World Cup 2011 : in images :-)

Out and in - Season 4 is here

After a topsy turvy journey IPL 4 is almost ready to roll with all 10 teams. That sounds fair than having only 8 - I would love to see Shilpa and Preity going at it again. But the crap on the faces of the BCCI stooges delights me even more.
Also the queer 74 game format seems set for a longer duration with the confirmation that the next 3 seasons will have the same format.
Here is what it says

League phase
Every team will play the same number of league games (14, seven home and seven away) as in previous seasons with the following break-up: each team will play the other four in its group both home and away (eight matches), four of the teams in the other group once (four matches, either home or away) and the remaining team in the other group twice, both home and away. A random draw will decide the composition of the groups as well as who plays whom across the groups once and twice.
Playoffs
The teams that finish first and second in the league table will contest the first playoff, which is effectively a semi-final (Game A). The teams that finish third and fourth will play each other in a knockout that is effectively a quarter-final (Game B). The loser of Game A will play the winner of Game B in a match (Game C) that will decide the second finalist that will play the winner of Game A in the grand final.

The player retention has also thrown in a few surprises
While 3 teams (incuding DC) have decided to release everyone, MI have ensured that they might field the same team as in the previous seasons by retaining Sachin, Bhajji, Malinga and Pollard! CSK also seem to follow suit by retaining MSD, Raina, Morkel and Vijay. Surprisingly RCB have retained Kohli! RR have retained Warne and Watson while Delhi have stuck to Beeru. Personally, I was surprised to know DC let Gilly go. Hope he comes back to DC.
This time around we won't be seeing Ponting, Clarke, Hayden, Freddy, Johnson and of course the poor Pakistanis. I wish the angry PCB decides to start the Pakistani Premier League soon.

Awaiting Jan 8 and 9 - to witness yet another auction tamasha!

In the right direction?

The BCCI has made some sweeping changes in the IPL. Not only has L Mod been ejected. But a host of his stooges too have been shown the door. The most bizarre move by the BCCI has been the move to get closer to Jaggu bhai once again! Hope this doesn't backfire once again!! Also of notice is the fact that the Kochi IPL team might find itself sitting out of IPL 4. The BCCI seems set to stamp its authority on the IPL. Let us hope this is a move in the right direction...

Do we still continue to watch cricket?

First it was 3. Now there is a new list of 29. Should we still continue to see cricket? Well, I forgot everything when I sat down and saw the tense ending to the England-Pakistan match yesterday. But still there was a lingering thought in my mind. Was every ball being bowled already scripted? Was it because of Strauss that England won or was the victory decided over 150 million pounds and a cup of tea?
The ACL doesn't seem to evoke as much interest as the IPL. Easy ones for CSK and RCB. But MI slipped when it mattered. I think the Redbacks would be the team to watch this time around. By the way, who won it last time? NSW?

Smog clearing

Alright. The BCCI has finally had its way. They wanted to get L Mod out of the picture and it is now done. Forget the allegations and investigations against him. I can assure you in the next five hundred years, nothing will be proved. But L Mod will never be a part of the IPL any more. So from being ruled by a megalomaniac, the IPL will now shift hands to be ruled by stooges. Hope Sunny and Tiger can help in sustaining the IPL's purpose from a cricketing angle. Having said that, the blurred picture that we got of the IPL is slowly clearing. The seeds for season 4 have been sown and let us hope that from now on it gets interesting (even though anything that is controlled by the BCCI would certainly form a boring pattern). They just announced the format for the new season and we also know that the Pune team will be called Pune Warriors. Kochi is still Team Kochi. More important from a fans perspective is that fact that the existing 8 teams could retain 4 Indian and 1 foreign players (remember all players are out of contract with their IPL teams this September).
I would love to see DC retain Gilly. I am not particular about retaining any of the Indians - none of them gave anything significant in the 3 seasons they were on. But then, I would also love to see the whole team being retained.
CSK would want to retain Captain Marvel. But he might just be thinking otherwise - may be sambar and idly are not on his preferred buffet. The story goes on. Let us see how it wraps when the auctions begin later this month.
But before all that, there is this small matter of the Champions League in South Africa. The ESPN-Star group is trying its best to promote the event. But there seems to be very less excitement about the event. Pathetic. Because the cricketing limelight is now on a bunch of greedy crooks who play for Pakistan!!!

Despicable Pakistan

Duh.. Pakistan are at in again! After the ball biting finish to the Australia series comes the no-ball bidding. And ridiculous to the fore is their attempt at putting a brave face!! They need to realize that there is sh1t all over their face already. You must have seen the Paki players coming out of the team hotel to board the team bus after the NOTW sting. There is a scene in the movie "Godzilla". Nick Totapolous and the camera crew along with the French scientist sneak in to Madison square to check out on the creature. The French scientist hands each of them a bubble gum and asks them to chew it so they can pretend like American soldiers. They group make a hash of chewing gum but still pass through check points. The scene of the Pakistan players boarding the bus was reminiscent of the same scene - especially the look on Mohammad Asif's face. Even as he chewed gum, he overacted in his bid to show the world that he was still cool.
Asif bhai - you already stepped on sh1t. It is time you wash your shoes. No point in pulling your pants over your shoes!
The ICC, it seems, is set to investigate 82 matches played by Pakistan. I propose that they investigate every match played by Pakistan in international cricket. And until such time that the investigation goes on ban the team from playing international cricket!!

