Indian Cricket… Headed The Way Of English Football?

Indian Cricket has, as in the past, has hogged much of the limelight off late. This despite the remarkable performances that other sportsman have put up (be it Somdedevvarman in tennis or Vijender Singh in boxing).
What’s new you may ask, it’s been that way since time immemorial. And if anything, the game has only grown in stature and size, especially since the inception of the T20 format and it’s highly entertaining ‘desi’ version, the IPL!
Then again, when you ask yourself, why has Indian Cricket been in the news in the recent past, it’s not been all pleasant. For starters the team has failed to get past the group stages in 2 consecutive ICC events this year, and despite their clinical performance in the emerald isle, their form has been far from convincing.
So why do I feel that Indian Cricket is following in footsteps of English Football?
The answer is, well, virtually inevitable!
The Barclays League, one of the best and most competitive leagues in the world has all the big names, the big money and the big players!
Yet, the English National Team is floundering like a fish out of water. The English Clubs have come into their own off late, especially on the European Stage, but who is waging their war?... Christiano Ronaldo (Portugese), who until recently player for Manchester United, Cesc Fabregas, Ferrnando Torres (both Spanish), Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast), Andrei Arshavin (Russian), Emanuel Adebayor (Togolese) are the prized pawns of this league. Only a handful of Englishmen warrant a place in this elite list, namely Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard, John Terry and Frank Lampard!
Not only are the players foreign, but even the big managers and club owners are also imported!

Sounds familiar? Well the Indian Premier League is in the same boat. Since it’s inception both the winning teams have been captained by Australians (Shane Warne and Adam Gilchrist), neither of whom officially donned that mantle for their country. Not only did they annex the crown, but in the process they also outdid two wily Indian captains in M S Dhoni and Anil Kumble respectively!
The likes of Shane Watson, Dirk Nannes, Shaun Marsh, Ross Taylor have outdone their Indian counterparts. The coaching and support staff have all been brought in, and to top it all of, this year the IPL went on a ‘safari’ to South Africa!
And as I watch the Delhi Daredevils being tonked and hammered in the CLT20, it further drills the point.
The question that begs to be asked is: ‘Is T20 built for our kind of cricket?’
Historically, my answer would be an outright no!
Our game lays a lot of emphasis on individuals, on select roles… and not on ‘Total Cricket’! (A concept in football, where each player is capable of playing at any position!) Most successful T20 teams are built this way, they may not comprise of the biggest stars, but they sure are effective. All-rounders are the weapons of choice, and when was the last time we had one in the same league as Kapil Dev, Imran Khan, Jacques Kallis or Daniel Vettori!
The high speed, adrenalin-rush tempo of the game is always a step ahead of us, and we’ave only just begin to realize that fielding is as much a specialty as batting or bowling!

These nuances of the game are yet to be processed by the ‘thinkers’ in our game.

Yet, cricket being the game of glorious uncertainties that it is, we emerge champions at the inaugural T20 World Cup!

Indians are on the rise, but to establish themselves as masters of all three forms of the game is still a task for the future! But given the talent pool we have, there certainly is lots of hope. As for English Football, David Beckham had better take a leaf out of Dhoni’s book, >“If your hair is getting more attention than you are, chop it off!!!”

