just about 3 hours. However, it should be said that each team seems to have taken upon a totally different approach to prepare itself. While teams like India are simply overworked, there are others like the Kiwis and the Poms who seem to have it rather lightly. Matches in the Aussie domestic circuit are still going on, so these guys would be in good knick but what about the rest of the international teams that either have their players scattered around, playing in the IPL, or simply cooling their heels? The timing of IPL2010 has made it sure that none of the nations could have gone ahead with a prestigious, local T20 tournament that would have been a great help. The IPL doesn’t give chance to entire teams to hone their skills.

In that regard, the case of Pakistan seems even stranger—when was the last time any of them even played a T20 or are they now busy fighting each other in some wrestling arena? I would not bank upon India considering how overworked these guys are and nearly half the squad is carrying some form of injury.

By the time this article gets published the Kings XI Punjab would have completed a rather comprehensive victory over the Delhi Daredevils in the last of the handful of league matches in IPL2010. It was interesting to note that though the Kings XI team is totally out of contention in terms of making a claim for the last four berths, they keep on passing comments that suggest they want to beat the opposing teams black and blue in their remaining encounters. Even their coach, Tom Moody, has often said in the last few weeks that he was looking forward to spoiling the party for the remaining teams. I just could not understand this viewpoint. I mean, by spoiling some other team's chances of qualifying for the IPL3 semi-finals, is Tom Moody and his team trying to extract some sort of a sweet revenge. Why this sudden intent of not letting other teams to qualify further? I am not suggesting that the Kings XI team should lie flat on the pitch and let their opponents walk over them but why this sudden pre-occupation of 'spoiling' it for others? I simply believe this is a case of sore losers. I have always believed that it takes a real man to accept defeat in a humble manner and it is confirmed now that not many of this type can be found among the red & white uniform holders of the King's XI squad.

If you look at the career statistics of Shivnaraine Chanderpaul, it will suggest that he is among the best of batsmen who are current playing and that is across all forms of the game, i.e. the ODIs and test cricket. This might cause some of you to raise the argument that he hasn’t excelled in T20. However, it should be understood that this isn't because of his inability to adapt to the faster version of the game but simply due to lack of opportunities. For some reason, despite being the perennial saver for his team and an awesome ODI record, this guy is never counted among the current crop of batsmen who are often heralded as ‘greats’.I presume that this is due to two main factors. One, he is simply too raw in terms of handing the media part of one’s career that has become a necessity for the modern player. Even the newest of entrants in the Caribbean team can be seen making some form of a style statement by either covering themselves in oodles of gold or with some ritual-like dance after dismissing an opposition batsman. Some folks might say that this is a part of the Caribbean heritage but I would like to opine that these are simply practices stereotypes that are being done to make a splash in the media coverage of the game, ensuring that their overall marketability is sustained for money-making tournaments like the IPL or for county stints.
This is even more applicable to a West Indian player, considering that they lose so many matches that even centurions and five-wicket hauls are mentioned in a remote corner of the newspaper column. Secondly, Chanderpaul has a strange, un-classical batting stance which might be the reason that he is continuously omitted from the bracket containing stars like Sachin and Ponting. Some people might argue that the modern era of cricket is very accommodating in terms of accepting people with unconventional batting styles but I personally feel that the stance used by Chanderpaul is simply so hideous that it drives-out any form of serious praise that might be coming his way.

You might say that I am blowing the same horn that has been voiced by some of the betting agencies who have placed the Delhi Daredevils as the most favored team to win the IPL3 but this isn’t so—the fact is that this is one of the most balanced sides in the third edition of the IPL. They have someone like Glenn McGrath waiting in the ranks and Rajat Bhatia hasn’t been listed for the first four matches though he is a very useful all-rounder. Further, there is an abundance of handy players in the side who can bat and bowl, including the likes of Sehewag and Dilshan who are good enough to win matches with their batting alone. Add to this mix, the likes of Gambhir, the Daredevil skipper, and DeVilliers and you have the most formidable batting line-up in the competition. The fielding standards too are at par with any other team playing in IPL3 and none of the players are scheduled to leave the side before the final match is played—a problem being faced by many sides in the competition, and none of the benched players are unfit or struggling for form. What all this means is that Daredevils are the only side that can field a full-fit and competitive side for each of their IPL3 league matches.