Dump the racist please

The arrogant Aussie sob John Howard (how racist is that??) seems destined to be shown the exit door on his ICC VP ambitions. Going by reports, six of ten boards including the Indian board have rejected his nomination. I hope this turns out true and the racist gets the boot. Please dump the racist. We have had enough racists already in the ICC.
Elsewhere, amidst the blaring of the vuvuzelas, the cricket world whispered the format of the 2nd T20 Champions League to be held in S Africa later this year. CSK have avoided both MI and RCB and it could be refreshing for them. But they do have Victoria and Wayamba to contend. MI and RCB certainly have the tough ones.

Ego at the nation's cost

Here is proof to indicate how the nation's pride hangs around the rotund bellies of egomaniacs that rule Indian sports. When the Asian Olympic Association decided to have T20 cricket at this year's Asian Games I was licking my lips at the prospect of seeing India win another gold at Asian games. But the decision not to send the team to China by the group of fat men who constitute the BCCI baffles me extremely! All this because the BCCI and the Indian Olympic Association have egomaniacs ruling them and do not want to be on the same page. It is a pity that a billion Indians can be taken for a ride by a few men who know nothing about sports and the spirit of sports! But then what is the point in making noise through this blog? If anything, the only responses I can expect to this blog are defamation notices from the egomaniacs!

Racist racist racist

The other day I was at a bookstore and watched someone buying a copy of the book "The Gamechangers" written by the man who calls himself "Fake IPL Player" - such a coward. Anyway, his cowardice is a completely different topic to speak about. But I have a question for people who endorse him by buying his book. The fake names he christened for those involved in the IPL were funny. Everyone enjoyed it. But consider the names again. Were they really enjoyable? Did you really enjoy making fun of cricket players using those names? Take for example the name Appam Chuttiya. Appam is a popular dish in Kerala. By naming Sreesanth as Appam Chuttiya the coward has made fun of not just Sree but the whole of Kerala! But then we only see the joke and not the intention of the perpetrators. To put it straight, every fake name he conjured up was the result of a mind bent on racism. And here we are endorsing him by buying his book and making him even more famous! God help us all.
Speaking of racism, it is good to see some cricket boards objecting to the appointment of racist Howard as the ICC VP. The man is from a country that is known for racism and has himself been racist enough to call Murali a "chucker". What else would one need to banish him from cricket? I think the Asian nations in the ICC must reject him outright!

It happened, but we didnt do it

Ravindra Jadeja has been having a nightmare season so far. Firstly he was banned from the IPL for being too greedy. Next his Indian skipper placed too much trust on him that critics have made him the prime reason for India's exit from the T20 WC. Then came the "on and off" brawl at St. Lucia story in which he was supposed to have played a part. The BCCI slapped him with a notice about the brawl. Now he has replied to the notice saying that the brawl did happen but he didn't do anything. Either Jadeja is making 5 new enemies (5 other players were also sent notices) or trying to represent them as well. But either way, the confession, apology and subsequent denial are quite confusing.

The brawl and the aftermath

While the BCCI waits for clarification from the 7 players supposed to be involved pub brawl in the Windies, they have already punished one of the 7 involved in a veiled manner. Piyush Chawla has been denied permission to play county cricket for reasons not known. But I definitely feel that there must be only one reason for it.
On the clarification front, the players have been given 7 days to respond. Personally I feel 7 days is too much time to get an answer. I can say that the 7 men involved with be cooling their heels at home in a relaxed way as they know that they still have 4 days left. Poor thinking BCCI!!

The cat is out

The cat is out of the bag. The Indians did brawl with fans in the St Lucia pub. Ashish Nehra's shirt did get torn. But how quick the Indians were in denying. Taking advantage of technology Yuvi and Zak tweeted in strong denials. Even Rajdeep Sardesai and Harsha Bhogle believed the Indians. Now the team manager seems to have broken the ice. Let's now see what these super-zeroes' responses are.
Staying with the Indian team, looking at the team's plight, Viv Richards has offered to coach them on how to face the sweet chin music. Let us wish that the Indians take this opportunity without a second thought and tide over their trouble.
While the Indian cricket fraternity led by Captain Marvel seems to suggest that the IPL spoilt India's T20 WC hopes, here is something that has contradicted it. Any comments MSD?

They did it!

Little did I know when I wrote the last blog that England would really go on to make it true. Kudos to Colly and co! Now I know why India didn't make it past the Super 8. Had India gone through, there was no way England were going to win the tournament. How about that for India arrogance?
But then the Aussies were not supposed to be in the semis. Like every Pakistani I was shocked to see the last 4 balls of the semis between Aus and Pak. Incidentally - a trivia!! Pakistan are the only team to have played in the semis of all 3 T20 WCs! A strange stat considering the state of Pak cricket nowadays!!
Quoting Ashish Nehra - "If somebody is saying behind me that somebody tore my shirt then what can I say. I didn't even take any shirt to West Indies. I had taken only t-shirts". Poor Nehra, he doesn't even know that a t-shirt is also a shirt. So innocent. He cannot be lying. Can he?
I am getting a lot of classy stuff to keep blogging about today. Here is a classy cartoon.

England's year?

