Scripted Retirement

Scripted Retirement
This is my second blog in the “Scripted” series, I believe you all will enjoy this and Waheguru will bless me for keeping this series in continuation.
Script and Indians are very closely related as our script, what is more popularly called “Destiny” become functional even before our birth on the earth and creates several challenges and problems for facing in a scripted manner.
Indo- Australia test match series is on and in this cricketing land all eyes, from game lovers to selectors, officials of the game to politicians and even the international cricketing scenario is aiming only at the performance of “Prince of Kolkatta” just because Dada already announcement his retirement from the cricket of international level, this series is going to be last opportunity for this great fighter of the game and most successful Indian captain to be representative of motherland on the cricketing field.
There are many talks about the retirement of some senior players from the Indian Cricket team and most people don’t hesitate to say that Sourav Ganguli is the first victim of the policies of BCCI in this regard. Some television news channels have projected this retirement announcement as the scripted retirement under sweet name of “Golden Hand Shake”. There seems to be ample space available for this suspicious happening being a scripted retirement as just 15 days prior to retirement Gaungli was confident of at least two years cricket left with him.
If the retirement of Bengal Tiger is scripted one than surely the script for this start functioning since the Indian tour to Zimbabwe with the dispute between captain and officials. What more can be said about this script, at one time, one of official was reported for saying Ganguli will not be part of Indian team till he is in the selection committee. Country has witness a huge controversy on this issue and finally this great fighter was reselected into Indian squad though not in Captain’s capacity. Things doesn’t stopped here he was kept under such a constant pressure that even though he was getting runs but his confidence and killing attitude, which has made him most successful Indian captain of the history, was missing altogether. All this resulted in making Dada isolated and concentrated within self and look India has suffer all this in the formation of two groups senior and younger in the team. Fortunately or unfortunately meanwhile India went on to win the inaugural Twenty-20 World cup in absence of these five senior players and this almost closed the doors of ODI for these masters of the game. Here I would like to mention that this will be more appropriate to say Pakistan last the match rather than India won. Destiny was on the side of India and was forcing Pakistani players for committing unforced errors. While I am writing this, there is news quoting Ganguli that he was intended to be in the team on his own merits and not on the mercy of others [selectors] and continuously on going humiliating treatment which he was receiving has forced him to announce retirement.
Whatever may be it a scripted or normal retirement but one thing is sure tigers are always path creators and leaders and this great fighting cricketer sourav was, is and will remain known as Bengal tiger. This is certain that retirement announcement of Dada is going to prove a mile stone in the Indian cricket and will prove path indicator for the players for whom age has and will start playing role of all important hurdle.
Time will surly salute Dada for the cricketing skills and making the Indian squad who not only capable of winning the game but successfully takes the war on the fields of opponent and dare to response off ground tactics in the language used by the opponent.

Cricketing controversy

Cricketing controversy

It is often said success always try to run into your head and at least at present most of the Indian cricket lovers and former players are of the opinion that success is running into the head of Indian captain M S Dhoni especially after his statement about the inclusion of the senior players into the plating squad for the ODI.

Why there is so much unrest and anguish for the Dhoni? If we look at the history of the game, this is always the captain of the team who is blamed most for the defeat of the team and has to face the criticism, even at some times is forced to leave the captaincy of the team. It is still alive in the memories that not only S. Shrikant [after the defeat in Pakistan] but many more Indian captains have gone under the same situation. In these conditions if a captain is expressing his preferences and priorities about the team composition and asking for selecting team of his choice than what is wrong in it?

We are living in the age of professionalism and killer instant has become the most important aspect of the game for the winning. Every captain is supposed to come out with a definite game plan for the victory. Cricket being the team game one has to depend a lot on the performance of other players of the team as for as winning is concerned. In these conditions it is natural right of the captains to have the players in the team who can be the most suitable for implementing his game plan for the victory.

If we look at Dhoni’s statement in this context nothing will appear abnormal and he can be appreciated for having a clear attitude but one thing which might Dhoni forget and which is causing the evolution of this storm is that we are Indians and we have a great respect, higher than human from any other part of the world, for our elders and heroes. When we talk of senior players like Sachin, Dravid, Sourav Ganguli or Even Laxman all of them have a proven record of serving the game and playing for the pride of nation. There abilities and commitment towards the game is beyond doubts and have given their best years of life for the success of Indian cricket team more ever still their game skills and playing abilities specially of sachin Ganguli are adequate to meet with the modern demands of the game even in the ODI format of the game. Secondly still in our country, sending the old aged parents to old age homes is treated as the mark of failure in fulfilling the responsibilities.

Players like the Sachin and Sourav have done a lot for the game and still they are performing well hence as the mark of respect we must leave it with them when they decided to call it a day for themselves. Here, I would like to quote Ishant sharma, when after returning from successful tour of Australia, he was asked about the experiences there, his reply was the that the most moral boosting thing of the tour was the sharing the thoughts and game plan with the players like Sachin, who had spend years on the cricket grounds almost equal of his age. Surely the physical abilities of human beings are always show a decline with growing age but that doest prove sufficient to mark end for the utility of the person concerned. The age factor has started to work against the fielding capacities of these senior players but still their talent, commitment and experience are compensating their this shortcoming and more importantly they are working for guiding the younger players and helping to build the future team by their presence in the team.

