March 2009 - Posts
Well, when there are 2 walls protecting the insides, especially when one of them was supposed to be a toph and be fragile.The Buddha (Gautam) became a wall..
I can believe that the Indian cricket team resembles the Daultabad Fort.. A lot of difficult avenues to go through, a lot of difficult questions to answer. Daulatabad hardly surrendered; Daulatabad always stood firm..
One has started witnessing the unintended fallouts of the entire
BCCI- GOI political gamesmanship. The repurcussions of the ugly spat
were felt by Hewitt and company. Promptly they realised that the
Australian Davis Cup team was a prime candidate to be attacked by the
terrorists. Given the way they were revered in India and the way the
fans mobbed them, an accident was waiting to happen. The mere thought
made them sweat buckets (yes! even more than the quantum they would do
in the furnace also known as Chennai). But how can we blame the
Australian Tennis Federation if we ourselves are yelling to the world
that we have a problem. The thing to watch out for is whether this
chain reaction of security concerns by other nations culminates into a
threat to the Commonwealth games.
Australia's tennis federation have requested their Davis Cup tie against India be moved out of the country due to security concerns.
The Indian hosts, however, remain confident of staging the May event.
"Australia
have told the ITF [International Tennis Federation] that the tie should
not be held in India," All India Tennis Association [AITA] executive
director Ranbir Chauhan said on Thursday.
"We have also written back to the ITF," he added.
"We're
very, very confident the tie is going to take place in India. We
guarantee full security, they will be treated as our guests."
Tennis Australia confirmed approaching the governing body.
"We
have sought and received advice from a variety of sources regarding
travelling to India," Tennis Australia CEO Steve Wood said.
"It
is on the basis of security concerns that we have asked for the tie to
be moved out of India. The ITF has received our request and is doing
its own security assessment.
"The safety of our players and staff is of paramount importance to Tennis Australia."
'VERY UPSET'
The
May 8-10 zonal tie is due to be staged in Chennai, considered a safe
city, due to increased safety fears elsewhere following the ambush of the Sri Lankan cricket team bus in Lahore
by armed gunmen this month. The attack has triggered concern,
especially in south Asia, that sport could become a target for more
attacks. India also remains nervous after terrorists killed around 166
people in a strike on Mumbai in November.
The AITA had announced it would hire private security consultants for the tie against the former Davis Cup champions.
Chauhan criticised Australia's move to have the tie shifted.
"Even after 26/11 [the day the Mumbai
attacks began the ATP event was held," he said. "We took permission
from the state government and only then did we choose Chennai."
"We are very upset, there is no reason for this."
The AITA would hold a news conference on Friday to explain the issue, he added.
But there is a bigger problem
brewing. It may be the South Asian countries that may be bearing the
brunt of cancellations of sporting events, but once terrorists notice
that they can do the same operation else where, major sporting events
across the world will take a hit. A US or an Australia may be safe
because of their location but can someone in Britain cross one's
heart and say that there won't be any threat to a sports event there?
Britain is just an example and one has no intention or a particular
rationale for picking it. No security can be fool proof and if someone
is hellbent on injuring a sportsperson, he will. One hopes this
perception to threat to sports events runs its course.
http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/video/video.aspx?id=59318
This was the original Chidambaram interview and the way it got splashed in the media by NDTV and the screaming headlines it generated, will one be wrong in saying that Barkha Dutt can claim major responsibility for all the drama that has been played out? It's for everyone to decide and reflect on the power(?) of the media.
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Well it's not only Indians who are writing books.. The Cookers are open for all Commonwealth countries hence there are authors from across the world who are vying for that Top prize.Here are the nominations for Friday.
- 2 Runs of the Mill by Kylie Mills
- In the Hot Spot by Billy Bowden
A Dialogue from the Kill Bill : Vol 2 script.
It’s Bill speaking - the one who’s supposed to get killed as the title suggests. z
“I find the whole mythology surrounding superheroes fascinating. Take my favorite superhero, Superman.
Not a great comic book.
Not particularly well-drawn.”
“Mmmmm”
“But the mythology…
The mythology is not only great, it’s unique.