If there was a Razzie for the worst cricketing team to have ever numbed our senses, the award would have gone to the Pakistan team, every year, every time. It is difficult to even coin a name for what their Board has done now, having fined nearly half the team and banned the other half. Further, nearly every cricketing expert believes this is to be another PCB histrionic wherein the players will be reinstalled much before they pay their dues or complete their sentences. Why? Simply because this is how Pakistani cricket is run and this time too, we have no reason to believe otherwise. If an innocent Pakistani were to look at the present situation, though it is difficult to believe that there are any people who don’t realize the depths to which their team has fallen, it would seem that there is simply no player in the national team who isn’t charged of either indiscipline, camping against senior or juniors, taking sides, tampering with balls, speaking against higher authorities or even doping…phew!!

Yes, as unbelievable it may sound, Matthew Hayden of Australia has got some sort of a half-racquet, half-bat for the third edition of the IPL. Many people had suggested that the increasing amount T20 cricket being played in these days would eventually lead to further changes in the way batsmen approached their game, and this includes the gear and the equipment they use. If you look at it, Big Matty’s new bat has an extremely long handled and the actual meat of the bat is just about 80% of a conventional bat. I guess, it means that he is planning to stand on his backfoot and use his bat for swinging across the line even more now. Just one question though—wasn’t Hayden scary enough for the bowlers with his old bat that he had to bring something so ridiculous looking and so far-off from the norm?

It is an unarguable fact that Sachin Tendulkar is perhaps the greatest batsmen in contemporary cricket even as the debate on his status as an all-time great among the game’s leading run-scorers will continue to seep into every cricketing conversation for many years to come. His most recent landmark—the 200+ score in an ODI may become something of a precursor, considering the amount of runs that are being scored in an average ODI game. It seems that scoring in excess of 300 runs is a mere formality when playing in the sub-continent and with Sachin’s record-breaking effort, the mental block of reaching the double-century mark in the 50-over game might have been broken. Considering the kind of batsmen that are opening the innings in the modern ODI format, from Sehewag to Gayle, and the mediocrity of the bowling oppositions, it might become a more regular feature than any of us could have imagined a couple of years back. I would say this is Sachin’s second biggest contribution in redefining the ODI game. Firstly, he single-handedly introduced the feature of an aggressive, opening bat who was relentless on the bowlers and the pattern was emulated by every international team. Now, he has reset the benchmarks for ODI openers and might have opened the floodgates for ODI doubles!!

I am not talking about Zimbabwe's run-rate or the emergence of any notable player but for the first time, in the last decade or so, the team is playing cricket in a manner that is managing to engage some attention. For starters, Raymond Price has been opening the opening against the West Indies with spin bowlers, including himself. The last time this was done on such a consistent basis was by Martin Crowe of New Zealand during the World Cup of 1992. What is more encouraging is that now the Zims can actually bat-out fifty overs on a consistent basis and the batsmen are ready to make-up for their lack of experience or sheer talent with some on-field doggedness. It would be going too far to say that the team is about to induce some major upsets, but yes, a somewhat more tenacious and capable Zimbabwe cricket team is definitely helpful for the game. Price has been ruthless as a leader and the young Zims are following this methodology of approaching the game wherein the 33-year old throws a punch for everything that comes his way.

England might still be reeling under the absence of their foremost all-rounder, Andrew Flintoff, but as things present themselves for the moment, they do have a good bunch who can make-up for Freddie's absence. In Stuart Broad and Bresnan (big dude in the pic here), England have found two useful players who can bat and bowl and are pretty agile in the field. Bresnan, in particular has been impressing a lot during the last few months, scoring some very decent knocks during the latter part of the innings. Add to this, Collingwood, who is a handy, if not a complete bowler, and England pretty much size-up to most sides in terms of all-rounder strength. However, what is lacking is one or two batsmen who can give them blistering starts when batting. You really cannot expect Strauss of Ian Bell to do that. I still believe that Pietersen finds himself lost since his captaincy was taken away. For some strange reason, his sudden removal from the profile has caused his confidence to slip far too much for an international player.

I thought that it was some sort of off-season injury or some other weird reason that Sreesanth was bowling so slowly during the first of the one-dayers against the South Africans. As it turns out, that wasn’t just a one-time thing. Like many other of his young Indian counterparts, he has actually slowed-up remarkably although there is no injury and neither has he been used excessively. This is some sort of a virus that seems to affect every speedster coming from India who has some promise to offer. Further, it seems that his bowling action too has changed a bit. Sreesanth never really did have remarkable line or length to boast of—it was swing bowling at some good speeds that got him all the wickets and made him a tough customer if the pitch had anything to offer. He even showed signs of being able to use the old ball. Now, he can hardly cross the 130 km/hr barrier and his swing is lacking due the change in the manner in which his is delivering the ball. Yes, the seam is still very upright—one of young Sreesanth’s typical bowling traits, but now the shrug-like movement that he had at the time of releasing the ball has gone and has been replaced by a more controlled sort of stride that may be prettier from a technical aspect but sure as hell doesn’t make him a better or a more lethal bowler.

