Sports : life magnified

Sportolysis
has moved to its new home at

http://www.sportolysis.com/

The new URL corresponding to
http://www.sportolysis.blogsome.com/
is
http://www.sportolysis.com/

So remember to check out sportolysis.com because i won’t be posting here any more.

Finally I make the shift to my own domain name with the full version of wordpress to exploit. It is a momentous occassion. Blogsome has been a wonderful host but it is time to move on.

Hope you join in with me in the ride.

I have started a column at Desicritics called The Flipper.

The following is the inaugral issue of the same. Small parts of it are repeats of short posts earlier.

Corey Flintoff, son of Andrew Flintoff, was born just a few days ago. English cricket fans are already predicting the 2025 Ashes to be Corey’s Ashes (similar to Ian Botham’s Ashes in 1981.) Yeah right! Just like the 2005 Ashes were Liam Botham’s Ashes. Liam Botham, Ian Botham’s son, did play country cricket for Hampshire and took the wicket of Mike Gatting as part of his early exploits. But his true calling was rugby to the dismay of the millions of English fans.

For all we know, the sons of cricketing greats do not become greats. Cricinfo published an article on the subject. Does any one recall W.G. Grace junior, Richard Hutton, Eric Bedser, Mali Richards, Ron Headley or John Bradman? How many people for that matter will remember Rohan Gavaskar 20 years from now? Some cricketers, like Chris Cairns and Yuvraj Singh, have achieved more glory compared to their fathers. However, how many sons have even emulated a great cricketing father, let alone surpass his achievements? Mohinder Amarnath? Lala Amarnath was not a great player though he has been one of the most controversial cricketers in Indian cricket history.

It is near impossible to emulate a great father. This is why I squirm when I see photographs of junior Tendulkar or junior Inzamam in the papers. Let the kids be. It is a great injustice to the children of famous cricketers. John Bradman in fact changed his family name to Bradsen for a while when he was finding it impossible to lead his own life and create an identity for himself. Sadly, expectations and comparisons are part of the human psyche. This does not change the reality that the lives of the sons and daughters of famous people get affected adversely in more ways than we can imagine because of the unrealistic expectations of the fans and the media lapping up to this expectation. I feel extremely sorry for Corey Flintoff whenever I hear any one mention his name because of this.

One aspect of the English fans I do admire tremendously is their ability to laugh at themselves. Essex guys will make fun of Yorkshire guys, Yorkshire guys will make fun of the eccentricities of the Surrey guys and so on and so forth. The jokes never end. It is all in good spirit and creates a healthy sporting atmosphere. Individuals are hardly spared either. So Ricky Clarke and Ian Salisbury are quite popular as centre pieces in jokes because of their ordinary records.

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More than 150 Indian Bloggers have joined The Blank Noise Project to highlight the harassment of women on Indian streets. Why should any one have to bear indignity because of the gender?

I have had my women friends speak on harassment, leering they have to go through. Not being a woman, I am not the right person to speak from personal experience on the issue. Only a woman can truly express how she feels on the issue.

I am all for equality though and in that vein, am strongly behind the intentions of the cause. I would like to highlight on the state of equality in sport in general taking this opportunity. Most sports have a far less following for the women’s game compared to the men’s game. Tennis, athletics apart how many games can you think of where you can recount names of women sports people? Do they try less or are the games less interesting to watch?

Why is there hardly a following for Women’s football, cricket, basketball, et all? Apart from the lack of general interest of people, the participation of women is also far behind because of society at large. Indian, Pakistani women are discouraged to play in the sun as it is apparently going to cause their skin to become darker, hence ugly. People don’t want to marry dark women. White skin is supposedly more beautiful. India does not have the WNBA but the Women’s Railways Basketball team has just as dedicated and sincere players.

Most of those who do manage to play the game have to retire way before they reach their prime. Pressure from parents and society to marry is too much to resist beyond a point. These problems are specifically worse in the subcontinent. When sports people sacrifice marriage, kids in many countries, in the subcontinent such bold decisions are looked down upon rather than being applauded.

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There was a time when I used to reflect on the composition of the Indian test team. There used to some basis for team selection then. The test squad chosen to face England is the latest in a series of many whimsical selections.

