Those were the days, my friend
We thought they’d never end
We’d sing and dance forever and a day
We’d live the life we choose
We’d fight and never lose
Those were the days
Oh, yes, those were the days

This classic Mary Hopkins Song comes to my mind today as current Pakistan Cricketers yet again stand bluntly exposed for Matchfixing in a sting operation captured on Video…..Spot fixing…Three No Balls predecided as revealed before by the Match Fixer Bookie M Majeed ….In the Lords test against England,M Aamer to bowl one of the first ball of the third over and M Asif to bowl one of his last ball of his tenth over !…then the next day Aamer to again bowl a No ball of the third ball of his third over……all happened on cue !….coincidence ! ?….yeah ! Mangoes grow on Apple Trees !….and this has to involve the captain S Butt too as he had the discretion to decide who bowls which over……..

Let me tell you the rot begins at the top…and not just in Pakistan !

Once upon a Time Cricket was a Gentlemens’ Game…those were the Days my friend,we thought they’d never end…….

I was a Crazy Cricket Guy…played it at school,college and club levels in India and overseas…hold the record for hitting six sixes in a six ball over…so what if it was an inter-building Tennis ball match in the 1970s !…..

I was immensely patriotic whenever India played….was nine year old in 1971 when India, under Ajit Wadekar, registered their their first two overseas Series wins 1-0 against West Indies and England..I remember being glued to the Transistor to catch the running commentary and how some excited fans had put up a makeshift scoreboard on the Kemps Corner Flyover in South Mumbai and we kept a watch on it and cheered every wicket that India took and every run that India scored….I wore half pants then…still do even now but more as a fashion !

I was an allrounder and captained my school….felt great and proud when often the newspapers covered my scores and wickets taken….I’ve scored  a Century for H R College at Cross Maidan…have taken 5 wickets in an over for my Bahrain Team…have played several match winning Innings for the Indian Club in  Bahrain…many against top Pakistan Teams…there was always rivalry,often heated and bitter,and even blatant umpire bias whenever we played a Pakistan Team…I remember vividly one particular day that ended in big Violence initiated by the Pakistan supporters when we were playing the seven-a- side finals…..we had beated the top Pakistan team on the island in the semis…that hurt them bad….when they saw we were winning the finals too against a joint Indo-Pak Team from a Junior League,the Pakistan supporters and even their Cricketers swarmed the playing field with Bats ,stumps,hockey sticks and bottles…I was half way through my over….and it soon became a free for all !……I was pulled off the field by Murtaza Ali Baig,the brother of ex India Cricketer Abbas Ali Baig and told to stand on the sidelines….some of my more aggressive team members were giving it back with Stumps and Bats too !…..the match was abandoned…..we were forced to share the cup by the Governing Cricket Committee that was controlled largely by Pakistan Clubs representatives………    

Then I returned to India and Career took over…..yet was a regular at India Test Matches and ODIs at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai….even skipped office,pretending to be at Meetings to do so !

Those were the days my Friend…….

And then Big Money took over Cricket….where there is Money there will be stink !…so the Snake of Match Fixing reared it’s ugly and vicious head…..Bookies and Betting……adding to the Racism and Bias that always existed but now is no longer subtle

Cricket that should be Entertaining and Engrossing on the Field became so off  the field too……Bollywood also made a hit film ‘Jannat’ on Cricket Matchfixing…….Cricketers from several Nations yeilded to temptation of the Quick Wicked ‘W’ trio of Wealth,Wine and Women….An Indian ex Captain was banned for Life and is now a Congress MP…Wow ! 

T 20 Cricket Format was created and with it’s success our IPL was born….more obscene monies….more glamour….more stink

Somewhere down the years my Patriotic fervour began ebbing whenever India played…..many reasons….matchfixing is one of them……

MatchFixing and EquityFixing !….Corruption,Obscene Monies and Insider Trading in Both…..so what’s the Difference !     

CommonWealth Games but UnCommonWealth Opportunities

Really Sad…..Corruption refuses to recede…. again rears it’s ugly head…Now at the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee

It’s adding to this India’s Hall of Shame of Thousands of Crores….Defence Scams……Mining Scams….Telecom Scams….Sports Scams

Are we a Shameless Nation with no Conscience where Corruption is concerned !?….Patriotism and Pride confront Reality

I remember 1982…and the Asian Games ,New Delhi…..was a 20 year old in college in Mumbai….and 14 of us formed a Group….stood in shifts overnight in Lines for Tickets for various Games Disciplines…got a 50% Railways Travel Discount as Students…. and thoroughly enjoyed the Asian Games…it was great Fun…interacting with the Singapore Sports Team on Janpath……cheering the English in the Equestrian Events….interacting with a Host of other nationalities…..and ofcourse cheering our wrestlers,boxers,athletes,swimmers,tennis,badminton  and table tennis stars and  our Hockey Team at the Events…New Delhi was one Big Festive City….A single Bus Pass took us around all Stadiums…Security was tight even then…..it was an experience that I was fortunate to see in person,while most sat at homes at viewed it on TV,many on the ’in demand’ Sony Wooden Box Model 5052 ! 