Now, a staple of the superhero mythology is, there’s the superhero and there’s the alter ego.
Batman is actually Bruce Wayne,
Spider-Man is actually Peter Parker.
When that character wakes up in the morning, he’s Peter Parker. He has to put on a costume to become Spider-Man.
And it is in that characteristic Superman stands alone. Superman didn’t become Superman.
Superman was born Superman.
When Superman wakes up in the morning, he’s Superman. His alter ego is Clark Kent.
His outfit with the big red “S”, that’s the blanket he was
wrapped in as a baby when the Kents found him. Those are his clothes.
What Kent wears - the glasses, the business suit - that’s the costume.
That’s the costume Superman wears to blend in with us.
Clark Kent is how Superman views us.
And what are the characteristics of Clark Kent.
He’s weak… he’s unsure of himself… he’s a coward.
Clark Kent is Superman’s critique on the whole human race.”
Hearing the whole dialogue makes my nerves tingle. Reminds me of a
certain Sachin Tendulkar. This is not going to be a post on how great
he is, or how humble he is, or his genius or even what a model human
being he is. Neither is this about how the Don compared ST to himself.
One talks about his failure in the second innings’, one talks about
his failure to perform under pressure, one talks about him not winning
enough matches for India. One also talks about looking at mirrors.
To answer all those ‘ones’ I don’t intend to reinvent the wheel. So borrowing the well written dialogue, I rest my case.
With apologies (and gratitude) to Mr Quentin Tarantino
This was writtten some time back. Almost 2 years back.. But he still inspires that awe.. .. Being the BIG guy, and giving the strike to Viru, He is still Clark Kent..
Hi Folks,
Its that time of the day again.. Day 2 didn't have enough books written so here is the updated list of the nominations for 1.5 combined days
1. Run Viru Run!!! by Gautam Gambhir
2. Hole in the Wall by Ian O'Brien
3. Slow and steady wins the race but puts you to sleep by the Indian team
4. Life after 40s by SRT
5. Life as an all rounder by James Franklin
6. Life after 30(balls) by Munaf Patel
7. Life comes a full circle by M/s Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke (Just to show that we are not focussing only on the Indian cricket team)
Still waiting for more nominations guys!!
We are proud to announce the Cooker prize nominations for the best unwritten (as yet) books by the gladiators who also go by the term 'cricketers' participating in the 1st test match between NZ and India in Hamilton. Since most of the titles are cooked up by the members of the jury, the origin of the Cooker prize is self explanatory . Take back your minds to the gem 'Shahenshah' where He was the police, prosecutor, judge and the executioner as well. In this case one starts playing the role of Shahenshah for the Cooker Prize nominations. But all suggestions are welcome for Day 1 and consecutive days as well.
Here goes
1. The Mystery of the missing Sholay coin by M S Dhoni
2. Omen (606) by M/s McIntosh, Guptill, Flynn, Taylor, Franklin and McCullum
3. My experiments with dart throwing by Harbhajan Singh
4. The wizard of NZ by Daniel Vettori
5. Sense and Sensibility by Ian O'Brien
6. How I lost a kilo and gained a Ton by Jesse Ryder
7. 17 ways of dropping a catch by Rahul Dravid
More nominations will be awarded during the course of the match and we may finally arrive at the Cooker Prize winner of the match.
Please feel free to nominate more entries.
Thats all folks!!!
Frankly, one is not a great Ayaz Memon fan from the time he started blasting the BCCI and IPL to please his current masters. And he digresses too much into politics, food and other sundry subjects which are not his forte. One can deduce that if one reads the full article in the following link.
New Zealand's cricketers may have got a pounding from MS Dhoni's
side in the first three One-dayers, but in the last on Saturday they
came back strongly to show that they lacked neither skill nor spunk.
Indeed, the Indian team would do well not to underestimate the
doughtiness of the Kiwis. Their threshold for pain and punishment is
high, and the spirit never-say-die.
