Time to recognize ICL!!!

In cricket, rivalries have always provided some exciting moments to the cricket fans: The fans got to see some heated arguments between players, sledging, some great knocks, and great finishes to matches that have been cliff hangers. But unfortunately, the recent rivalry in the list has brought only disgust and dissidence. I am speaking about the rivalry between the ICL (Indian Cricketing League) and the IPL (Indian Premier League).

Where it started:
In 2007, a businessman called Subhash Chandra sought the help of the former Indian allrounder Kapil dev to launch a cricket league. The aim of this cricket league was to pick young and upcoming talent and to promote cricket. Unfortunately, the BCCI, fearing loss of revenue, went against ICL and asked the ICC not to recognize ICL. The BCCI even forced cricketing boards of South Africa, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan to ban players who chose to join ICL.
However, Kapil and Subhash resisted all obstacles and launched the ICL.

A Perfect Copycat That Humbled the Original:
To counter ICL, the BCCI launched its own league called IPL (Indian Premier League). The irony was that the IPL, more or less, was based on the same format of ICL. Thanks to the BCCI’s financial power, cricketing boards of other countries like Australia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and New Zealand were forced to send their cricketers to participate in the IPL. Some of the international players even retired early to play solely in the IPL. Thanks to great branding, fabulous marketing strategies, BCCI’s influence on the ICC, and the participation of renowned stars like Dhoni, Sehwag, Sachin, Hayden, Hussey, Symonds, Gilchrist , Jayasuriya, Pollock, Afridi and many others, the IPL became an inevitable hit, thus clearly overshadowing and nearly destroying the ICL before it even began. The ICL did launch it’s league a few months after the IPL, but the tournament went quietly with decent crowds. The reason being BCCI’s refusal to provide their stadiums to ICL for their matches. ICL had to depend solely upon real cricket fans for their survival.


Who is the loser?
Undoubtedly Cricket is the loser. Although, the IPL was a hit, there were many drawbacks that evolved due to the tournament. The first one was that the already-cramped international cricket calendar had to allot a window of two months for IPL and not schedule any other tournaments during that period. The next big worry was that the players started prioritizing their IPL commitments and even went to the extent of ignoring their national team commitments. A typical case, where Money won, was when SriLanka tried to forfeit their tour of England just because the tour clashed with the IPL. It was a totally disgracing situation.

Why ICL should be recognized?
Simple, any sport survives only when there is good quality of entertainment. Good quality comes only with good competition. The ICL boasts of good and genuine talent like Shane Bond, Imran Nazir, Abdur Razzaq, Reetinder Singh Sodi, and other budding talent. If the ICC recognizes the ICL, then the world of cricket will get to see some great cricketing stars. Who knows, we may see another Brian Lara, or Sachin, or perhaps another Hadlee, Kapil, or Imran?
The BCCI domination must stop now. Cricket is not a business, it is a sport. Nobody or no board can deny sportspeople their rights. Because of BCCI’s vanity, the world is not seeing a great bowler like SHANE BOND, Pakistan is losing out precious players like Imran Nazir and Abdul Razzaq. Even India may lose few talented youngsters. It is high time that Justice is served. Please recognize ICL. After all, if IPL can exist inspite of all the trouble that it has caused, why not ICL?
Not long ago, a man called Kerry Packer changed the way cricket was played. He changed the then-boring game into a colorful and exciting event, thanks to great innovative ideas. Subhash Chandra is no Kerry Packer, but why not give him a chance?
Only time will tell!

All eyes on Kumble:

There is a popular saying in sports, “Never change a winning combination”. Right now, India does not seem to believe in it. India are most likely to gamble by replacing the in-form Mishra with the old warhorse Kumble. Considering Kumble’s vast experience and his tremendous record at Feroshah Kotla (55 wickets in 6 games), India are hoping that Kumble pays off. Kumble is now under tremendous pressure to prove his worth not only as a bowler, but also as a captain. But as they say, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going”, Kumble has always been an epitome of this proverb. He can take faith from the fact that he has taken a world record 10 wicket haul here and also bagged three man of the match awards.

The buildup to the match:

India go to Feroshah Kotla as the favorites having won their last 5 tests at this venue, while Australia enter this test match requiring a win to keep their chances alive. India cannot afford to let Australia off the hook because they are too good a side to flitter the advantage.