THE FLOODGATES REOPEN

The very substantial proportion of the world population that is enamored with the Beautiful Game as it is played in the country of its roots, has been deprived long enough for some maddeningly fast paced Premier League action. Not for much longer. Premier League football, in a lot of ways, is like heroin (!!) - the ones that manage to get hooked onto it stay hooked for life - not if rehab has its say in it. And the frequent "highs" can have you craving for more and more. (Disclaimer: The author of this article is NOT hooked on to heroin, though he may seem to speak appraisingly of it. He's just plain stupid.) On the 15th of August, the BPL addicts (that's us) are set to get an all new and improved dose of the football we've all loved and missed - one that will set your adrenalin pumping, your pulses racing, and quite simply make you go bonkers!!
The scene shifts to West London for the first game - title contenders Chelsea host minnows Hull City in the afternoon kickoff. Will Chelsea let the rest of the contenders know of their intentions with a roar, or will Hull spoil the feast?
One look at the front-runners of this year's race will reveal not much of disparity in terms of skill and flair and panache. More importantly, the title race just got a lot more open than it has been for a considerable period of time. Departure of English football's poster-boy Cristiano Ronaldo means that United just lost a major tooth in their attack - will their bite be as venomous this year without him?
Chelsea haven't really strengthened their squad as much just yet - but they've held on fiercely to their marquee players. Carvalho's presence for another year in the centre of defence solidifies their title charge. With new boss Carlo Ancelloti shipped in from Milan, The Blues will be confident that this could be their turn to be champions again. The Italian mastermind at the helm will ensure that Chelsea will play with the same principles that proved to be so successful for him at the San Siro. He won't put his feet up for a moment to enjoy some Milanese pastas - this signore truly means business.
Rafa Benitez could be forgiven for having a confident smirk on his face himself - after all he's got one of the best midfielders in Stevie Gerrard marshaling his troops, and not to forget the prolific 'El Nino', Fernando Torres - the apple of Scousers' eyes, and an insatiable hurricane to PL defenders. The loss of the technically gifted Xabi Alonso to Real Madrid would have been a major shot in the arm, no doubt, but Rafa will count on new Italian recruit Alberto Aquilani to inject some flair into the terrific Liverpool midfield that also includes the tenacious Javier Mascherano. Liverpool were so close last year - they believe they could go all the way this year too.
The Emirates Stadium hasn't seen too many arrivals this summer - but it has seen a few familiar faces leave. Wenger is yet to find a replacement for departing marksman Emmanuel Adebayor, while Thomas Vermaelen comes in to strengthen Arsenal's very modest back four. A lot has been said in the British press about Fabregas's potential transfer to Barcelona - will he? won't he? For now, it seems like he stays for another season at least. Eduardo's full recovery is like a new signing for Arsenal, and he strengthens the Gunner's forward line that boasts the technically marvelous Robin van Persie and the classy Andrei Arshavin. Hoping for the title still remains just that - hopes, unless the young guns step up to repay the fans' patience. An added worry for Arsenal is the ever-closing gap between the Big Four and the rest - particularly big-spending Man City. They've got to watch their heels closely.
Man City have been hogging the tabloids with their summer spending spree. They've shelled out about 90 million pounds for a host of impressive names - Barry, Adebayor, Toure, Santa Cruz to name a few. They'll be looking to break into the top four this season, and in Mark Hughes they have got a more than able mentor.
The champions have their work cut out for them. One wonders where from midfield the goals will arrive. Antonio Valencia is not much of a goal scorer like Ronaldo - he's a more conventional winger, one that can offer United great width on the flanks. The shock arrival of Michael Owen could prove to be either a grand success, or a miserable failure. This is the 29-year old Owen's final chance to reignite his fading career - one that epitomized the highest standard of goalscoring and guile that a striker could aspire to achieve.
So fasten your seat belts, because the next nine months will have you drowned in anguish and also pumping fists in triumph. Experience the thrill of Premier League football. Rest assured - by the end of the season, you'll be so high that you'll never wanna come back down again.

Formula 1 maybe amongst the fastest sports in the world, but crises and controversies are brewing at no mean pace either!
We are a little over midway through the season, and the world of Formula 1 has swept through trauma, turmoil, truth/lies faster than the tyres on it’s car have worn out.
It’s been a complete cinematic saga, the rise of the ‘Underdog’, the unfortunate incapacitation of a ‘Hero’ and the return of the ‘Messiah’!

The season kicked off Down Under, with speculation rife about whether this would be Albert Park’s final swansong!
No sooner did the ‘3 red lights’ go off, than it became clear that this season would be unlike any other in history. Move aside Ferrari, McLaren!... Rising from the ashes of the Honda team (who pulled out of F1 ), was the phoenix a.k.a BrawnGP!
Adding to the flamboyance of F1 was the Virgin Group supremo, Richard Branson, now the proud owner of Brawn GP, which itself was christened after Ross Brawn( formerly Schumi’s right hand man at Ferrari) now technical director of the newly formed team.
But Brawn GP was not only about the big names and big bucks, ‘Brawn’ also had the brains!
Their ‘differential’ interpretation of the new diffuser rules courted as much controversy as Max Mosley’s private life, and multiple hearings later it was decided that the two teams(Red Bull racing being the other) who pumped not only money but also ‘mind’ into their cars stayed atop the podium.

Just when you thought all the controversies for the season were ‘diffused’, along came the FIA’s proposal of a budget cap for 2010, and all the big spenders screamed foul!
They threatened to break away and form a rebel league sand what would Formula 1 be sans the Prancing Horse and all it’s other big names. But with neither faction relenting, this storm had caused a rift right down the middle.

Amidst the entire hullabaloo, Brawn continued to be strong up front, and slowly but surely the season was becoming a tug-o-war between them and RBR, as the traditional power houses Ferrari and McLaren were relegated to mere also ran(s).
As the season approached the European leg, the rest of the field showed mild improvements and managed to secure a footing on the podium, while Brawn showed the first signs of strife. But more drama was to follow… Following the German GP, Torro Rosso showed it’s French driver, Sebastian Bourdais, the door and thrust Spanish teenager Jamie Alguersuari into the cockpit!
At 19 years and 126 days, he becomes the youngest ever driver in the fast lane. This youngster with prodigious talent, has impressed many in his stint in the British F3 Championship and no doubt is ‘one for the future’!
With team boss ready to give him time to learn and with no imminent pressure on him, this reigning BritishF3 champion has a bright future… but is he( like many are already saying) the next Fernando Alonso?...