You can call it the result of playing on docile wickets and the fact that Indian batsmen are chasing 300+ scores in nearly every one-dayer that they play or the ineffectiveness of the Indian bowling attack but the fact remains that the Indian selectors have understood that this team just cannot afford to have too many specialist bowlers. As a result, from Yousuf Pathan to Jadeja and now even, Abhishek Nayyar, all players who have a record of contributing with the bat and the ball have been inducted into the team. 2011 World Cup is not very far away and the selectors and the team management most probably understand that there is not much difference between someone who can give-away six or seven runs per over, and hence, if the compromise in bowling attack means having nearly 8 batsmen, then why not take the advantage. It should be understood that a similar approach has been taken by various international teams with widely varied results. In 1996, the Sri Lankans used their part-time spinners to put together a world cup-winning effort whereas the West Indies have tried it many times and are still trying it with a host of players who can bowl medium pace or a bit slower but have found no success whatsoever. It is not a sure-win formula by any stretch of imagination but when the domestic scene is so completely devoid of quality bowlers with any real spin or pace to talk about, are there any good alternatives?

Some folks might not be asking this question but I am surely not one of those guys. I honestly feel that the present scheduling of IPL3 is highly questionable considering that the T20 World Cup 2010 in Caribbean is so near. This will lead to another T20 glut that is not going to do any favors to the viewership for the club games. Let us get thing very clear, and that is in the cricket perspective: we are not in the mold of the English Premier League wherein the same bunch of guys can form great, talked-about friendships during their club stints and still go totally ‘Mexican’ when it comes to the competitions wherein national teams participate. This is still a more conservative form of a not-so-global sport and we want to see some real bad blood, I am trying to say ‘extreme competitiveness’ here, between the players and the presence of IPL3 so close to the World Cup is bound to hamper this. Further, after seeing IPL matches round the clock, doesn’t the very status of a World Cup get slightly eradicated, particularly considering that T20 matches are still assuming the serious proportions that they have promised.

Most cricket followers may no longer recall the name of former Indian paceman, Ajit Agarkar. However, it is worth mentioning that he was once, the most promising of the Indian fast bowlers to have arisen from the famous Mumbai factory of cricketers. Often dubbed as the ‘perpetual underperformer’, Agarkar had promised a lot as a leading swing bowler and more so, as an all-rounder. His batting abilities never really surfaced during his decade-long career but most analysts and coaches from the Indian domestic circuit had believed that he was the one who would be able to replace the vacuum created by Kapil Dev’s retirement, to some extent, some day. That never happened and Agarkar never rose to the status that nearly everyone who had seen him blossom as a young performer believed was his for the taking. Now, another youngster from the same Mumbai team and one of Agarkar’s current bowling partner Abhishek Nayyar is being billed as the next big thing to arrive from the Mumbai stables and a complete all-rounder that the Indian team has been missing for some time. Yes, Irfan Pathan did promise a lot but he too has fallen by the side and no one really knows what he is doing at the Ranji circuit and whether his performances are being even watched by the selectors. Nayyar had been included in the Indian ODI squad after a string of decent performances in the first edition of the IPL but then, many observers say that he is being over-hyped simply because he is neither a very pacy bowler nor a very talented batsman in terms of being technically superb or a brilliant hitter of the ball. Many critics have gone on to say that the prime reason for the undertones regarding his selection are arising simply due to the desperation of the Mumbai supporters to get someone from their team in the Indian squad.

To be very honest, Delhi has left Mumbai way behind in terms of hogging the spots in the Indian team and besides Tendulkar there is literally no other player who is even in the scheme of thing — plz don’t raise the name of Rohit Sharma, we all know that he is just another bubble about to burst at any point. For me, even the comparison between Agarkar and Nayyar are misplaced, simply because Agarkar’s rise-to-fame and the huge expectations were because of his natural talent that was very evident in the very first ODI game he played. He had the ability to swing the ball on dead pitches and had the panache of a natural batsman — Nayyar on the other hand seems to be peddling on a wave of optimism regarding his capabilities rather than having actually delivered or showcased as much as Agarkar during his long but not-so-impressive career.