England have been sublime in the T20 WC so far. They will most probably play Australia in the final - which means that the Ashes battle which is scheduled for the end of the year might just begin in the Windies this Sunday. Given the way things have unfolded and given Pieterson's prime form, is this going to be England's year this year? They have come so close on numerous occasions. I think it's time for them to cross the final hurdle - the Aussie hurdle.
BTW, I read Anil Kumble's article in a newspaper stating that playing in the IPL is more pressure than playing for India because in the IPL the players were playing for the franchises!!! But then the BCCI is a bigger franchise, isn't it Jumbo bhai?
As the BCCI and the IPL try to clean up the shit left over by L Mod and others, the Kochi IPL team that was in the middle of all this ruckus is already busy luring players into its fold. According to one management resource Mahela Jayawardene and Sreesanth are already in their fold while Steve Waugh is all set to become the technical adviser.IPL4 eh? Do I look forward to it or just ignore it?
And finally, I have a question for MSD. So the IPL parties and travel took the toll on the Indians eh? That's a revelation buddy. I never knew that the IPL parties and constant travel can make someone lose their sense of height?! Coz your "best possible T20 team" could not gauge how high the short balls rose!

I did a good thing

I did a good thing. The SL-Ind match was scheduled at midnight and I had a feeling this was not going to work India's way. So I decided to sleep and find the result in the morning. As expected Mahi (who will have a silly reason for the failure once again) and co flushed Indian cricket to the sewers once again. But then Mahi must still be be happy. After all, he just won the Indian Paisa League. So he can go back to Ranchi and rest while a bunch of 15 men who already know that they will never make it to the 2011 WC will travel to Zimbabwe to play Zimbabwe and SL in a tournament nobody will care about.
Wait a minute. Did I say nobody will care about. I must be wrong. There are 15 days between now and the beginning of the tri series in Zim. I think all will be forgotten and the whole of India will once again be rooted to the TV screens to watch the "almost Indians" pulverize Zimbabwe and get pulverized by SL. God save the cricket fans! When are Mahi and co. going to live up to the 2007 levels?
By the way, amidst all the ruins, Anand won the world chess championship once again. Is anybody paying attention?

Awaiting miracles

Two days ago Manchester United were expecting a miracle from Wigan Athletic at Stamford Bridge in order to retain the EPL title for the 4th year in a row. Unfortunately, not only did Chelsea douse the dreams early but they walloped Wigan 8-0 to snatch the EPL away from Man United. Two days later, India are awaiting such a miracle. Only this time, they expect the favor from a favorite team (Australia) rather than the underdogs. But with the Aussies having (almost - there is still a theoretical chance for them to be eliminated) qualified and with the Aussies playing the Windies at home, India's chances look bleak. But at least with pride to play for, the Indians should try to win this game for all those fans who stay up all night expecting the eternal flops to click once. Come on India. Just one time please.
By the way, as if to shame MSD and his flop shows, the Indian women have qualified for the semifinals once again. Is it time for Indians to turn their heads towards the eves? Will Captain marvel and his cohorts draw inspiration from the ladies?

Counting the chicken

I guessed I counted the chicken too early. Afghanistan and South Africa weren't the bench mark teams you must have gauged India against. Because over the course of the weekend, 2 words have wrecked the Indians apart for the third time at a World event. The two words - "short pitch". Dancing to the tunes - that is how we must describe the Indian procession in the two matches. I have no idea what these men have learnt from the lessons of England and South Africa last year. If ever they thought that the IPL momentum would carry them through the tournament, then they came in for a rude shock. I must also warn the Indian cricketers - half the world is already skeptical about the genuineness of the matches played in the IPL!! I suppose there is no point in asking MSD and his men to put on the thinking caps. Just take a good long hiatus from active international cricket. Work on what the world thinks is a terrible short coming for the Indians. Come back prepared for the future.
Given that the 2011 WC is to be held in the sub continent, I am sure the Indians will not have to fear the short stuff for that tournament. But beyond that, it is a bleak future for India. Beware Saurab Tiwary, Jhujunwala, Rayudu and co. You make up the future. The future is going to be very very "short"!!!

Stepping out and stepping in

DC did not give me anything to cheer after my last blog. And to add to that they lost to the arch rivals who went on to win. CSK may have deserved to win the final. But they did not deserve to be in the semis. Anyway T20 is a funny game. All said and done, I am still happy because MI lost. By the way, here is a warning. Tweeting could cost you your job. Be very very careful. Ask L-Mod and S-Thar otherwise.
Alright then, Raina has shown that stepping out of the IPL mode and stepping into the international mode is not much of a difficulty. It was a great sight to watch SKR and MSD ravage Albie who played along with them just a week ago. 2 great wins for the Indians and I think they are on course to repeat the 2007 magic. But then good starters always have stumbling blocks. Will India cross them?
It was heartening to see another Asian team - Afghanistan make its mark in the world arena. Although they lost, they never seemed like a team that was out of ideas. Noor Ali might just be on a IPL team next year - watch out! And watch out SA, Afghanistan might just pull off the surprise that has not surfaced at the T20 WC yet.

Proving my point

As if to prove my point about MI and RCB, the Indians won without Tendulkar and the Challengers lost because Kallis and Uthappa failed. It was yet another case of a semifinal gone wrong in the IPL. Hope CSK and DC eke out a better thriller.
Away from the action the IPL has had its effect for the second season running on Veeru. While he played with his painful shoulder last year, this time the selectors have been careful enough to replace him with Vijay. It must the God given chance for Vijay to slip into the ODI and T20 teams. Hope he delivers as much as he did for CSK.
Outside the field, the murkiness around the IPL seems to get darker and darker. Like a hungry dog that gnaws on a bone, the tax sleuths are gnawing at the team owners! Where were they for the past 3 years?