That was New Delhi then…Only Congress…no BJP…..only Door Darshan TV Channel….no Hundreds of Channels,Public and Private….and so virtually no external TV Media Scrutiny….Sportsmen and Women Playing for Country’s Pride…Games that cost a few Hundreds of Crores

This is New Delhi Now……Congress and BJP and a Host of other Political parties with a selfish coalition running India…..and Hundreds of TV Channels….RTI Act and extensive External Media Scrutiny…..Leading World Sports Personalities Dropping out of the Commonwealth Games on some pretext or the other…Games that have ballooning Costs of over Rs 11000 crs directly and over Rs 30000 crs if one includes building up our Capital’s Infrastructure that will benefit beyond the Games

We are taught to think Big and think Scale…..So with such Mega Bucks involved in organising the Commonwealth Games,even Corruption is being uncovered on Scale !…so if aggregate direct and indirect costs to host this Commonwealth games are close to Rs 35000 crs or close to US $ 8 Billion Dollars,it can be safely assumed that there will be leakage of atleast US $ One Billion at the least…an aggressive guess would be close to US $ 3 Billion !…Phew !  

What’s Integrity to An Opportunity !

What’s the Point of Naming Names ! ?…..Tell me who is not Corrupt….who does not abuse their Position and Power in Bureacracy,Business and Politics ?….who does not have a nexus with Criminals to further their vested interests?….I’m not talking of Exceptions to the Rule !….I strain my eyes to spot any selfless and visionary in our Political Set Up….my vision is getting blurred  

I’m afraid,it looks like even the Judiciary is made from the same Cloth that drapes our Executive and Legislature Arms….A True Democracy can only Thrive when these arms function Independently of each other’s Vested Influences

With Political Leaders and Parties either being Mute Spectators, Passive Observers or even defending,often too aggressively, all the Ministers,Leaders and Bureaucrats that are suspected to be involved or instrumental in the Scams stating that these are only accusations and they are all innocent till proven guilty is nothing but creating  complicity in the Scams

India’s 1.2 Billion People are being shorted by it’s Political Leaders and Parties to further their own interests and those of their Party….’Aam Aadmi’ be damned !….Often Party Spokesmen stoop to such levels in their ramblngs on TV News Channels that methinks they need Medical Counselling……they may win Comedy Shows but will lose in IQ Tests !….and most of them are Practising Lawyers by Profession !….rest my case !

Just under Two Months are left for the Games to begin…….We must deliver a Fabulous Commonwealth Games…….Ideally this Organising Committe should be superseded immediately by People of the Highest Integrity and Propriety in India to ensure Full Transperancy and Accountability and Respectability and Credibility too……This Government owes it to all of us…….However the ‘Not Enough Time’ Argument may just save this Organising Committee….but methinks that if they should be allowed to complete the arrangements it should be under new supervison of a High Level Panel of Three Above Board Leading Luminaries….that much atleast should be done today itself !    

With such controversies we now definitely need Divine Intervention from all our Gods to make a success of the Commonwealth Games 2010 in New Delhi 

Only Then can India be a serious bidder for the Olympic Games sometime early in this 21st Century and while I’m yet blogging!

Those who are involved in uncommonly privatising wealth in these Commonwealth Games surely will have to face their conscience…they live on a round earth and sooner or later their indiscretions and indulgencies will catch up with them full circle…either from serious Introspection or by Investigation….I’m sure of this   

Whatever….I love Sports…am a Sports Fanatic….and I’m going to enjoy the Commonwealth Games,New Delhi,2010…in full Spirit and Substance

Cheers !

It was destined…Legend and controversial Muttiah Muralidaran,Murli for short,the magical 38 year old Sri Lankan Spinner has just taken the last Indian Wicket to reach the coveted magical 800 Wicket Mark in Test Cricket in his Swan Song Test match

The Sri Lankan Captain was naturally kind and by design gave Murli a long spell so he had a good chance to reach this historic landmark…in fact India faced 115.4 overs in their Second Innings,of which Murli bowled 44.4 overs for his 3 for 128…he had mauled India in the first Innings too capturing 5 wickets for 63 runs for an overall match haul of 8 Wickets for 191 runs

Sri Lanka need just 95 to win this First Test match in the Indo-Lanka Series at Galle and they have  enough time to do so on this fifth and last day…Indians are praying for Rain !….India would have lost in four days as one full day was rained off in this Test Match….The two Sri Lankan Bowling ‘Ms’ made the difference…Malinga and Murli…both turning out to be match winners….between them they took 15 of the 20 Indian Wickets…..Indians have been truly outplayed in this first Test Match…Our Bowling has lacked Penetration and our Batting has lacked the Application to stay at the Wicket for Long…. required for Test Cricket

The 800 Wicket Feat achieved by Murli can be assessed for it’s Greatness when viewed in Perspective of other Top Test Wicket takers……Shane Warne is next at 703 with Anil Kumble following at 619…Kapil Dev,Richard Hadlee,Wasim Akram,Courtney Walsh etc have all taken more than 400….but all have retired….In fact there is no playing cricketer who has taken 400 and more Test Wickets and Murli has announced his retirement too

Murli has his share of detractors too….they feel he is a ‘Chucker’ and his bowling action is not legal in the traditional sense and therefore he is undeserving of such a record….laws may have been amended to legitimise his action….but the undeniable fact is that Murli could turn the Ball viciously on even a Flat Wicket

Murli has achieved this record of 800 Test Wickets in an 18 year career spanning from 1992 to 2010,playing 133 Test Matches with 9/51 being his best bowling figures in a single Innings….he’s given away 18180 Runs so his wickets came at an average of 22.73 runs

With fewer Test Matches being played relative to ODIs and T20s and the fact there is no Currently Playing Bowler who has even crossed 400 Test Wickets,Murli’s Record of 800 Test Wickets in unlikely to be eclipsed atleast in the next 10 years !

Feel Warm that Murli has achieved this magical 800 Wicket Mark….We’ll Miss You Murli

Tuesday Tale No 1

Have you ever been extended an invitation on Sunday evening for a Tuesday Dinner by Close Friends?…and you land up at their Residence on Tuesday and find the Hosts had simply forgotten about their Invite ! ?