This attribute is best
highlighted by an anecdote involving the irrepressible English
commentator Brian Johnstone and the famed New Zealand opener Glen
Turner. Indian fans might remember Turner not only as an obdurate run
accumulator in the 19s, but also the husband of Sukhi, a Sikh lady, who
went on to become mayor of Dunedin in the recent past.For the record,
he made more than a hundred first class centuries, and once, believe it
or not, scored 300 runs in a single day.
But that is digressing
from the main story, which came about in a Test match at Lord's in 1969
Turner was hit in the groin by an express delivery and was felled to
the ground. As he lay doubled up in pain, the television cameras caught
his grimaces and anguish, with Johnstone providing the description with
a vividness that had made him a household name across the cricket world.
Now
Johnstone was renowned for his quirky sense of humour, and this seemed
too good an opportunity to let go, though Turner was in genuine agony.
When the batsman, quite bravely, shook off the pain from the stunning
blow to his unmentionables and resumed his batting, Johnstone came up
with this gem to salute Turner's heroism: "Turner looks a bit shaken
and unsteady," he said in the mike, "but he's going to bat on -- one
ball remaining."
By Ayaz Memon
Courtsey DNA
If Ramesh Sippy were to remake Sholay (RGV please excuse), one has 2 perfect fitting gentlemen to play Jai and Viru. M/s Gouti and Viru Sehwag. Just like the Dharmendra in Sholay our own Viru is over the top, exuberant and loud performer. Just like Amitabh, Gouti is understated, thinking and lets Viru take the limelight.
But the partnership works!!!! They have a perfect understanding while running on the pitch. They share a mutual respect and are genuine friends. And it shows. Maybe they are in the form of their lives and luckily for India, both are clicking at the same time. Their sense of timing is as good if not better than the original Jai and Viru.
There will be some rough times and Gabbar (the opponents) may seem to be winning some times. But till the time they continue singing 'Ye dosti hum nahi chodenge', we will continue to enjoy this Sholayishque performance.
One question crops in one's mind. Who is Sanjeev Kumar then?
One was watching the edge of the seat, nail biting, tense drama that goes under the name of England-WestIndies Test series. The English commentators M/S Hussain and Athers were at their usual sparkling witty best. Monty was bowling to the debutant Simmons when an he played down the wrong line and managed an inside edge on the pads. Now Monty is a compulsive appealer. Insiders hint that he appeals in his sleep as well. Now this was too good a chance to exercise his vocal chords. Bending on his kness he pleaded with the umpire "Howzat?", Tiffin opined 'not guilty'. Monty added another level of desperation to his question begging for 'the death penalty'. He still didn't get the desired response from the umpire. Looking stunned and frustrated, Monty giving Tiffin the benefit of doubt, rechecked with a touch of the recklessness and a louder voice. With the umpire unmoved Monty was almost moved to tears.
Youthful exuberance was Gower's verdict. How many times have we seen Monty's ridiculous appeals? One particular incident comes to mind in the recent India series. Monty bowling to Sehwag. The ball pitches way outside the leg stump, turns and hits Sehwag on the pads. Now Monty goes through his normal routine. Sehwag is in splits. He points to his head and ***** beep beep. (Want to be politically correct). Finally the umpires did take some action on Monty.
Panesar and Amjad fined for excessive appealing
Cricinfo staff
March 10, 2009
England spinner Monty Panesar has been fined 25% of his match fee, while Amjad Khan, the fast bowler, has been reprimanded for breaching the ICC Code of Conduct during the fifth Test against West Indies in Port of Spain. Panesar was found guilty of excessive appealing by match referee Alan Hurst in a hearing after the conclusion of play on the fourth day.
But for a man who has played 1 test 37 times, it seems that the Umpires have been excessively soft on him. One doesn't remember Monty being fined or reprimanded by any Match Referee before this event. One wonders whether the country he plays for has any bearing on this inaction.
As a footnote, Amjad Khan's bowling action seems a bit jerky. Atherton went to the extent of saying that ICC has allowed 15 degrees which put in simple terms means that he is not sure. Hussain had no problems with the action. One remembers many Asian bowlers going through rigorous tests to figure out the extent of the bent arm. One is waiting to see ICC's action.