What could have been and could have been not - the team review

It has been a not so interesting IPL season. The excitement of the first edition and the grandeur of the second edition seemed to be missing. But going into the 3rd season this year's IPL looked a lot matured than previous versions. But with the late drama revolving around the IPL, the Indian government and with allegations of L Mod himself being involved in betting and match fixing, what could have been the beginning of a memorable era in Indian cricket is all set to become garbage. But assuming that all of that is not true let me analyze the teams at IPL 3.0
MI - Many would say they deservedly finished first. And may would also go to the extent of crediting Tendulkar as the sole reason for this. Agreed he scored the maximum runs. Agreed the team won a lot of matches (and they say it was his captaincy). But a closer look and you will see that most of the games were won by the bowling unit. With Zak, Ma Ling Ga and Bhajji shoring up the bowling, they decimated the opposition more with their bowling than with their batting. Also the ICL recruits in Satish and Rayudu proved to be the difference.
DC - This is one team to prove that working as a cohesive unit will bring in success in these days of individual glory. Inspired captaincy from Gilly also played a part. There were at least 2 or 3 matches which DC won from being nowhere. Symmo and Suman were crucial. But the highlight was Ojha. For the 3rd year running there is a Charger wearing the purple cap and that is indication of where DC's strength lies!
CSK - They are 3rd more by flashes of brilliance rather than by team performance. Vijay against RR, Haydo against DD (with that mongoose), Raina against KKR and MSD against KXIP - every time its only individuals that have won them matches. They should still be hoping for 2 more such individual flashes of brilliance to go further.
RCB - If not for Kallis and Uthappa, RCB would be hanging around at the bottom of the table. Kumble does weave the occassional piece of magic. But age seems to have caught with him and the bowlers do not seem to have any kind of sting. Clearly, the bowling has let them down and the batting has compensated so far - just so far.
DD - Lack of application. Lack of common sense. That sums up DD's season. The top order has been so unpredictable that they were left to trust Nehra would do the job for them in the last game against DC. It was appalling to see Veeru play the way he did (with his famous I can only play one way attitude). Mishra found no support with the bowling. Nannes seems to have become a one season wonder. On the whole DD lacked the firepower needed to go all the way.
KKR - Yet another season that promised a lot and failed to deliver. Dada tried his best to put a strong face but the foreign recruits failed him. They may still be the Los Merengues of the IPL. But SRK needs something extra if he wants his team to do better.
RR - The remaining teams seem to have cracked the code of Warne's bunch of underdogs. They no longer seem the mystery team. And that has been the downfall. There was always a surprise factor with RR during the first season. But this time around they seemed "ordinary" as Gauti put it. And added to that Warney seemed well past his prime and that rubbed on to his team. Yusuf would be better off in another team. But for RR to sustain in the future, they need Yusuf in the team.
KXIP - Right from the first day, they seemed destined for the wooden spoon. With the sulking prince and uncertain bosses (looking to give up stake in the team) they looked in disarray and that showed in their performance. Sanga and Mahela would have won the T20 WC for SL with similar performances. But this was KXIP and there was no one else available to support them. They deserved the wooden spoon and will do better minus the prince in the next season.

From the nowhere to the top

It was an incredible performance from DC. When they only made 145 after threatening to smash their way with Symonds I thought it was all over. The fairy tale 4 match run that led them this far was going to end. But RS came up with all the goods. Something seemed to have happened before they began the winning streak. From being a totally disinterested unit they became an unit to reckon with. Must be something to do with the skipper that just sticks on to the players. But it was disappointing to see Gilly come up with another failure. But just like in the 2007 WC, let us hope he delivers when it matters most. With CSK (the arch rival remember) almost looking like the team that they will face in the semis, it is an additional bonus to go for the kill. And as irony would have it, the semifinal will now be played in DC's pseudo home ground. And we all know that the Navi Mumbai crowd will be rooting for Dhoni, Raina and co! I wish that DC can prove why the DYP Stadium is called its home come the semis and the final! Fingers crossed!!
Meanwhile, its a tight rope walk for KKR today. They need to win by a margin off 188 runs to get 3rd spot or 174 runs to get 4th spot. Almost written off. But then cricket is a strange game. Anything can happen!!

Desperate times

It is not often that MSD hopes for help from other teams. But a desperate MSD said that he hoped for DC to lose a match in order to qualify for the semis of the IPL. Understandable MSD but still desperate times eh?. But seriously, what happened in yesterday's match? It was your home pitch and the pitch was supposed to be slow. You are suppose to know the conditions very well! We expected you to have Murali in the team!!! What were you even thinking? You are supposed to be Captain Marvel!
With DD scraping through against a meager target, the NRRs haven't taken any beating for either side yesterday. That leaves DC with the ominous task of having to win both their remaining matches. And unfortunately they are heading towards KXIP who are finally on a roll now and seem certain to topple a few apple carts. Would it be DC's cart this time?
Lastly, the Kochi IPL fiasco seems set to make a serious dent in the image of the IPL. Just when the IPL was looking to come good as a brand, the ugly head of politics has pushed it back more than a couple of steps. Time for a rethink may be? Time for BCCI to take control? Time for L-Mod to go?
Here's a new expansion for IPL - Indian Paisa League.