It happened to us yesterday…My Wife and I were invited by really close friends for Dinner…just the four of us at their Residence…..we were told to come by 9.30 pm…Social Etiquette meant we reach by 9.45 pm…we did with our small Gift..a Box of Chocolate Cookies …only to find the Hostess in her Night Gown and simply no trace of the Host….she was so embarrased….we could either have got mad or laugh it off……we chose to do the latter…we gave the Cookies and quickly exited !…The Hostess told us that she had told her Husband Host to remind her in the Morning for the Dinner and he had forgotten and so had she !

Normally we don’t accept weekday dinner invites as Work Days could be tiring….and as it gets late into the Night,the next day begins with yawns!…and and especially with these friends the night would have gone past 1 am…probably 2 am as Dinner too is served at Midnight! !…they had invited for the weekend but as this was not possible we confirmed for Tuesday night….we had accepted as we had not met them for quite a while and  either they or us  were travelling or had other commitments and they were insisting that we meet and we are close friends!  

…Their Forgetting turned out to be a blessing in two ways……..The First was that we completed in the morning itself our Tuesday Religious Ritual of visiting the SiddhiVinayak Temple and St Anthony and Infant Jesus Shrine…in recent past our tight day schedule has meant doing this routine tired and sleepy past 11 pm in the night

……The second is that we yet had to have Dinner,so we rushed to catch the last order at 10.30 pm for Dinner at the Club and it turned out to be heavenly…and as usual great value for Money…I’ve been telling Wife to shut our Kitchen and just eat at the Club!…Rs 26 for the Soup of the Day…a wholesome Spinach and Corn Thick Soup served with hot crosissants with Butter chiplets on the side…Rs 57 for half portion of one of the Main Choices for the day and that can be shared easily by two….A Tasty Subz Hyderabadi that was Paneer,peas,corn,beans and carrots etc in a Green Gravy served with Rice (you could opt for Naan instead),Pickles,Salad and Roasted Papad…Wife preferred a Continental Choice for Rs 135 that she swooned over…Herbed Rice with a Fabulous Stew cooked in a rich brown non spicy gravy with Fresh Thyme and other herbs served with Boiled Vegetables as an accompaniment….washed down by her with a Coke with Ice,rather Ice with Coke (as she fills up the Glass with over Ten Ice Cubes and then pours the Coke !) for Rs 20 and by me with a Draught Beer for Rs 35….there were just a few tables occupied in the Dining Room on a Tuesday Night…so the service was very attentive….we skipped Dessert of the Day…a Blueberry Cheesecake or Fresh Orange IceCream…both below Rs 50….wonder how the Club,with all it’s Overheads, can afford such lovely low Pricing !…Good for us ! 

…….and we got home by 11.30 pm !….before midnight !….so had a Good Nights’ Sleep

Tuesday Tale No 2

India’s ‘Aam Aadmi’ is truly Honest..Diwakar Patel,a middle aged portly and bespectacled Bus Conductor on a Short Circular Route 155 from Grant Road Station through Tardeo,Haji Ali,Mahalakshmi,Peddar Road,Kemps Corner,Gowalia Tank and Nana Chowk…… I got a confirmed sense of this ‘Honesty’ yesterday….It has to be a Coincidence that my Quote for the Day in Office for July 20 from the Daily Calender read ” You Must not lose faith in Humanity.Humanity is an Ocean;if a few drops of the Ocean are Dirty,the Ocean does not become Dirty.”

Wife had the Car and I had to rush for the above dinner…was in office at Tardeo till late past 8.30 pm and had to get home first at Peddar Road…Taxis often refuse to ply short distances…saw a Bus No 155…hopped into it to alight just a few minutes and stops away…saw this Bus Conductor counting a Big Bundle of Small Denomination Notes of Rs 10,Rs 20 and Rs 50….asked him if he could give me change for Rs 100 or Rs 200…said he can for Rs 900 !…so I gave him Nine Notes of Rs 100 notes for the Change…From what he gave me I reflexively offered him Rs 10 for this favour…..He outright and quite firmly refused and in one motion rubbed his hand over his forehead,indicating his ‘Naseeb’ and Destiny and Fate is written on his forehead while proudly asserting that in his 17 years of service with BEST he has lived honestly and with dignity and with a loyal sense of duty and would not take any money that was not his by right !…What a Guy !

Reminded me of a Bus Conductor and Saint story ” I nearly sold my Conscience for Rs 1!” that was send out by email by my father- in- law a week ago…he sends out daily such messages to over 500 people and has also got a  Small White Board put up in the Building where he religiously and daily pens an inspiring Thought for all….The Story goes like this….A Saintly Person’s reputation precedes him when he shifts towns…he gets into a Bus and the Conductor gives him Rs 1 more than Due back in Change….He deliberates whether to return this Rs 1 to the Conductor…he finally does this on alighting from the Bus….it is then that the Bus Conductor tells him that he had deliberately given an additional  Rs 1 back in Change as he was aware of the Saintly reputation of his and was simply testing it !…Wow !      