Picture some recent inconsistencies in selection -

Famously choosing Ganguly to play as an all rounder in the team.
Dropping/choosing him regardless of match performances.
The treatment of Yuvraj, Kaif. (In and out of the XI, team)
Choosing Parthiv Patel above Dinesh Karthik as reserve wicket keeper for tour of Pakistan. This despite Karthik not doing much wrong.

And we haven’t even gone to the bowlers yet.. The first two tests in Pakistan were on flat tracks. No bowler should be judged based on that. The third test at Karachi was a failure for Zaheer Khan. Ajit Agarkar wasn’t even included in the first XI for that test. Without given a proper run, the two players were dumped.

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Barcelona-Chelsea champions league encounters last year were exciting, full of emotions and heart breaking for me as a staunch supporter of Barca. There has been the pitch controversy with Chelsea delaying re-laying the pitch. Obviously Barcelona players aren’t pleased. Silvinho said:

I cannot believe it. I have heard they are making the condition of their pitch worse. I’ve heard many complaints about the pitch.

Why should patches devoid of grass be left for such a crucial match?

The latest suggestion by Mourinho regarding inviting Barca to use their training base doesn’t serve much purpose. The crucial first leg will still be played on a poorer pitch than it should.

Well the conditions will be equal for both teams and whoever plays better in these circumstances will be the winner. The pressure is on Barca as they did loose to Chelsea last year, though by the thinnest of margins (goal difference) in the two leg encounter. History will not look at Barcelona going down two years in a row to Chelsea too kindly. It will mean that Barca will have a tougher challenge to be recognised as a great team in the future by many fans. It would be greatness denied. I hope I am smiling after the second leg is complete on March 7th.

Will has brought to focus an aspect of South African cricket I was unaware of.

The Sportstar magazine is bigger and cheaper. It has also cut the out of its name. The annual subscription costs as little as Rs. 5 an issue now. In the world of inflating prices, the magazine has managed to keep its price the same for more than 16 years. It now cuts down on the prices. In the price sensitive Indian market, this will surely increase sales.

It’s not the umpire’s fault that the technology is better than the past. Also they travel an extra ordinary amount of time which doesn’t make their task easier. Blame the ICC for not implementing technology where its conclusive and the ICC for not appointing at least a few more umpires than they do currently. The ICC panel of umpires has gone down to 7 from 12 when it started off if I am not mistaken.

Make the job more lucrative and make their schedules less hectic.

Both type of players have their utility in a team. So just because player X scores faster than player Y, it wouldnt put him ahead in a test match.

Its a 5 day match and a team game and to build a score, a sheet anchor, anattacking player - all are useful.

A common arguement which people give to rate Ponting ahead of Dravid - in a scenario where quick runs are needed Ponting will be more useful - he is a far more attacking batsman with a higher strike rate.

1) Even in that scenario a Dravid at an end could be useful for the attacking players to pile the runs from the other end having the assurance of one player keeping an end safe.

2) There are scenrios where you have to play a defensive role (when encountering difficult weather conditions for instance where there is excessive swing, unfavourable conditions to pile the runs) and Dravid would be more useful there. Playing a defensive role in an inning or 2 sessions can contribute as much to a winning cause as an attacking inning.

It is too close to call but I would have Dravid because he adds solidity.

Here is wishing all the visitors to my blog a merry christmas and a happy new year.

I have had a busy schedule with business which may partially explain me not posting regularly.

Thanks for stopping by in 2005 and hope you will do the same in 2006!

Its more than 24 hours and I am still devastated and do not know how to react to it. Latino Heat will live on forever.

The laws are quite clear on this. The umpires have the final say on the pitch. Also if the conditions or the pitch, ground etc are not dangerous it is playable.

In a test match in India vs England play was stopped and the match abandoned because the ball was bouncing so awkwardly that it could cause serious damage to the English batsmen. Hussain was right to protest and the umpires were right to stop play.

But if the pitch is not dangerous, and its within the laws So what is the issue why so many English fans are disgruntled with the pitches provided to them.

A great team wins even in the most adverse of conditions.

Lokendra Pratap Sahi puts all the blame on Chappell and gives a clean chit to Ganguly. Little surprise there. What is even less surprising is that he has raised no apparent objectivity of his on the out burst of Ganguly to the media.