Forget points, think of Net run rate - can't forget points anway :-)

For two matches running, the chasing teams (CSK and RCB) have gone hammer and tongs in pursuit of small totals. The primary reason seems to be the run rate. With 6 teams still vying for 3 semifinal spots, the teams have realized that it could well go down to net run rate. In doing this, both CSK and RCB have made KKR and RR slide down on the NRR scenario. But despite this, it is DC who seem to have bore the brunt of the NRR situation. Having been thrashed badly whenever they lost DC's NRR is so low that they are 6th in the table despite having the same number of points as the team who are 3rd (CSK). Come on Gilly! We are awaiting that innings you played against Delhi in SA last year!!

Dhoni slips ha ha ha

It was an emphatic victory. But what overshadowed the glitter was what happened after the match got over. Firstly it was that lunatic with the long life (yeah that anchor on the ground - ayushman) who asked Kris Srikanth why Chennai players have single letter initials. Come on dumbo! Don't you have any other question? The next bit of fun was provided by Captain Marvel himself. Answering a question about how much the Chennai crowd liked him, Dhoni went on to describe how he would go out on his bike in the nights and stop in the "red light areas" and how people would talk to him in Tamil. Next time you stop at a red signal just remember what Dhoni said. Harsha Bhogle who was asking him the question managed the situation. But back home I was ROTFL.
On the cricketing front, it was a good win for CSK and also for MI. MI's win ensured that the semifinal race continues at the suspenseful pace. Hoping that DC can tide over that enormously negative net run rate in their next match against the spoilers from Punjab.

The ones that we would never have known

One has to acknowledge India is a cricket crazy nation. But even in a country like India, it takes a cricket player at least one act of fame or notoriety for India in international cricket to become a household name. I still remember Kanitkar because of that 4 he hit in a final against Pakistan in Dakha. Everyone remembers Chetan Sharma because of that 6 Javed Bhai hit at Sharjah. But with the advent of IPL, so many Indians have become household names. Looking at the following list of players I am sure they wouldn't have gotten so famous but for the IPL. Naman Ojha, Jhunjunwala, Harmeet Singh, T Suman, S Tiwary, Jakati, Dinda, Tyagi, Trivedi, Dole to name a few! We would have never known that such players existed in India. The IPL has indeed something that the Ranji, Duleep or Irani trophies have not been able to. Kudos!
But then there is also the other side of the IPL - sleazy! There is a pub in Hyderabad which shows matches live on large screens with - I am curious about this though - female umpires. And when you see the ads on display on roads you see how ridiculous it gets!!
Next up, the IPL puts phone numbers during matches below the score ticker. And you get to talk to the cheer leaders through those numbers. That business has a completely different name elsewhere.
As for yesterday's match - DC did well to keep their semi hopes alive. Yet another match that turned out to be a thriller after meandering at the beginning. But RCB seem to be spiraling downwards now. Jumbo did not look all pleased at the post match presentation and neither did Robin. The Baron and Baron prince seemed quite pissed off after the match. May be something to do with a South African who plays for England?

At last

At last DC managed to win. Suman was an unlikely hero indeed. When he began batting in the innings, it was more about the ball hitting his bat rather than he hitting the ball. I thought it was going to be yet another tactical mistake from DC. But he surprised me and the entire Bangalore crowd. Everyone in that crowd was expecting DC to roll over. And when Gilly was foxed by Jumbo I thought so. Good to see Symmo hitting. When I saw him against RR the other day I thought it was all over for him. Staying with DC, doesn't RGS and his laziness seem to suggest that he might just become Indian captain some time in the future.
For the second day running, Gibbs was asked on TV how he feels about feeling left out. Poor guy! I wish he punches the nose of that silly leech who asks him that question next time. BTW.. did you notice Deepika praying for Bangalore to win? It seems she has turned out to be the "bringer of misfortune" for RCB this year. Whenever she visits, RCB loses.
Good to see Gilly and RP sending out veiled messages to the IPL about their displeasure at playing in pseudo home grounds.

Boring

It was a case of back in boredom. The Chennai heat took its toll as none of the players at yesterday's match put up a 20-20 show. CSK played just like how Dhoni wanted them to play - win at any cost. But haven't we been told that the IPL is all about entertainment and the players are paid so much to entertain us? Come on L Mod! Talk to MS. We need entertainment - the kind provided by Vijay the other day. And we need it every day!!

The case of the pseudo home crowd

One more insipid performance from DC. What was "Rogue hit" thinking when he hit that last shot? That the fielder would drop the catch? You must be a @#$#@$ to play that shot rogie!! You just got your slice of luck when Harmeet just crossed over the previous ball!!! And what was it with Symmo and RP? What kind of glory were they looking for?
Playing in front of pseudo home crowds does have its effect. Take for example the Nagpur crowd. It was supposed to be DC's home stadium! You must have heard the roar when Yusuf walked in and the hushed silence when he was dismissed. Were DC playing at home? Same was the case on Saturday as well. You can't play your home game against Mumbai at Mumbai? Not one soul at the stadium was a Charger!!
By the way - hasn't anyone told Gaurav about the beard? Come on SET. You spend so much for the 10 year rights to telecast the IPL. Can't you spend 20 bucks on a shave?
Now that DC have ensured that they can only fight for the wooden spoon, it is time to target a team and derail its semifinal chance. To put it short - It is time to play spoilsport Gilly. Do that at least!!
And finally - it looks like the old and the new of the IPL are about to begin a war as this report suggests. But if the IPL is going to say that come next year the players that represented your favorite team for 3 years are not going to be there anymore - what happens to the fun of following your favorite team?