Tuesday Tale No 3

This is about my daughter,who’ll turn 15 later this year…she’s an India Probable…the only girl from Maharashtra…. and away at a 40 day ongoing Football Camp to select the Women u 16 Football Team for India…..we speak to her everyday….but she had called us yesterday morning to tell us that a girl from another State in another room had started screaming inexplicably and uncontrollably on Monday late night and had to be physically constrained and hospitalised…my daughter wanted to know how this could have happened…she said that there were rumours that she was possessed!….I told her it could have been an epileptic fit…was important to know the girl’s past medical history……told her not to be unduly disturbed……then she called again late in the evening to tell us that this Girl has returned from the Hospital and has been send to their Room !…my daughter shares her room with three other girls from three different states…now with this fifth girl too they all were a bit scared…naturally !….this morning she called at 7 am!…asked her why she was not at the morning 6 am to 7.30 am Practice…seems none of the four girls slept last night ! and the kindly Coach sensed this and send them back to rest this morning !…Phew!…told her to pen her experiences,funny or scary, at the Camp for later submit it for the Prestigious Annual School Magazine…told her to have a sunny and positive outlook and attitude on all experiences…it will help her in her game too…..firm up her mental toughness too and negate negative influence of  mindgames and make her a better and kinder and more tolerant Human Being….Competition is tough among 40 Girls from over 15 States vying for a place in a 22 Member India Team…told her to keep working hard and not to find success and that it would assuredly find her

Tuesday Tale No 4

…and for those who vist my blog just for Stock Ideas….IFCI has crossed Rs 60 and GATI has surged past Rs 75 today from levels of Rs 58 just a few weeks ago….we have exposure in both and my targets are yet some way ahead 

I just Love Tuesdays !….just like I love all Other Days of the Week too!  

Cheers !

Don’t care who wins the FIFA 2010 World Cup Finals tonight as long as it’s SPAIN !

Come on David Villa,get the Golden Boot !

Viva Espana !

Refreshing Memories…remembering this Spanish Classic

Remember this…Sing it out Loud tonight as the Spanish Armada sink the Dutch Defence!

Y VIVA ESPAÑA
(Eddie Seago / Leo Caerts)
Sylvia Vrethammar - 1974/1975All the ladies fell for Rudolph Valentino
He had a beano back in those balmy days
He knew every  time you meet an icy creature
You’ve got to teach her hot blooded latin ways
But even Rudy would have felt the strain
Of making smooth advances in the rainChorus

Oh this year i’m off to Sunny Spain Y Viva Espana
I’m taking the Costa Brava ‘plane Y Viva Espana
If you’d like to chat a matador, in some cool cabana
And meet senoritas by the score, Espana por favor

Quite by chance to hot romance I found the answer
Flamenco dancers are by far the finest bet
There was one who whispered oh hasta la vista
Each time I kissed him behind the castanette
He rattled his maracas close to me
In no time I was trembling at the knee

When they first arrive the girls are pink and pasty
but oh so tasty as soon as they go brown
I guess they know ev’ry fellow will be queuing
to do the wooing his girlfriend won’t allow
but every dog must have his lucky day
that’s why i’ve learnt the way to shout ole

 

I owned two pairs of black Castenets got back from Spain way back in 1972 by my parents….Just imagine a ten year old trying to imitate the Passionate Senoritas,in their rich red or black gowns,clicking in great rhythm and beat a pair of castenets in each hand..just like Fred Astair’s tap dancing….while they performed their swirling,aggressive ,yet sensous dance….simply could not do so ! 

The World’s going to be painted in Red and Yellow tonight ! 

Olé!

The Germans are surely going to eat Paul,their Octopus today !…What an irony ! Their Octopus has always picked the Winner correctly and it  had picked Spain for today’s Semi-Finals v/s Germany !…It predicted right yet again !….and poor Paul is going to die for being right! as the Germans have said they will eat the Octopus if Germany loses !…maybe it may live for a few days more as it may be asked to predict the 3rd Place Winners when the losing semi-finalists,Germany and Uruguay play each other on Saturday,July 10,2010 !

The Spaniards were deserving winners…making regular inroads into the German Defence…In the 73rd minute it was the Spaniard, Carles Puyol who powered in a  great header from a Corner to make it 1-0 for Spain…This was the closing scoreline…. makes it look like it was a close and tight match…it really was not…the Germans ,without Mueller,were not just not themselves…the spark that demolished England in the QFs was missing

Spain should have won 2-0 if Pedro had been unselfish and passed to Torres to score…in fact Pedro was preferred to Torres in the Opening Eleven…and played a brilliant match except for this one selfish moment which denied Spain a second Goal…..Torres was benched and  came in only late in the second half as a substitute 

So on Sunday,July 11,2010 it will be SPAIN v/s NETHERLANDS and whoever wins,the World will see a New World Football Champion…an Eighth Champion

Cheers !

I Love FIFA World Cups….for more reasons than one!

Distinctly remember the Family excitement during the FIFA World Cup 2006 in Germany…. A leading Mumbai Tabloid was running a Daily SMS Contest on guessing the Winner in the Day’s matches… I have this habit of reading Mumbai’s two afternoon tabloids while having my lunch… and so I was on one Monday afternoon in June 2006…. June 19, 2006…. That day Spain was to play Tunisia and the contest was to guess who would win…. To take Chances is my Profession !… and I love entering such contests where you don’t have to exercise and stretch your Brain Cells and which does not taunt your IQ Level… and so reflexively I had send a sms that Spain would beat Tunisia that day and promptly forgot all about it… even saw the match till half time when Tunisia was leading 1-0….. next day Tuesday Morning I receive a wake up call on my mobile at 7 am !

Caller : ” Hello is this 98201…..?’

Me  (Yet to wake up  fully) :”Huh ?”

Caller :”Congratulations ! You’ve just won a 42 Inch Plasma TV in yesterday’s Contest!…..can you come to our office at 11 am for a photo shoot?”

Me (Still Sleepy): ” Contest ? ! It’s a bit too early…. can you please call later”

My wife : “Who was it ?”