Can Dhoni even dare for dreaming of defeating Australia in Australia if he can keep performance of senior players like Sachin apart? The killing instant and aggression which is shown by the Indian team in the recent one year or so is an overnight developed attitude? Surely not, the present killing instant, zeal of winning and will of raising the performance under the pressures are the result of hard work and dedication of the players like Sachin Sourav and Dravid for over the years, considering all this we cay surely Dhoni has done a thing which doesn’t stands with the moral behavior of Indians.

If we go with the verbal meaning of statement given by Dhoni, This is objectionable at least the timing and way is surely but if we look at this as the attitude it will look a very great vision. Any way it will be more interesting to see reaction of Dhoni for such statement in coming few years. After all players like Sourav Ganguli, the most successful and inspiring captain has been force to leave the space vacant for captaincy by other and same will happen with Dhoni in few years from now. Most probably Dhoni missed that, surely it is the youth who can build the future building but this is to be build on the foundation stone provided by the elderly persons.

Twist of Selecting Indian Cricketers

Twist of Selecting Indian Cricketers

The mighty Australians are still not able to digest the ODI home series defeat at the hands of young Indian team and Indians are willing to keep continue to be in celebration mood for the this victory and winning of under 19 world cup cricket on the same day. As the world witness many sunrises since these two happenings hence the things started to settle down in to history book.

It is often said that every sunrise is bound to bring new hopes and new challenge together. Sunrise of this March 17th is going to bring a genuine challenge for the selectors of Indian cricket team as they have to pick the team for the home test match series against the newly ICC ranked No. 1 team of South Aferica. The twist of selection lies in the untold war of seniors and youngsters and gets more twisted turn with the report of physical trainer about the fitness problem of many players. It is fact that in the recent almost one year dominance of youth has been increased in the Indian team but no one will dare to deny the role played by the seniors in the recent victories of the team.

Forget about the selection committee because they know their job better and Indians are become habituate to bear the shock of one / two unexpected inclusion / exclusion in every selected team. Here we will try to find out the ideal composition of the cricket team.

The ideal composition of team is the five batsmen one wicket keeper batsman and five specialist bowlers with at least one batting all-rounder. Considering the Indian strength over the years with the aspect of batting and spin bowling and recent development of speedsters the ideal composition of team will be six batsman, one wicket keeper and four bowlers.

India is emerging as the new champion in the world cricket not of recent wins like the Twenty-20 World cup, beating Australia in Australia and winning the under-19 world but because of the strong bench strength on which Indians seems to be marching ahead of rest of the world.

Though it is said openers are the problems for the Indian team but look at options available for the selection committee
1. Gautam Gambhir
2. Wasim Jaffer
3. Aakash Chopara
4. Virendra Shewag

When we turn to middle order the option range become much more, wider with
1. Rahul Dravid
2. Sachin Tendulkar
3. Sourav Ganguli
4. V V S Laxman
5. Yuvraj Singh
6. Suresh Raina
7. Robin Uthappa
8. Mohd. Kaif
In the bowling department options available for the selection include the names [Zahir Khan being not fit is excluded from the list]
1. Anil Kumbale
2. Harbhajan Singh
3. Piyush Chawala
4. R. P Singh
5. S. Shreesanth
6. Ishant Sharma
7. Praveen Kumar
8. Murali Kartik
Indian players are facing the pressures of long schedules ahead of them at least till the end of this years they have to play back to back matches and series and surely it will be a true test for them to play the IPCL in famous Indian hot summer of months of April and May though the matches will be played late in the evening and will completed in just three hours but being of twenty 20 format, these three hours will be sufficient to absorb much of water from the fitness ocean of the players. Keeping all this I will pick the following 15 players [in order of batting]

1. Virendra Shewag
2. Gautam Gambhir
3. Rahul Dravid
4. Sachin Tendulkar
5. Saurav Ganguli
6. V V S Laxman
7. M S Dhoni
8. Irfan Pathan
9. Anil Kumbale
10. R. P Singh
11. Pravin Kumar
12. Ishant Sharma
13. Yuvraj Singh
14. Robin Uthappa
15. Piyush Chawala

I had preferred to rest Harbhjan just because of long schedule ahead and give yet another go for the young Piyush chawala to prove his worth. Having just one spinner in the playing eleven might also invite criticism from the giants of the game but considering the ability of rolling the arm over of Sachin and Shewag I can justify my selection however picking the playing eleven will be the right of team management who will be in better position to have measures of ground realities on those particular days of match. There is dispute over the fitness of Yuvraj and if he is rule out this ground I will prefer to include Suresh Raina, even S Badrinath who is not included in the options any where might get consideration here.

Excluding Sourav Ganguli from ODI cricket team

Excluding Sourav Ganguli from ODI cricket team

It seems that controversies and selection of Indian teams are running on the parallel lines. Can you recall a single selection without producing a controversy? It seems that Indian selectors are running with the habit of having the surprise element in every of their mutual decision during their gathering for the selection of the team.