The thing with lame anchors

It's ridiculous. Mandira Bedi is officially a cricket expert now while the likes of Ayushman, Angad, Gaurav (did you watch him with that stupid looking beard yesterday) and Samir Kochar are making a joke of the position she vacated at Set Max. With the likes of Harsha Bhogle, Danny Morrison and Ravi Shastri just doing commentary (wherein they are mostly singing praise of you know who) these "juniors" are making watching the IPL very very uninteresting.
Finally there was the IPL josh at the IPL. What a weekend! about 80 sixes in 4 matches compared to about 300 in all previous games put together- 31 matches for 300 sixes and 80 for the last 4. Now that is what I was looking for.
When I looked at the performances of the Indians over the 4 matches - there was one clear fact that came out. There are at least 4 players who must be on the flight to the West Indies - SRT is obvious. But we also need Vijay, Uthappa and Mishra in that group. Come on selectors - there is still some time left!
Finally, DC proved again that don't seem like being ready for the fight. Every time they do very well until the 15th over (bat and bowl) and then things go haywire. Firstly, they need a proper bowler to bowl at the top - Roach,RP Singh and Vaas required at the top of their performance levels here. Then they need to find someone who can hold up the later order after Gilly and co perish at the top. Also given the 4 foreign player clause - time for either Gibbs or Symonds to sit out may be?

Are they going through the motions?

I think I have found out why this year's IPL is not very interesting. I have a feeling most players are just going through the motions as this is the last year of their contracts with respective franchises. I got this feeling yesterday when I watched DC roll over for KKR. There seemed to be absolutely no inspiration at all within the team. Having basked in glory last year, they seem to have exhausted everything last year and are just seeing out their contracts this year. With 2 more franchises next year and the prospect of making money at other clubs this fever does not just seem to be restricted to one club. Most players seem disinterested the same way. Pity on the audience - includes me.

Back!

Back in India and enjoying the not so enjoyable IPL 3.0. Somehow this season IPL doesn't seem as exciting as they advertise it. At least I am not going wow and that is mostly because MI are running riot with the league. 12 points already and virtually assured of a semifinal spot they have made the tournament uninteresting. But what's it with teams that face them? Yesterday Preity's band ran them close, but that is the closest any team seems to come. Is Malinga too hot to handle? Given the time he has been around I think everyone should have figured him out - everyone figured Mendis out, didn't they? But just looking at how Malinga, Murali and Vaas have been among the wickets, it is ominous signs for SL at the T20 WC. But oops! They don't have my team's Vaas in their team!!!
As for the fortune of my team, they keep alternating between the fabulous and the ridiculous. Once Gilly, Gibbs and Symonds are back, the only thing that can save DC looks like the bowling of Vaas and Praghy. Kemar Roach doesn't seem like he is as big a capture as he promised to be with his price tag! Time to rethink strategies Gilly. You can't wait until the 6th over to strategize!!!
So next time around, we are going to see 10 teams (when there were numerous other cities I can't imagine what Kochin and Pune are doing in the pack!!! - just my opinion) and 94 matches. "Cricket overkill" as Symonds put it. Hope L-Mod doesn't decide to pack the 94 matches together. It ain't gonna do any magic for you Mod. I think you will split the 94 matches into 2 seasons like a wise man.
And finally, I believed that the media had boycotted the IPL after the footage terms fiasco. But as I switched channels yesterday after the MI-KXIP match I saw every channel having its cricket "expert" and proving one thing - when it comes to money throw self dignity out of the window. Also noted something funny by chance. N Sid was on Times Now and gave the thumbs down to Ryan Mclaren of the MI calling him a weak link and asking for him to be replaced by Jayasuriya. At the same time, "Hair"sha Bhogle was on CNN-IBN praising Mclaren for being there to allow Malinga have a bowl at the middle order in the middle overs. Funny also to see Bhogle grinning embarrassingly as Cyrus Broacha reported from the IPL that was not.
The latest joke that's catching up - IPL = Injured Player League

Injuries and match fixing!

Bret Lee, Masceranhas, Smith, Nehra and now Dhoni - injuries have slowly started becoming an integral part of the IPL nowadays. It only shows that as the seasons come by, the players are trying harder to win it for their teams. Good for their IPL teams - but how about their countries? With the T20 WC lurking perilously close to the IPL the spate of injuries must concern certain teams. Take for example Graeme Smith. I cannot imagine South Africa competing well without him. It's good that the injury that would rule him out of the IPL and might heal in time for the T20 WC occurred early. What if, GC had injured that finger on the last day of the IPL? What if Dhoni had been hit by Bond on the elbow in the final? It looks like the IPL is now following the pattern of the soccer leagues worldwide. Worrying times for fans and teams alike!
Even as the IPL took control of the cricketing world - even the Aus-NZ series, Eng-Ban and WI-Zim series have been pushed into the background - another storm blew Pakistan cricket out. After the PCB had banned Mohammad Yusuf and Younis Khan for life and Shoaib Malik and Naved Hasan for a year, there is news that some players were involved in match fixing on the Aus tour. Disgraceful! Is there a more lower level Pakistan cricket can stoop to?

KKR's year?