On the from page of the same newspaper, By the same Mr. Sahi, Chappell is compared to Fergusson and it is stated that:

It’s a fight, essentially, to occupy the one Big Boss chair in the Team India dressing room.

Also Ganguly is painted as a rose boy waiting till meeting BCCI officials before telling all. Really again I ask, why did Ganguly open his mouth initially in Zimbabwe if he was so goody-goody.

The article goes on:

The e-mail was sent after the first Test (Bulawayo) which is why Chappell didn’t nail Sourav for lack of form. He scored a hundred there.

Frankly, the coach’s accusations don’t exactly add up.

Really Mr. Sahi, it would be better if you stuck to journalism rather than making speculations.

The latest comments from Ganguly are irritating to say the least. Ganguly tries to draw the lines the crisis should be embroiled in by saying:

I don’t think the entire team should be dragged into this

This comes a two days after Tendulkar’s statement that it was wrong on Ganguly’s part that dressing room matters were told to the press. Why should team members not have a right to comment on an issue as important as the decision of a captain and a coach when their own captain has not been responsible enough to deal with a matter with the BCCI rather than make a media circus of it? Who is Ganguly to say team members should not drag themselves into it if they want to.

Also Ganguly remarks:

It was some statement made by the coach. It is between the coach and me and we have to sort it out.

Sorry but it was a statement made by you Mr. Ganguly which spilled the milk. The statement of Chappell was his opinion told in private to you. If you had qualms with his opinion you should have dealt with it in a better way. If you really felt it was to be sorted out between you and the coach, you should not have gone to the media in the first place.

It is important that the team does well regardless of whoever leads it or coaches it. The team is more important than individuals. We need to play good, hard cricket as we will be facing very good teams. We will be playing Sri Lanka at home, then tour Pakistan and play England at home before going to the West Indies. It is going to be tough and we need to get our act together.

Really are all these things required to be said. I doubt if its not a way of Ganguly trying to show he is very much a team man. Really shows his insecurity.

Add to all this, Sambit Bal gives a perspective on the timing of things. The timing of the remark made by Ganguly a few days before the AGM of the BCCI where Dalmiya faction was likely to lose. The leaking of the coach’s e-mail diverting the attention from the adjourning of the AGM.

All this leading to a Ganguly supporting Dalmiya faction organising an urgent meeting on the 27th of September to sort things out.

I watched more than six hours of good tennis live at the Sunfeast Open. I wanted to comment on the Uberoi sisters, Sprem and Myskina. The current scheme of things in Indian cricket had to clog my mind regretfully.

The gladiators of the sporting world continue to create their mark. England has won the Ashes and the cricketing world cannot get enough of talking about it. Kim Clijsters has won a slam finally. Andre Agassi has been denied by the indomitable Federer. The Champions league has begun and I am happy Barca has managed to win its game.

Closer to home the Sunfeast Open WTA Tennis tournament will begin in Netaji Indoor Stadium right here in Calcutta on September 19th. I have the tickets for the last three days.

Will I be able to meet some of the stars? Keep track of sportolysis for my experiences from the tournament.

Tendulkar is out of the tests to be played in Zimbabwe as well and early optimism based on the return of Tendulkar hinging on hid selection into the 13 man squad has been dashed. The maestro, once regarded as God in India is now being treated with disdain by many fans which is infuriating. If Tendulkar would have played in the series, and scored a century, they would have chanted ‘Tendulkar can score runs only against the weak teams.’ Now they will chant ‘he is injured and past his best.’

Tendulkar, it seems, can never satisfy the unearthly expectations of his fans. I am glad Tendulkar is taking as much time as he deems fit before making a proper come back. As fans, there should be as much support as possible for the player in what is the most difficult phase in his career. Sadly the fans are doing the opposite.

Between work 10 AM to 8 PM the sport action I have been able to catch up has been the excellent Ashes contest and the football.

The Ashes have truly surprised me. I did not give the English a chance to win even a test even though I was sure they would give a good fight. I have never seen a close Ashes contest and feel luck I am able to catch the best Ashes contest since 1989.

I managed to catch three Premiership games over the weekend. Liverpool and Gerrard could not score but I liked the well fought out match nevertless. Arsenal vs Newcastle was scratchy but the backup strength of Arsenal looks good. Chelsea vs Wigan was a classic and a heartbreak when Crespo scored.