But can the original Spanish Matador be left behind from all the talk? Riding on quite a impressive performance in what is at best an average Renault, (which seems to be feeding of Alonso’s caliber) , Alonso was back in the news… and by it we mean big time!
The romour mills were abuzz with speculation that 2010 will mark the landmark transfer of Alonso to Ferrari!
And who would he replace… former World Champion, Ice-man Kimi Raikonen!
Well, all those concerned neither confirmed nor denied these rumours outright… and the whispers only grew louder. All they said is ‘wait till Imola’… the Prancing Horse’s home turf!... and wait we will till we reach the Italian shores!

So if you thought that this was enough excitement for one season, all the events thus far could only be called the ‘calm before the storm’.

The race weekend at Hungary went on to be marred by the ugliest incident in along time. During qualifying, Ferrai’s Felipe Massa was hit on the helmet, above the left eye, by a spring which came off Barrichello’s Brawn GP car.
Massa subsequently suffered a nasty crash. The series of events left Massa with a fractured skull and fighting for his life!
But emergency services and the medical team got to work quick, and Massa has since recovered sufficiently and is now, according to reports, walking and talking!
But Massa will be unable to pilot the scarlet car for at least the rest of this season, and fears are abound about the damage caused to his left eye.

Meanwhile, team Renault walked into another mess at the Hungaroring after failing to safely secure Alonso’s tyre after a pitstop… and landed themselves a ban for the race at Valencia.

So, Ferrari was without a driver and Alonso sans a team for Valencia( as it was the Renault team and not the driver who was banned). People put two and 2 together, and there you had it, gossip mongers sent Alonso into Ferrari cockpit for the subsequent race. A sort of pseudo-audition/test run for next season!

But the bosses at Ferrari had some different ideas! And they managed to convince the ‘big daddy’ of F1, Michael Schumacher to make a comeback!
So there you have it, if you thought Lance Armstrong was the only one who could do it, Schumi is not to be left behind!

The physical aspect permitting, the phenomenon called “Michael Schumacher”, is set to set the circuits ablaze yet again!
But can a 40 year old really take on competitors a good 10-15 years his junior in today’s grueling, demanding world???
Well, Schumi is no mere 40 year old! Active in two wheel racing, and spending a lot of time on the Ferrari technical team means he still is in the thick of things and given his passion and hunger for victory, rivals better not underestimate him!
Is Schumi the tonic that controversy riddled F1 so desperately needs???...


Things are revving up, and if the first half of the season is anything to go by, then the remainder of it is definitely not for the faint hearted!!!

GAME ON!

Two weeks ago, Manchester United had it all. They sat pretty at the top of the Premier League, and had secured a place in the quarterfinals of the Champions League. Things were going smooth. But little did they know that this would be the silence before the storm – a red storm called Liverpool FC that would wreck their quiet confidence and transform tranquility to chaos, and how!

On 14^th March 2009 United came tumbling down to earth with a 4-1 hammering by their fiercest rivals in their own backyard. And all so suddenly, the Red Devils seemed so much more human again. That afternoon, Liverpool sent out a message – a message that the battle is far from over.

But United still had the upper hand in the overall picture. Four points ahead of their conquerors, with a game in hand, and ten more to play, they could still cruise home with ease. Fast-forward to 21^st March 2009 – Fulham v United. A spirited performance from the hosts stunned the champions. The next day, Liverpool mauled Aston Villa 5-0. And that was the day the title race came roaring back to life.

With 9 games to go, the picture isn’t as rosy anymore if you are a United fan. 1 point ahead, with a game in hand – a potential lead of 4 points; still too early, and too close, to put the champagne on ice. An out-of-sorts Aston Villa come visiting after the international break. United will be looking to put painful days behind them by registering a convincing win. That task will be made that much more difficult by the farcical sendings-off of Rooney and Scholes in their previous game. But they’ll be charged up nevertheless. The wounded tiger will be ready for the kill.

On a brighter note, its happy days at Anfield back again. Moving in the right direction in the league, securing a quarterfinal berth against rivals Chelsea in the Champions League after a 4-0 thrashing of Real Madrid, and to top it all off, their manager signing a new long-term contract, Liverpool seem to be the team with the smile at the moment. But they know any minor slip-up will throw their title pursuit off course, and they’ll be back to being also-rans in the title race.