Me (yet to sink in): “Somebody saying I won a 42 inch Plasma TV in a contest I entered yesterday”

Wife : “What !… and you told him to call later !…. you did not even give him your name !”

Me (now forced to wake up) : ”Must be a Joke”

Wife : “It’s not April the First and who would joke like this on a Tuesday morning!”

Anyway, it being a Tuesday, my wife and I vist the Siddhivinayak Temple in Prabhadevi in Mumbai and the Shrine of Infant Jesus and St Anthony at Worli…. It was past 9 am and we were driving towards the Temple when the Caller called again

” Sir, I had called you earlier this morning……”

To cut it short, despite down 0:1 at halftime, Spain had gone on to win the match against Tunisia 3:1 and this tabloid had pulled my mobile Number from over Eight lakh entries as the Lucky Winner !

How’s that for Luck and Probability !!!

As I was unable to go at 11 am for a photo shoot at their Parel Office, I send them my standard serious (wife thinks Glum ) face passport size colour photo by email… and I suppose all of you will say that a Wife is always right !

My Mom… she was alive at the time…. was outright disbelieving…. till I showed her my Photo as the Winner on the Front Page of the Wednesday, June 21, 2006 Edition that my office staff had already purchased several copies of before I reached office… Diwali Bonus, however remained at the same level that year !… A Scan of the the relevant section of the Front Page with my Photo is reproduced above

I was kicked…. as I was featured next to my favourite Bollywood Actress, Madhuri Dikshit nee Nene and below me was a cheering and gorgeous German Woman Football Fan with the name of the Popular German Footballer ’Ballack’ painted across her Bare Chest… The second Scan above is the original

Friends and Clients had called in to congratulate… apparently they too have the habit of reading afternoon tabloids !

As a kick, and it was a joint decision !, my ace multimedia professional wife removed the name ‘Ballack’ and inserted my name ‘Gaurav’ across the Woman Fan’s Chest and emailed it to all our friends !… It was Fun !… It’s the first scan above… You would be kicked too if you had been in my place !

However, I had to call the Tabloid several times  to force them to arrange the TV so I could view the Sunday Finals in July 2006 ! Since it was a Daily Contest for the whole Duration of the World Cup, it seems there were 30 Winners and therefore 30 TVs to be delivered… But my calls paid off… I got a call to collect the TV on  the Saturday just before the Sunday Finals.. only Two sets were ready for delivery and they were giving me one !

I told them that I was conducting an Intensive one day workshop on Equity Portfolio Structuring and Stock Analysis at the BSE Training Institute that Saturday, but could I send my wife, children and visiting nephews from overseas who were more excited and keen… ofcourse they said, as long as I send my Mobile for verification of the SMS and Number ! …… so while I was conducting the exclusive workshop at BSE, my family, five excited members, had gone to the Parel office, collected an authority letter and then marched to Big Bazaar to take delivery of a 42 Inch Plasma TV…. when I reached later that Night, my tech savvy kids and nephews had already assembled the TV and tuned it to the cable channels…. the technician actually came later after a few days…. we all watched the 2006 Finals on a 42 Inch Plasma Screen at Home

Touch Wood, four years to date, the 42 Inch Plasma is working just fine…. The Plasma Technology and the Wider Screen brings alive Movies, Music Videos, News, Sporting Events, Sitcoms, Comedy and Drama Serials and Reality Shows…. It’s become a Family member !

Two last points…..

…..We had offered to share our happiness with relatives and friends in that they could borrow the TV for weeks at a time to enjoy too… they were kind enough to decline !

…..There is always suspicion that such contests could be rigged… but my winning proved that atleast this Contest was genuine…. so every day, I had friends and family entering the Contest… in fact my elder sister would call me to ask who the winner would be for that day’s Contest Match!…… Alas, no one won any more TVs from Family or Friends !

Now I’m awaiting some Good Fortune in this 2010 FIFA World Cup too !…. Any Contest anyone know off that I can enter !?

If you think ‘Lucky’,you’ll get Lucky !… that’s a great positive Mantra to follow… Invest in this Theme !

Cheers !

We are a Football Crazy Family… Son played in the Team that won the Inter School Gold for the first time in it’s 145 year history a few years ago…. My daughter is the State Goalkeeper  and has been shortlisted as a Core Probable for the Second Camp for the selection of the India Girls u-16 National Football Team…. my wife is a great and loyal cheerleader and i have captained my school team, played in the Goal and also played for my college team… till a year ago, I had assumed the role of a voiceferous defacto Coach at my daughters inter school matches, running up and down the lines, screaming at the girls to pass, shoot, centre, clear….. Both kids love Liverpool and Gerrard and Torres… I love Brazil and Kaka…. we are all looking forward to a mesmerising Messi and a Racing Rooney regaling us with Goals at the FIFA World Cup that begins this Friday

Hey ! and check out this superb FIFA World Cup Match Schedule link… a lovely way to display the Schedule in June and July 

http://www.marca.com/deporte/futbol/mundial/sudafrica-2010/calendario-english.html

Host Nation, South Africa kicks off the World Cup by playing Mexico in the Opening Match this Friday, June 11, 2010 in Johannesburg

The Finals will be played on Sunday, July 11, 2010… again in Johannesburg… it will be the 64th and Final Match in this World Cup

Suspended IPL Chairman, Lalit Modi had boasted that the IPL will be a bigger Brand and Event than even the FIFA World Cup !… Modi, Go Fly ‘Kites’ with Hritik Roshan and Barbara Mori !… Cricket is played by less than 30 Nations…. Football by over 200 !… IPL never excited me !… FIFA World Cup excitement has never left me !