So is this going to be KKR's season? Looking at their 2 matches so far - against last year's finalists performances seem very professional. Finally is SRK going to start smiling?
I watched the highlights of that innings by YP for RR. What brutality! Hope he continues to be in good form just for us to see such knocks. Not that I want RR to win the tournament. But at least we can get to see some fireworks.
DC must be reeling under the disadvantages of not playing at home. Last night's match (remember its a Sunday match) had a feeble crowd. The days of fans traveling long distances to watch their teams play are still a long way away. L-Mod's poor planning has denied revenue for DC! But I am happy DC walloped CSK. I consider CSK arch rivals for DC. Well RCB are arch rivals as well but to me CSK are the real arch. :-)
By the way, here is the IPL Channel on Youtube. For all the money they have, it should be HD. But unfortunately its poor video on the channel!!!

I wish

Last year I was in front of the TV for every IPL match. This year, I am stuck in the Netherlands and can only follow the IPL on the internet. I wish I was there to watch DC begin in style. Oops.. I missed mentioning the opening ceremony. A ceremony where RJS shows us he can be louder than Sunny D. A ceremony where L-Mod starts his address assuming 99% of the world is watching him. A ceremony where so many things go on that we almost forget there is a match that will follow!
By the way, I heard that N-Sid is in the commentary team. Aww!! I am going to miss that!!!!

IPL and security

Before I begin. Salute to Sachin! I have never been a fan of the adulation he receives. But hats off! That 200 was simply great. None but he deserved to get there first!!
Alright let's get into the IPL issue now
The much discussed IPL security issue is almost threatening to divide the cricket world. While the retired ones like Gilly, Haydy, Symy and Warny (they earn more from IPL than from their respective boards - CA here) are throwing their weight behind L-Mod, players contracted to their respective boards (and this means they earn from the IPL and equally heavily from their boards) are a bit reluctant. Well Kiwis and Ponting, would you be sticking to the same stand if you have also retired from all forms of cricket? I guess no!
By the way, Ricky Ponting and his Aussie cohorts can be assured that life for an Aussie is much safer in India when you compare it with how safe it is for an Indian in Australia. So stop whining and come here to play in the IPL - but wait.. is he playing in the IPL? I don't think he is!! And he doesn't want fellow Aussies to get the money he will not get. Now that's clever Ricky!!! Beware Watsy, Bretty and the remaining y's!!!

IPL still in rough waters and is the IPL going out again?

IPL3.0 still doesn't seem to have set its foot strongly on Indian soil. With so much drama happening around the IPL everyday, L-Mod seems to have a tough time guiding his "Titanic". Firstly, it was the threat from Shiva Sena against the Aussie players. Just when L-Mod thought he had weathered that storm, came another blow - the Pune attack. Not only did the Pune attack come as a shock. It came with an addendum - a threat to foreign players not to come to India to play in the IPL. Now add the T issue in Hyderabad that almost forced DC to boycott the IPL and media boycott of IPL3.0. Just when L-Mod thought he had enuf icebergs to negotiate his Titantic through, Shane Warne has opened a hornet's nest by saying that IPL3.0 could move once again to South Africa. I am sure L-Mod will come out with a denial and Warne will issue a clarification. But the very idea of Warne could make quite a few players think if that could be done. L-Mod, keep your mobile charged, coz you may have to answer a lot of calls very soon!!!
Even as the IPL3.0 boat rocks in rough weather, plans are on the way for the future. 2 more franchises are to be added to the IPL bandwagon. And would you believe this? There are 12 cities that have put in their applications for the 2 slots. Come whatever, the money spinner just keeps spinning on right? And adding more spice is the fact that the owners of one of the top EPL clubs have shown interest in buying one of these teams. Way to go IPL! Way to go L-Mod!!

Kings become Heroes

Couldn't resist this. Anyway let me try

This is breaking news, breaking first on the IPL Spectator blog. An exclusive on blogger. The KingsXI Punjab team has now been bought by Hero Honda. Remember, this is breaking first on your blog - IPL Spectator!

Hero Honda are sponsors of the DD team. How will this turn out. They also have Veeru as one of their brand ambassadors. Will they pry out Veeru from DD and take him to KXIP next year?

On the flip side, Bret Lee, Sangakkara, Yuvi and others are going to miss the hug. ha ha ha!

An update
Well.. its 11.40 am now and I am forced to update this blog with an update. As expected, the news that I broke on this blog is not true!! I am left white faced like just like news anchors on the TV news channels now. But just like the channels I have no shame, remorse or guilty feeling because I am just bring in the news as fast as I can!

The new middle order

Finally we all got to see what would happen when we don't have the "Big 4" in the Indian middle order on Monday. The moment Tendulkar departed, it looked very bleak. Agreed Badrinath did put some resistance. But thereafter it just looked as if India had a long tail. Captain Marvel is more a tail- ender than a good batsman and he proved that with his indiscretion. Alright, I agree I have jumped to conclusions too early. But looking at the way India batted without Sachin, Rahul and VVS - it looks like my hasty conclusions might just turn out to be true indicators!

Afridi's "hunger"

After the T20 WC victory, there's been one player whose ego is too bloated - Shahid Afridi. Ever since that victory Afridi has been hungry to win it all for Pakistan. The great hunger prompted the PCB to give him captaincy of the T20 side and vice captaincy of the ODI side. Now hungrier than ever, Afridi has been trying to shut out opposition with his blind cricket. While there has been some success, he has been unsuccessful most of the times. But the other day at Perth, he took his "hunger" to a whole new level. The sight of Afridi chewing at the ball while Rana Naved tries to control laughter made me laugh till I cried. Not only has he taken his "hunger" to a new level. With 27 cameras around him, he has shown the world a new way to tamper with the ball!! How ridiculously stupid!!! But the ICC seems to have let him off the hook. A 2 match ban is nothing for that stupid act - the most stupid act I have ever seen on a cricket ground!!
Thank God the IPL did not make a hasty decision and try to rope in Afridi. The Indian media would have had a field day!