The Reds’ success has struck a positive note at Stamford Bridge as well. Chelsea will now believe that United are within reach, although that belief will have been shaken by their 1-0 defeat by Tottenham last week.

But the title is still United’s to lose. Nevertheless, Liverpool have done us all a favor (unless you’re a United fan) by throwing the title race open, and unsettling the swagger at Manchester. Only time will tell where the Premier League title will finally find its resting place for the summer – at Manchester, Liverpool, or London.

IPL- QUICKSAND Or QUICK BUCK???!!!

It's IPL season yet again... and the storm around it doesn't seem to subside. Riddled with controversies since it's inception, the 2nd season of the Indian Premier League finds itself in quicksand, yet again!

This time round though, the all powerful Mr. Lalit Modi and Indian Cricket Board have been forced to retrace their steps by the Central and State Governments.

The point of contention: Clash of dates between the General Elections and the IPL .

The IPL committee on it's part has worked and reworked it's itinerary around the poll dates, but increasing security concerns and the reluctance of several of the host states has forced them into a tight corner.

Well, now where does all this leave the IPL?

1. Postpone the event!... Should seem the most obvious solution... but with no window in the ICC calendar , this option was shown the door.

2. Truncate the event- A suggestion, but should be seen only as a last ditch effort. In it's current format, all the 59 matches are indispensable. Moreover, fewer matches means a proportionate fall in revenues... and who are we kidding, the IPL's about the 'money' honey!

3. Cancel the '09 version - No way! This not only means no revenue but starving all us ardent fans of what we love the most... the cricket!!! And this being only the 2nd season, it would set a bad precedent.

So, finally Mr. Modi and his team have decided... to shift the venue. The prospective hosts being either the English or the Proteas!

Well, the people in charge may not be all that gung-ho about it right now, but I say ... "Fear not guys! This is a Blessing in Disguise!

This I reckon, is a golden opportunity for all the franchise's to expand their fan base. Touring overseas will open the doors to many more audiences, a lot of whom might not have been able to catch it on television, be it because of the time zone differences or well, in it's essence the IPL is still a domestic tournament.
But now, all that's set to change! Local fans in England, South Africa or wherever else it finally kick's off have the opportunity to witness first hand, this phenomenon called the Indian Premier League!... and from experience I can assure you that they'll be swept off their feet!

This, moreover, is a strategy being employed by many of the top European Football Clubs! In the recent past several of these clubs have played exhibition matches in South-East and Middle-East Asia during their off season, to enhance their popularity! The result, most average Asians are aware of Manchester United, Christiano Ronaldo and Sir Alex Ferguson to say the least. And the more knowledgable footie fans now recite White Hart Lane, Noucamp, Santiago Bernabeu and the San Siro like the names off their own backyard!

All this despite having a very minimal connection with any of these clubs, either in terms of geography or with respect to countrymen being associated with these institutions. A handful of Asians play in these leagues, the most notable of course being South Korea's Park Ji Sung!

So, if these clubs can become household names despite all these obstacles, surely the IPL can do the same if not better it!

Logistically also, I feel, the IPL has an upper hand. The reason: As it is, the IPL at it's core revolves around International Cricketers who will therefore bring along their own fan following. So for example, if the Royal Challengers are playing at the Lords, then surely the English would be cheering for them, especially since KP is now their skipper as well! All this, in it's nascent stages augers well for IPL!

From Johannesburg to Jamaica, Manchester to Melbourne... IPL is set to create a tsunami! This is the chance to go global in the truest sense! Let the games begin!!!

RIGHT OR LEFT???...

The mercury is rising in Melbourne, and as men and mortals swoon and faint,the MASTER and his ASSAILANT have, yet again, risen from the haze to face off in another battle!
Roger and Rafa and their renowned rivalry has already etched it's place firmly in history!!!... So, we ask what is it that keeps these two gladiators going???

Well, Federer having had his crown snatched away from him is rearing to have a go... and his rather dismal record against Nadal is definately going to spur him on. And then there is the chance to ecclipse Pistol Pete looming large...
Federer is now set to proove his many detractors ( the ones who wrote him away a mere 6 months ago!)... and those betting against him had better watch out!

Rafa, on the other hand has an unsatiable hunger for victory ... that few can claim to match. That extra shot he always manages to put in, has ensured that he'll leave an indeligible stamp in tennis history.
Having annexed the topmost ranking and conquered the lawns of Wimbledon... the Spanish Matador is all set to storm the hard courts... and win his first Aussie Open!!!

The crafty right hander or the sauve southpaw?... as the world watches and waits... the heat is on in Melbourne... the 1st of February approaches...!!!