I’m really excited about FIFA World Cup… so what if India has never qualified yet… I yet remember the magic of  Maradona, Socrates, Rummeneiger and Paulo Rossi in the 1970s and 1980s and the harmless betting we did between us in the Middle East Nation Office of a Big Four Auditing Firm during the 1986 World Cup in Mexico

Have Strong Memories of the controversial ‘Hand of God’ Goal scored by Diego Maradona for Argentina against England in the quarterfinals of the 1986 World Cup… Maradona unfairly used his hand to score the Goal… the referee did not see this and allowed the Goal…. Argentina won the match 2-1 and went on to beat Germany in the Finals to lift the Trophy…. but it was Maradona’s second goal in this match v/s England that was voted in 2002 as the Goal of the Century… he magically dribbled past six England Players to score….. he’s going to be there too this World Cup, as the coach of the Argentina Team

Some of my Friends have already left for South Africa to be there !… I was even invited by the Johannesburg Head of an Exchange for the World Cup when we were both at the SAFE Conference in Mauritius in April… he said he would arrange the tickets… Idiot that I am, I had just said “Let’s See”…. What’s there to See !… It’s the World Cup !

So let’s kick some ball from this Friday !…. and let’s see Brazil lift the Trophy on Sunday, July 11, 2010 !

Ah!… and yes, please excuse me for being late to office in the morning… hangover from previous night’s matches

Cheers !

Captain Dhoni simply blamed IPL Parties and a Poor Performance for India’s debacle at the World Cup T 20 in West Indies….Really !

Captain needs to take the Blame really….. His Captaincy in this T 20 World Cup was outstandingly Poor on both Tactics and Team Selection… he preferred to chase when he should have batted… and yesterday he batted when he should have chased….. knowing that he had to not only beat Sri Lanka but also improve the net run rate, he opted to Bat first !….. My strong view was that he should have put the Lankans in to bat….. he would have had a target to chase which he needed to get in 18 overs….also his batting order was suspect… Our Top Batsman, Rohit Sharma never even got a chance to Bat in yesterday’s game!…..and Pathan should have opened…… Rohit Sharma was inexplicably kept out of the first three games…. he scored an unbeaten 79 against Australia to restore some respectability…. he was wrongly given out against the West Indies…. and yesterday he did not even get a chance to bat !……. Jadeja lost us two crucial Super 8 matches before he was dropped, not by Dhoni, but my public outbursts in India ! ….. Yuvraj was in Sulk Mode… he always is these days and it’s affecting his batting big time

Dhoni lost the whole Plot in this World Cup…. there was no Hunger in Him to Win…. His aura was not there…he simply was unable to lift and inspire the Team…. Methinks this has something to do with the great Wealth of Millions of Dollars he has procured through Endorsements of Fans, Bikes, Mobile Services,  Real Estate Companies and a score of other Products and Services!…. nothing wrong… but when such Newly Got Wealth kills the Hunger to Win,the obscenity of it all comes up for scrutiny…. Methinks he needs rest from Captaincy to rethink and reignite his fire and hunger to win… we need a Dynamic Dhoni again and not a Mellowed one like he’s become !

Clearly Our Team has issues between them…. Dhoni said that they had not come to West Indies to Lose !….. but then they were not even Hungry for a Win !… there was no passion…. no intensity… no team camadarie visible…. they have let down themselves, their fans and their Country… I know Cricket is just a Game…. but you must go down fighting !

BCCI is also accountable here….. they are the culprits too…..IPL was timed just before the World Cup for the second year now….. clearly Money Matters more than Country Pride…. Also BCCI’s Team Selection had raised a few eyebrows… Favoritism, Nepotism, Regional Bias was quite evident….. Utthappa was left out, as was Irfan Pathan….. Many players, like Sehwag, suffered Injuries in the IPL and could not play for India

Seems the IPL has become a Curse for our Country…. because of the Lavish Way it has been conducted….. Obscene Monies, Bloated Egos, Over the Moon Valuations, Owner Frontings,Distracting and Alluring and Seductive Glamour on and off the Field, Suspicion of Match Fixing, Improper Tiring Six Week Scheduling of the IPL just before the Crucial World Cup leading to Player Injuries and Fatigue….. and all that we hear from BCCI and the Franchise Owners is that IPL is a great Brand !… Methinks BCCI deserves the sobriquet of the “Brand for the Cabaret of Cricket in India” … I can label it worse, but it’s etiquette to be polite

And for Godsake get some really good Cricket anchors on the Live Telecast…. ESPN had jokers like Cyrus Broacha and some Girl, who is supposed to be Hot in TV Serials and Reality Shows trying to be funny and entertaining from the Studio…. they were bloody facetious, with little or no knowledge of the Game…. It’s an Experiment that has not worked….. Thank God, on field host, West Indian Ian Bishop did not do the ‘Bhangra’ yesterday before our Crucial Match, as repeatedly egged on to do so by Cyrus through the other on field Host, Ravi Shastri… It took a wise Wasim Akram in the studio with Cyrus to bring the focus back to cricket when he quickly interfered and asked Bishop a Cricketing Question….. and Cyrus, you do the ‘Bhangra’ after you’ve won the Match… not before !…more so when intensity and serious focus was the call of the hour in this crucial match… get off the Screen, Cyrus… you’re a Bloody Bore where Serious Cricket is concerned…. it’s one thing being really witty and it’s quite another being really stupid !…. and Girl, show some respect to our National Team, no matter how poorly they are perfroming…. how can you comment on International TV about our Player, Vinay Kumar, who was getting his first game, with an insulting tone “All Expenses Paid Trip to the Carribean!”…. the guy was selected in our T 20 Team and deserves to be respected… you have simply no bloody right to derate him like this… keep your personal opinions to yourself and restrict your comments to Cricketing Performance on the field