Yes. They still can!!

The reports are out. After L-Mod announced that he had twisted the IPL rule to allow Pak players to be contracted as substitutes for non available players, Abdul Razzaq has been roped in by DC. If this turns out true, I can expect to see the likes of Afridi toning down their voices against the money might. Now that there is a Pakistani player in the IPL, what will Pakistani cable operators do? Still block IPL.
Blocked or not, L-Mod has found another way for the IPL to reach homes in Pakistan and elsewhere around the world. In a new first - the IPL will go live on (yes you read it right) You tube!! Just when the Pak govt thought it had paid the IPL back in the same coin, L-Mod has pulled another rabbit from his hat!

This one is getting serious ha ha ha

I thought that the IPL auction drama involving Pakistan players (and a few Aussie players as well) was just a cautious reaction by the franchises to fear of non-availability of players. But the issue seems to have snow balled into a catastrophe. While Pakistan's Interior Minister (unbelievable that its the Interior Minister who has so much time in hand to worry about Pakistan players being snubbed by the IPL) is making loud noises, the opposition has even demanded to withdraw sporting relations with India. Another funny backlash is that a team of parliamentarians who were supposed to tour India (obviously for non-sports purposes) have canceled the tour in protest. And finally here is a spectacular reaction - former cricketer Zaheer Abbas has asked for withdrawal of the Pakistan hockey team from the Hockey World Cup to be held in India. Agreed that the whole of Pakistan is outraged at the snub. But, what did the International Hockey Federation do to deserve such a snub from Pakistan?????
Staying with hockey, the eternally generous Lalit Modi as agreed to change timings of certain IPL matches to ensure that the Hockey World Cup coverage is not affected. I would have appreciated Modi had he moved matches to a different day, wouldn't you?

After the drama come the aftermath

Enraged at the eternal snub by the IPL Pakistani players and board biggies are venting their anger at Lalit Modi, BCCI, Indian politics and finally India in that order. While chairman Ejaz Butt thinks its a Modi & BCCI conspiracy, player Afridi thinks that the Indians have conspired to insult Pakistan while politics has also been blamed. But when you are unsure about whether the player would be granted a visa to come to India to play in the IPL, would you still want to play an amount between $50,000 and $750,000 (+ the very secret fee that stays between Modi and the franchise) for the player? I wouldn't do so. I'd rather keep the money. Come on Pakistan! Be practical!!

And the money flows

Kieran Pollard started the IPL3.0 bidding war the same way he starts his innings. 7 minutes into the bidding, 4 franchises reached the cap of $750,000. What a start it was - All the way to a silent tie-breaker where MI snatched him from the others.
Here's how the rest that were sold followed
Wayne Parnell - DD - $ 610,000
Shane Bond - KKR - $750,000 (silent tie breaker)
Kemar Roach - DC - $720,000
Eoin Morgan - RCB - $220,000
Damien Martyn - RR - $100,000
Thissara Perera - CSK - $50,000
Justin Kemp - CSK - $50,000
Yusuf Abdullah - KXIP -$50,000
Adam Voges - RR - $50,000
Mohammad Kaif - KXIP - $250,000
Surprisingly, players like Afridi, Haddin, Sohail Tanvir and many others who were supposed to stir up the bidding war did not even evoke a twitch - this may not be bad for the IPL but it will definitely do good for the players as they can now concentrate on playing fit and fresh in the T20 World Cup that will follow IPL3.0
Als, considering what we saw, the decisions by James Anderson and Stuart Broad to skip the money minter and "be prepared for the Ashes" seem very wise now. Had they entered the fray they would have found no takers and suffered the embarrassment - something the Pakistani players are now facing.

IPL - The Good, The Bad, The Ugly updates

The Good - It's official. The IPL is set to clash with the lucrative NBA, NHL and NFL. Lalit Modi has announced that the IPL will go all the way west in the next few years.
The next set of 66 foreign players will go under the hammer tomorrow as IPL 3.0 gets set to roll off. The original list was pruned down to 97 from 66 after the iron hand of Lalit Modi hammered out a few names from the list. For the list go here.
The Bad - There is yet another twist to the IPL influenced by India politics. Mumbai and Punjab fans might not get to see Aussie players playing on their home grounds owing to threats from respective local political parties. It's getting inevitable - the IPL and India politics are getting too intertwined. Soon it will reach a point of no return! Now that has put a lot of Aussie players and their teams unsteady on their feet. Imagine DC without Gilly and Symonds or CSK without Hayden and Hussey or KXIP without Bret or for that matter KKR without Ponting and Hodge! Come on people - go dive into that new list of 67 and find someone!!
There is more bad news for CSK - Freddy is off IPL 3.0 - hasn't recovered yet.
The Ugly - When Lalit Modi scrapped Chris Cairns off the IPL auction list he was bold enough to say that Cairns was involved in match fixing and was therefore off the list. But let me get something clear here. Cairns was accused by the ICL of match fixing. Modi and the BCCI do not recognize ICL. Now how is it that Modi recognizes only ICL's accusations? Not that I am in favor of match fixers, but just being curious.

Auction begins again

The auction of players for IPL 3.0 will begin this month. A provisional list of 97 players who intend to play in the IPL has already been made. Unfortunately, it looks like not all 97 would get the nod. Pathetic!