Every time the selection committee comes out with one two strange and not standing to reason decisions over the inclusion or excluding some of the players. Today Indian selectors announce the team for the ODI tri nation series being held in Australia in next month. It is good to see many youngsters are getting chance to prove their worth and represent the country but surprisingly the player scoring most runs in the ODI format of the game during the year 2007 was missing the place in the list of selected team for the first tournament of the year 2008.

Sourav Ganguli might be wondering about this because during the year 2007 he had scored over 1200 runs with 12 half centuries in 32 ODI matches but all this ignored by the selectors. Will this decision boost the moral of Ganguli for giving more than 100% during the Adilade test which going to prove a question of do or die for the Indian team in Australia? Here in India news channels are playing a movie song “Hum se Kiya Bhuli Hui Jiski Saza Humko Mili” [what is my sin for which I am being punished] with the news of excluding Sourav from the ODI squad. There is difference of opinion even among the selectors over this issue and every one seems to have own reasons of excluding the Bengal Tiger from the team. The probable reaction of sourav surely will be “Not Again”.

In my opinion selectors are gambling with youth Indian brigade though the experiment at Twenty -20 world cup was successful but surely the ground realities at Australia are very much different from the South Africa and top two teams of 2007 ODI World cup will in different mood so this is going to prove an acid test for the Indians. Nothing is better than exposure for gaining the experience but surely this is not allowing any one to play with career of inform player with proven track record. Sourav Ganguli is capable of place in the team even ahead of youngsters like the suresh Raina and Yuvraj. The selected sixteen are:

1. M.S. Dhoni [Captain]
2. Yuvraj Singh [Vice captain]
3. Sachin Tendulkar
4. Virendra Shewag
5. Gautam Gambhir
6. Dinesh Kartik
7. Suresh Raina
8. Robin Uttappa
9. Irfan Pathan
10. R.P. singh
11. S Shrisanth
12. Eshant Sharma
13. Praveenkumar
14. Rohit Sharma
15. Harbhajan singh
16. Piyush Chawala

Heated Perth set to enter into History

Heated Perth set to enter into History

All is set for the start of yet another time journey towards the destination of history when the first ray of sun will touch the kangaroo land at Perth on the forth morning of third cricket test match between India and Australia.

Whatever may be the result, whoever may win the beetle but surely a page is going to be included with cricketing history. Australians will come all out for 17th straight test win where as the Indian tigers will not leave a single cricketing tactics unused for being the first team from the Indian subcontinent with a test win at WACA.

The saga of probable win by Indian team seems to be started even in the pre lunch session of the third morning though Australians succeeded in sending the three Indian stars Sachin, Saurav and Ganguli before they prove much trouble for the scoring sheet writing person but at the lunch night watchman Irfan Pathan was not out at 45. After the lunch this was Australia’s favorite V V S [very very special] Laxman, proved once again thorn in the flesh as this stylish Indian batsman not only scored almost a three quarters of century runs for self but also with the help of bowlers like R.P. Singh succeeded in stretching the Indian lead to cross the 400 mark which surely will unsettle the mental status of Australians, who were asked to chase an uphill target of 413 runs for the victory.

This time Australians were got the chance to start the victory run chase at the comparatively batsman favoring time under which yesterday Indians went to get a good start of 52 for 1 from the eleven hours but it seems that psychological barrier of the target over the 400 runs prove much stronger than the favorable conditions because when umpires call it a day Australians were struggling at 65 for the loss of two wickets and are still have to score almost three and half centuries, runs higher what is not done by any team since few decade at WACA.

Ricky Pointing escaped from the very strong LBW appeal, might be the line of contact between the ball and pad, slightest away from the stump line run into umpires mind and proved life saving for the Australian captain who once again proved fortunate in the fading lights of the day when the Kumable’s sharply turning and bouncing ball went just over the stumps excluding the bat of Ricky Pointing. Hussy seems to be encircled with the dual mind status go for run or play the role of sheath anchor.

The forth morning is set to bring the acid test for the famous long Australian batting line and zeal for the win as the play of the third day will replayed on their minds and surely will keep them restless before the judgment day. Indians are just 8 steps or good wicket taking balls away from once again being the hurdle for the Australian’s world record of straight test wins. Indians are aware of the situation of “Now or Never” for the win at the Perth hence surely every player will take the fielding position with boosted attitude. Presence of Sourav Ganguli, who captained India at Kolkatta, when Indians stopped the victory chariot of straight test wins by Australia, will surely inspire the younger players of the team for repeating the result.

It is a fact that India is in good command, but Australians will also come out with their famous never die spirit, there minds will be heated more the mercury of 39 of yesterday at Perth. Surely if the Indians can get rid of their famous attitude of being relaxed at regular intervals, start the day with the killing instant and can keep it alive till the dismissal of last Australian wicket, than there will nothing between them and first team from the Indian subcontinent winning a test match at WACA. Hope to see you all on the other side of the day with the news of Indian win.