I don't want to sound too critical but I have been seeing Dhoni bat against the Proteas in the ongoing test match series and it seems that a lot of commentators too believe that MSD really isn't up to the benchmarks of batting in the test match arena. The difference does become apparent when you compare his one-day record with this test match scores. For starters, he has rarely scored big against a good bowling side and hence, his struggles against the South Africans and other foreign teams, particularly when travelling abroad. The difference wouldn't have been so magnified had his ODI record too been along the same lines but we all realize that he is among the best of batsmen in the shorter versions of the game. Hence, the question really is that Dhoni actually more susceptible when playing test match cricket, courtesy his average footwork and handling of the short ball or is it too early to make such judgments.

Just looking at Paul Harris bowl in test matches against India, I wonder what kind of a spinner he really is, that is assuming that he can be called a spinner at all? For starters, he never spins the ball. His deviation of the ball in the air is minimal to negligible and even on the slowish wickets he has always struggled to get batsmen out, i.e. by putting genuine spin into effect. What he does do remarkably well is follow in the Giles mold, wherein both of these men can bowl outside the leg-stump all day long, restricting the run scoring and hoping that one, odd delivery will take-off from the weathered area outside the leg-stump region. Phew...I never knew mediocrity has its followers and further more, success too, since Graeme Smith has repeatedly said that Harris is an important 'bowler' for the team.

The Indian selectors might still put up a brave face and say that the pitch for the Eden Garden test match is not going to be doctored but the fact remains that until this is done, the chances of India winning the final test match are rather slim. The reason lies more in the depleted bowling resources rather than the inability of the batsmen to handle short-pitched bowling. It seems that after Zaheer's initial burst, there are no other Indian bowlers who can even induce some pressure on the batsmen, leave alone actually bowling them out. This is when, just about four months back the entire Indian media was overwhelmed with "so many younger bowlers coming through", now where are they? Was that wishful thinking or the tendency to bloat-up things that has become endemic to media coverage for Indian cricket.

As if the absence of the three main batsmen in the team, Sarwan, Chanderpaul and Bravo wasn’t sufficient, the west Indian captain, Chris Gayle went on to make a strange prediction before the start of the Australia – WI, ODI series that his team would win it 4-1. Has that helped the team in any conceivable way? Really not. Just look at the result of the first two matches and it is clear that once again, the men from Calypso were simply outplayed. So the question I would like to ask Gayle is that what he was trying to do, making such outrageous comments? His team certainly doesn’t have the track-record of winning series and the absence of such critical players was bound to take its toll. It is fine being a bit brave, or even cocky if you are playing the Aussies, but 4-1, against the Aussies in Australia, really?

It is hard to comprehend which of the Indian batsmen is capable of taking on Steyn but unless something is done soon, this test series spells doom for the Indian team. None of their batsmen seem comfortable against Steyn’s reverse swing and his ability to move the ball either ways from the good-length area. The only thing I can suggest is that somehow the presently not-so-impressive Gautam Gambhir can somehow try and step out of his crease and come down the wicket, just to spoil Steyn’s line and create some breathing space for the rest of his teammates.

Just one day to go for a test series that is supposed to decide who would hold on to test cricket ranking of number one and strangely, there is not much commotion in the usually, over-active India media. For some strange reason, the arrival of the SA team in India, their subsequent practice match and the lead-up to the first test match in Nagpur has had a sleepy feel to it. For me, it is extremely difficult to decipher the exact reason considering that even the Indo-Bangladesh series was talked about, even before it began! My gut feeling is that this could hurt the Indian team since the batsmen in particular are known to get a bit over-insulated if the opposition doesn’t make the expected noise. Could it be that Graeme Smith has planned this move? I seriously wish someone from the Indian camp makes some statements about the fact that the Proteas are here without a regular coach—I mean someone who has been earmarked for being fired in the very near future…tsk, tsk, when will the Indian team learn to play ‘dem mind games??!!

Ricky Ponting might not make it very obvious in his post-match speeches but it is no secret that the Aussie bowling resources are reaching a remarkable level. I am particularly impressed by their left-arm riches. Just consider the fact that they have three different bowlers of this bowling style and each one bowls very differently and in fact, all of them can play together in a match though the probability of something like that happening in the near future is minimal. Bollinger comes across as a hit-the-deck sort of left-armer who seems to enjoy a bit of zest in the pitch. Bracken on the other hand is more suited to the dry surfaces since he bowls so many of those off-cutters. Now look at Mitchell Johnson, he is somewhat of a combo of these two bowlers and probably the fastest of the lot and can bat pretty well too. What is even more remarkable is the fact that just about 10 months back, the Australian bowling cupboard looked bare or that is what everyone thought and now the newest of additions like Siddle, McKay and Harris are taking wickets by the heap and Ponting must be perplexed who to leave out in a match.