Methinks like we Nationalised our Banks in 1969, we need our Government to supersede the BCCI immediately and set up a new depoliticised Body for Cricket to be run and headed by Pedigree Cricket Professionals who are known for their Integrity

Methinks also the Government has no Guts to do this…. Why ?…. see how it stayed a pathbreaking welcome policy announced by our Minister for Sports, Gill restricting the maximum tenure of heads of various National Sporting Associations in  India to 12 years….. immediately a hue and cry was heard loud and clear from the likes of V K Malhotra and Suresh Kalmadi… these guys have been ruling Archery and Athletics for decades, without much to show for it…. they went crying to our PM, who has stayed this policy implementation… it will now be considered only after  the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi this October…. we Indians are keeping our fingers crossed for the successful conduct of these Games after the huge Controversies that centred around the slow progress on Preparation and Construction of facilities  for the Games…. Suresh Kalmadi barely has managed to keep his Job !

Praying that this IPL Controversy and the Lalit Modi v/s BCCI battle will finally open the Pandora’s Box and Cricket Administration and Selection will be overhauled in India and Selection is always on Merit and All Players always play for Pride when they Play for Our Mother India and keep our Tricolour Flying High…. they have to Play as a Team and Give off their Best…. shedding off their personal egos and internal tiffs when they don the India Cap and go on the Field

Then Cricket is just another Game… and Winning and Losing is part of it

Cheers !

I’ve always admired Dhoni for his winning attitude,his leadership,his astute captaincy and aggression and calm temperament…he commands respect

Dhoni’s inexplicable Captaincy and Game Approach

But yesterday was an aberration….. I was simply angry with Dhoni’s captaincy and approach in their first Super 8 Match against Australia,which they lost… It was not the real Dhoni out there!….. this is why

• India wins the Toss and inexplicably, Dhoni elects to chase… even Australian Captain Michael Clarke voiced this post match
• On a bouncy and pacey wicket, Dhoni got two spinners into the attack in the first six overs when there are field restrictions…. he simply did not read the wicket
• Dhoni continues with spinner Jadeja… Jadeja was ‘jadoed’ for 19 in his first over and 19 in his second… Watson smashed three consecutive sixes and then Warner repeated this !
• Dhoni simply did not muster the team together… there was lack of a thought process and application… Batsman after Batsman threw their wicket getting aggressive too quickly before settling down… All that was required was to play out the first few overs peacefully and adapt to the initial bounce and pace of the  pitch that was an advantage to the Fast bowlers with the new hard ball….. Dhoni needed to remind and convey this to the players in real time… he lost this right as he himself holed out early, ironically to a spinner, when he should have shown temperament and settled in first as our full top order had caved in before India even reached 50!
• Dhoni’s post match explanation was that we dd not get a good batting start and Watson and Warner took the game away from us by aggressive hitting !… come on Dhoni ! our batting strength is right down to No 10…no offense to Nehra intended ! ….. every batsman that followed capitulated like the openers did…being prematurely aggressive and trying to hit their way out of trouble before settling down and adapting to pitch conditions offering pace and bounce with the new ball and  this was being exploited by the Aussie pacers!… as Harbhajan Singh stated just after the Aussie Innings that 185 was gettable on this wicket…. only our batsmen were in a real hurry to get it ! when pacing their innings would have been the ideal strategy given the early advantage of pace and bounce being exploited with the new ball by the Aussie Pace attack
• Dhoni did not acknowledge in his post match media talk the fantastic batting contribution of Rohit Sharma… I hope it’s not developed into a Dhoni v/s Sharma situation…. This is not good for Indian Cricket

Rohit Sharma comes to India’s rescue

Our Batsman in great form,Rohit Sharma was never played in the first three matches and thankfully got his chance against Australia… he smashed an unbeated 79 in India’s final total of 135… at one stage we were 50 for 7!…. now try and drop him,Dhoni!….Commentator,Ian Chappell even commented as to how Rohit Sharma has been badly treated by Indian Selectors despite being the most talented of the emerging players…Ravi Shastri retorted that Talent is not enough and Rohit needs to perform !… come on Ravi, this guy is deliberately not being selected.. how can he perform !… and believe me, everytime he’s batting, I love watching him… he’s classy, fearless, confident, hits beautifully all round the wicket and powerfully too…. and more important can clear the field at will !… An Imperative Skill for T 20….. and Ravi, post match you were on one of the TV News Channels and I was quite amused to hear you do a u-turn on Rohit Sharma…” I’ve always said…..” is how you started when praising Rohit Sharma…. Ravi, you’ve got sound cricketing knowledge… just try and be a little unbiased and less presumptious

Not taking anything away from Australia’s fabulous performance

This is not to take away the credit from a fabulous all round performance by the Aussies…. Clearly Australian opening batsmen Watson and Warner ’sixed’ us out and their opening pace attack of Shaun Tait and Dirk Nannes ’bounced’ and ‘paced’ and ‘yorked’ us out …. but we let them !…. Man of the Match, Warner smashed 72 in 40 odd balls and took a stunning catch

I was watching the match with my son… and at the outset was predicting from the start how our batsmen will refuse to apply their mind and settle down before getting aggressive…. this will result in them getting out to skiers having been beaten by pace and bounce

All our Opening Pair had to do was to see out the first four overs ! They should have taken a  cue from the Australian Opener Watson who took eight balls to open his account…..Instead, inexplicably, India threw their wickets and by this the match !… Don’t read more than the literal meaning here… I’m not trying to raise any bogeys!….Murli Vijay, Gambhir, Raina, Pathan… all got out to miscued skiers….Yuvraj and Nehra were yorked… Jadeja was run out….. Dhoni, Harbhajan and Zaheer holed out…. Lack of Adaptability,Application and Temperament were on shocking display

We clearly have the batting strength right down to the end and with wickets in hand we could have chased over 10 runs an over in the last five….. India lost by 49 runs in the end… chasing 185 to win, we scored 135….. an unbeated 79 by classy Rohit Sharma saving India the blushes… or else we would have been thrashed by over a 100 runs!