Pakistan's women struggle for recognition
KARACHI:
At an age when most women in Pakistan are settling down to married
life, Qanita Jalil is preparing for what could be her last shot at
making her name as a cricketer in her conservative homeland.
"I am 27 and my mother is now pressurising me to get married. It
might be my last tournament," said Jalil as she looked forward to
taking part in the women's World Cup in Australia, which starts
on Saturday.
Proudly sporting her green Pakistani track suit after a spell of
fast bowling at the team's training camp before setting off for
Australia on Sunday, Jalil said her five brothers had encouraged her to
play cricket.
"They all supported me. I started playing with my brothers and
learnt from them. Without their encouragement my parents would not have
tolerated my playing cricket," said Jalil, who has a masters degree
in economics.
While their male counterparts are idolised and earn millions,
women's cricket in Pakistan is still an amateur sport. Playing
opportunities and training facilities are scarce for girls.
Jalil belongs to a moderate Pashtun family from Abbotabad in the
North West Frontier Province, a region which, despite being rocked by
violence and fighting between Islamic militants and security forces,
has provided a steady flow of quality cricketers to the national
men's team.
In a country where people struggle to balance a lifestyle based on
Islamic values and moderate liberalism, cricket remains a binding force
for many but religious parties and conservatives have frowned upon
women competing with men in sports.
FAMILY SUPPORT
Girls and women have had to follow a strict code and play before female-only crowds.
"In Pakistan it does not matter which background you come from but
it is a long struggle to gain recognition as an athlete. No one takes
women's sports seriously," said team captain Urooj Mumtaz.
The Pakistan team which qualified for the 2009 World Cup last year
in South Africa is an interesting blend of women from privileged
backgrounds and big cities and those from smaller towns and
conservative families.
They all faced the same problem of having to win the support of their parents and male relatives to allow them to play sport.
Mumtaz, a dentist, said her players saw cricket and the World Cup as
a means of becoming more independent and being taken seriously
as sportswomen.
There has been women's cricket in Pakistan since the 1980s but this
will be the team's first official World Cup appearance. A team not
recognised by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) competed in 1997 and
finished bottom of their group.
Pakistan defeated Ireland, Netherlands, Zimbabwe and Scotland in
last year's qualifying tournament before losing to South Africa in
the final.
Their success generated a wave of media interest at home.
"Cricket is equally popular among girls and boys in Pakistan and the
number of girls now playing cricket has increased by hundreds in the
last two years," said Shireen Javed, the head of the PCB women's wing.
HEAVY ODDS
Almas Akram, who is from a small hamlet in Punjab, got permission
from her family to play for Pakistan only after the intervention of
the board.
"For us playing in the World Cup is a dream come true," she said.
Almas, whose father is a retired teacher, got her love of cricket by
watching it on television and tagging along with her male cousins
to matches.
Naila Nazir, a leg-spinner who belongs to the earthquake-ravaged
town of Manshera in the North West Frontier Province is excited about
going to Australia, home of her cricket hero, former Australian
leg-spinner Shane Warne.
"I started bowling watching Warne bowl on TV. He is my idol like our own Abdul Qadir," said Nazir.
Pakistan coach Umar Rasheed admits his team are up against heavy
odds as they face India, England and Sri Lanka in the first round.
"Women's cricket is more organised in these countries so they have
strong sides," he said. "But I am optimistic. At times enthusiasm and
team effort can overcome all odds."
A story published on the same day of 'cricket's day of mourning'. Maybe there's still some hope out there.
Sport has never been short of politics whatever the righteous may say. It started wars between nations. One hopes it ends a war in Pakistan.
Once an Indian went to a restaurant and ordered for a Masala Dosa. He called for the waiter angrily after starting to eat and said - "I ordered for a Masala Dosa but there's no Masala in it. I will pay only for a Sada Dosa."
The waiter calmly looked back at him and said "If you had ordered for Mysore Dosa, would you expect Mysore in it?"
After watching 3 Test matches between 6 major cricketing nations all on Ten sports and the other big tour being telecast on Setmax in India one did some research and found that the only big series Star Cricket + Star Sports + ESPN seem to have in the near future is The Ashes. One wonders if the waiter is now working with Star Cricket.