The recent test matches in Bangladesh might have been easily won by the Indian team but the fact is that the team's inability to handle the short-ball became a bit too obvious for the comfort of the coach and the captain. I say so because the Indian team is about to take on the Proteas and the SA team has some of the tallest bowlers who would have smelt blood looking at the predicament of the Indian batsmen. While some folks might say that the discomfort of the Indians was precipitated by their tendency to take the Bangladeshi bowlers a bit casually...the fact is that most Indian batsmen just don't expect bowlers to be hitting their helmets in home conditions. Thus, this might just become their undoing when Morkel and a rejuvenated Dale Steyn bend their backs and try to aim for their jawlines. Does that mean that the Indian batsmen will fail? Not really, I just wanted to highlight that this aspect could well become the most attention-grabbing feature of the short test series. Further, the Indian team really does not have the bowlers to reciprocate the favor. U really cannot expect Zaheer Khan to keep bowling throughout the day and there is no besides him who can bowl short-pitched stuff in an effective manner.

The third season of IPL is about to begin and I just want to know one thing—how many people actually follow this league? Yes, there are the occasional viewers like me how just like to keep in touch regarding the final score or the match result but how about the hardcore IPL fans, I mean if there are any around? For starters, the matches are scheduled at a time that was supposed to facilitate the viewership in terms of post-working hours but then after a day’s work or even if you aren’t in a back-breaking employment like mine, do you really get excited by the prospect of international players overloaded with huge sums of money playing in a league wherein club rivalries are yet an unknown quantity and besides the trophy winner’s prize booty there seems to be no other motivating factor?

To make matters worse, Modi has schedules close to 60 matches this time with each franchise playing more than 10 matches—how many non-international games can an average, no matter how avid, cricket follower digest?

If you recall, the entry of South Africa during the 1992 World Cup heralded a new fashion of setting-up decent scores in ODI without taking too many risks — the idea was to take as many quick singles and secures the wickets for the slog overs. Before this, the Australians were regarded as the best team in terms of running, seemingly-risky but actually, safe singles and running the opposition teams, ragged. Yes, there were some players from the sub-continent like Miandad who had created a niche for themselves by being canny single seekers but beyond a few names, this approach was limited to Australia. After the 1992 season, Hansie Cronje’s South Africa gave a new definition to this approach wherein under the coaching of Bob Woolmer, the team started believing that if you could take a single off every ball, a score of around 300 was easily achievable and that too when a score of ODI game was within the realm of 225 – 250. Those who have a good cricket memory would recall that one of South Africa keenest followers of this approach and a dedicated innings architect for nearly a decade was India’s preset coach, Gary Kirsten. The man literally grew upon the opposition not through magnanimous shots that are played by the likes of Sehewag or Hayden, but through this, singles approach. It seems that the current Indian team is beginning to understand the virtue of this noble approach. For starters, for the first time in probably a decade, the team looks hungry to rotate the strike and their batting appetite is being satiated through taking a boundary but along with preceding and following the boundary shot by placing the ball into gaps and running lots of ones/twos.
I personally believe that this is a direct effect of Kirsten’s presence in the squad. He has somehow managed to appeal to the senses of the boundary-and-sixes hitters in the team that the entire idea is to keep the game moving even if it means sacrificing your ‘glory’ shots and running a lot, for the team’s cause. The result is very evident — batsmen like Gambhir and Sehewag are becoming more comprehensive batters, learning how to mix-up their innings which previously, often bordered on being one-way traffic. The idea was introduced by Greg Chappell also but somehow his much-maligned approach didn’t work with the team.

I remember some commentator saying that Peter Siddle was built like a small horse but his bowling performances are far better than to be horsing about the issue. He has incredible bouts of energy and seeing him bowl, almost makes you wish you were so athletic, packed with so much stamina and could do what he does best — constantly bowl at 142 + km/hr without showing any signs of drop in intensity or energy. Siddle reminds a bit of the young Ntini from SA who had started out in a very similar style but then eventually the workload of the balling probably slowed him down. Hillfenhaus, the other recently introduced Aussie bowler too is impressive but he is more of the McGrath type with a measured length and line being his main thing. Siddle is a bit like Brett Lee and Waqar Younis rolled into though his wickets tally usually don’t match the wicket-taking fame of these two ultra-quick bowlers.