Ravindra Jadeja is simply not World Class

In hindsight it was Jadeja’s two overs that cost us 38 runs and the match really !… the first over was a mistake…. Dhoni took a great risk gave him another and chose to repeat the mistake !… of his 12 balls, he was hit for six ’sixes’…. Jadeja also dropped Watson’s catch at square-leg in the very first over… India paid heavily for this…. even when batting, Jadeja was run out stupidly… he was running towards the non striker’s end and instead of doing so wicket to wicket, he had his eye on the fielder at mid on and in natural reflex swayed away heavily diagonally while approaching the crease to avoid being hit by the throw!… “joh dar gaya woh mar gaya !”… This fearful reflex action cost India and him his wicket

I will be really annoyed if Jadeja is persisted with in the remaining two Super 8 matches that India plays against West Indies and Sri Lanka… he needs to be dropped now!

Net Run Rate may decide India’s entry into the Semi Finals

India needs to win both it’s remaining matches against West Indies and Sri Lanka and even then a net Run Rate may decide our fate, unless both our upcoming opponents lose to Australia…. I hope Australia does not allow itself one loss simply to thwart India !

With India at 50 for 7 at one stage, the ‘Net Run rate’ Fear was pronounced as we were staring at defeat by over a 100 runs!…. We must thank Rohit Sharma, who with his aggressive unbeaten 79 saved us the blushes and upped our run rate… Our other leading batsmen need to bow down to Rohit Sharma and take a cue from him as to how to hold temperament and face hostile bowlers on a bouncy and pacey wicket… sadly, most of our players have huge bloated egos and will not even acknowledge a lesson to be learnt…. Sadly even our Captain, Dhoni did not even refer to Rohit Sharma in his post match press speak

Dissension in the Indian Team

I clearly sense dissension in the Indian Team…. Our players were spread all over the stands,instead of sitting together…. Yuvraj had marooned himself away from others… Rohit Sharma’s initial batting approach smacked of “I couldn’t care less!”… he missed a fast ball coming down the crease… he was simply sauntering back… and could easily have been stumped… he however redeemed himself with a lovely unbeaten knock of 79…. Dhoni lost the right to pull up his players as he himself holed out early to mid-on of Smith, the lone Aussie spinner on display… I expected him to show the temperament and curb his aggressive streak until he settles down and play out the remaining overs… he simply compounded the mistakes made by our full top order of batsmen who threw their wickets before him

We need to redeem ourselves and thrash West Indies this Sunday… but be forewarned,West Indies too are in a similar frame of mind and need to redeem themselves too having lost badly to Sri Lanka yesterday… We need to play as a team with a focus and singular objective to win… not just eleven individuals playing their own game with their individual mindsets !

Is T 20 good for the game of Cricket ?…the verdict is yet out there

As far as T 20 Concept itself is concerned, the verdict is yet out there whether it’s good or bad for the Game of Cricket… depends on which perspective you’re looking at it

Clearly T 20 is proving to be a great entertainer and is bringing the crowds back in and even those, like most women, who don’t really understand the game are learning it’s nuances… This is great to promote the Game of Cricket around the world and make it more popular… Cricket has to evolve…. Imagine playing to an empty stadium… for any game to progress and become popular you need to have widespread crowd support and interest

However there are two strong arguments against T 20…both valid

• Cricketing Skills are being honed and fast tracked to suit T 20… Purists are aghast at this…. Many Cricketing legends feel that T 20 is merely Exhibition Cricket…. Batting and Bowling techniques be damned !… However the ground reality is that the 50 over version is dying out… it’s boring and too long when viewed against the T 20… A full day’s play cannot hold crowd interest !…. Attempts to revive interest in a full day’s game are being made through having bowling and fielding restrictions with now even allowing the batting team to pick any ‘five over’ period for fielding restrictions to apply!…. How about breaking up the Innings into two of 25 overs each ! ?… with modifications like  allowing two batmen, who have got out in the first innings  to bat again in the second innings!… but within the overall ten wickets parameter
• Crowd Puller leads to being a Money Puller… IPL has demonstrated this,rather obscenely I may add !…… the IPL and even Advertising Endorsement Contracts to Cricketers are so lucrative that Money Motivation is leading and creating a Cricketer mindset  that playing IPL is more luring and the ultimate than playing for your Country !…. of course cricketers will ad-lib that Country comes first ! …. if you view the passion with which IPL is played and the confidence with which cricketers endorse products and services against the careless and casual approach of our Cricketers yesterday when donning the India cap, this conviction grows stronger

Ofcourse I love T 20…. especially when India wins !…. and I also believe it’s not simply a ‘Wham Bam’ Game ! or only a Game of Chance and Luck !…. one can apply a mind to deploying and being flexible with strategy to win the game… so one can begin with Plan A and fall back on Plan B and C as the game’s dynamics keep changing

Problem was that yesterday India and it’s Captain Dhoni had no Plan A or B or C going into the game !