Too bad the net connection in my room has been non existant for the past few days resulting in a dormancy in posts in the blog.

I am lucky that I have been exposed to baseball fairly more than most Indians very early. The first introductions came while playing a video game on media which I loved. It helped me get familiarised with the rules. Then went on to the best sports shop in our city at around the age of 11-12, bought a baseball bat and ball.

In the cubs (the junior form of scouts which I later joined) group in our school, we had cool ‘brothers’ who were adaptive as well. We played baseball a few days, the only time I have had experience of playing the sport in the evenings, in the night camping in school. Great days camping during holidays in school as a kid.

Okay coming back to the topic, the point is I like baseball like I do many other sports. It has got its own appeal, own specific skills required. With cable, internet and more advanced EA sports games, I understood baseball more. I would watch a live baseball game on tv as I would watch most other live sports.

The thing is cricket is unique, has far more variations than any other sport, why just compare with baseball. While every sport looks to eliminate the inconsistencies of nature, like the same court in basketball, switching of court sides in tennis, change of tennis balls after specific number of games, playing indoors - basically bringing in uniformity, cricket does the opposite.

In cricket, you have the pitch which consistently deterioates(Far less now than on uncovered wickets). The ball becomes old. (The changing of balls after 80 overs was not always there), the batsman can face a full toss or a ball on bounce, and millions of other intricacies.

Test cricket - as it originally was spanning a time (if you notice, the earlier innings were counted on minutes, the concept of counting balls only came in after advent of one day cricket), not uniform (australia and england having different rules for eg the aussie 8 ball over) and stuff makes it a unique sport. It is completely contrasting when you compare with other sports.

Now in the past 25-30 years we have had some uniformity but if you watch two simultaneous live test matches, one in australia, one in the subcontinent, you will think you are watching a different game.

Test cricket is from another age. It is less remixed than any other sport. We have the remix in the one dayers and the Martin Crowe Max cricket and now the twenty20 cricket and the double wicket tournaments and the sixes and the super 8s and stuff.

But cricket is more uncertain, has more aspects than any other game.

I LOVE playing basketball and I have had fun playing baseball and football is such a simple beautiful game (it has its own charm) but never can any thing replace the joy of bowling leg spinners for me. Some other craft for some one else may carry the same fondness.

Every sport, every game has its own aspects. Even the recent twenty20 cricket requires specific skills. I refer to it as different as it is so contrasting to the original test cricket. We can enjoy them all.

Basketball is my other love for its own reasons. It carries a passion in me like rugby does in some people. But there is no denying the uniqueness of cricket compared to baseball, tennis, basketball or any other sport.

Mianad in saying Pakistan should cancel the English tour of Pakistan has got it spot on. Should cricket teams cancel playing in Lords or other cricket venues just because there was the terrorist attacks?

Its sad Pakistan Cricket Board has not insisted on England playing in one of Pakistan’s trditional venues.

If you get a hold of Pundits From Pakistan by Rahul Bhattacharya switch over to the chapters where he describes the enigma of Karachi - the city. Switch over then to the pages which show the atmosphere after the Karachi one dayer in 2004. Jagmohan Dalmiya declares that when India next tours Pakistan, the first test match will be held in Karachi. This after India’s refusal to play in the venue.

Such was the brilliance of the match in which nearly 700 runs were scored in a day, described so aptly in this archived piece by Bhattacharya that I remember I started cheering for Pakistan beyond a point. And when Md. Kaif took that brilliant catch, and every one in Cafe Coffee Day rejoiced, I quickly sank back on my seat.

Now we have England refusing to play a test in Karachi. Samiuddin, who is fast becoming the young voice of Pakistan cricket, voices his anguish. It is more to do with the fact that people, not players, not PCB officials have done any thing when a lot could have actually been done.

My stand is simple. If India and Pakistan can play a one dayer in Karachi some time after Musharaff had life threatening attacks, England has no case. If Pakistan guarantee player safety, England have no case. If specific players wouldn’t like to play in a specific match, in this case a Karachi test for fear of family and self, they can be allowed to opt out but I doubt many England players will try to make a stance in a crucial series in Pakistan like some did in Zimbabwe. In Zimbabwe when players opted out, though the scenario was different, and yet the English toured the country, the case brought up against Karachi is unnecessary.