India need to play two good spinners here, even if it means dropping Kumble for Mishra, which is unlikely. Australia on the other hand will be looking for Clarke, Lee, and Johnson to deliver the goods. Traditionally, this pitch has favored only the spinners, so Australia might find the going tough. Bringing in a specialist spinner might help Australia. India on the other hand will bank on Kumble & Harbhajan to deliver the goods.

The Aussies have been trying to intimidate the Indians with their off-field comments yet again, but India seem to stay focused. The batsmen remain the key for both teams. Aussies would want Hayden and Ponting to fire, while India would want their Fabulous Four to score well. Spinners would play a key part in deciding their team’s fortune, especially after the third day. Indians have the upper hand in the spin department. But mere reputations don’t win matches. The Australians seem to have hatched a plan to counter India, whether or not they can execute it remains to be seen. Right now, its advantage India, but as we say, “nothing is over till the fat lady sings”. Hopefully the fat lady sings for India this time around J

Let the fireworks begin!

India outplay Australia, register comprehensive win

India won the second test match against Australia comprehensively by 320 runs, thanks to some good batting and bowling, and sensible captaincy.
India went into the match without their captain Kumble, who missed out due to injury. Dhoni was made the captain. Kumble was replaced by the promising leggie from Delhi, Amit Mishra. His selection proved to be one of the most decisive factors in the match

The Match:
Indians won the toss and elected to bat. The Indian openers, Sehwag and Gambhir, put up a 70 run opening stand before Johnson struck, taking 3 quick wickets. Just when the Aussies were looking to dominate, Sachin came in and scored a splendid 88 off just 111 deliveries. During his innings, he passed Lara’s record (Highest number of runs in tests) to take his career run tally past 12000. He and Ganguly put on a 140 run partnership to lead India to a position of strength. While Sachin attacked the bowlers at one end, Ganguly held forte at the other end. After Sachin’s departure, Ganguly and Dhoni batted brilliantly to help India score a mammoth 469 on a sporting pitch. Ganguly answered his critics with a patient 102 (He also went past 7000 runs in tests), while Dhoni provided the late fireworks with a splendid 92(8 fours and 4 sixes). The Aussie bowlers, Mitchell Johnson and debutant Peter Siddle took 3 wickets each.

Aussie reply:
Overhauling a score of 469 was never going to be easy for Australia. They began disastrously losing Hayden (0) to Zaheer in the very first over. Then, Ponting (5) got out to his new nemesis, Ishant Sharma. Katich and Hussey seemed to hold the Indian attack at bay for a short period until the debutant, Amit Mishra, struck.
The selectors had gambled by bringing in an unknown leg spinner (Amit Mishra), instead of Anil Kumble. The gamble paid off when Mishra bowled excellently and got the ball to spin just enough to trouble the Aussies. First, he bowled Katich with a beautiful googly, and then, in the last over off the day, took the wicket of Michael Clarke. On the third day, India struck again as Ishant removed the dangerous Mike Hussey for 54. Shane Watson came to the rescue with a patient 78, as he along with Brett Lee (35) batted sensibly to put on a 73 run partnership. But unfortunately, Mishra struck again taking the wickets of Watson, White, and Siddons to take his first 5 wicket haul and restrict Australia to 268, just 1 run short of the follow-on.


Sensible Dhoni:
Australia had failed to avoid the follow-on. Dhoni did not enforce the follow-on. It was a sensible decision considering the fact that chasing even a meager total of 160 on the fifth day was difficult. India opted to bat and set Aussies a mammoth target. Sehwag and Gambhir got off to yet another great start, putting on an invaluable 182 run partnership in just 39 overs. When Sehwag got out for 90, Dhoni, sensibly promoted himself at no 3, and scored a well-compiled 68 not out. Gambhir batted aggressively to score a quick century (109), just his second century in tests. The Indian batsmen rotated the strike very well, taking advantage of the defensive field set by Ponting. The Australians never looked like taking wickets and their woes finally ended when India finally declared in 65th over setting Aussies a mind-boggling target of 516 runs.

The Aussie Approach:
With 5 sessions of play remaining in the test match, one would have expected the Australian batsmen to play for a draw, but it turned out to be the exact opposite.
Aussie openers, Hayden and Katich played several adventurous shots to take Australia to 49/0 in just 7 overs. Their attacking approach seemed to pay off until Hayden and Katich gifted their wickets to Harbhajan, thanks to two outrageous shots. Ishant Sharma bowled Ponting with a lovely inswinger. Hussey and Watson then got out cheaply leaving Aussies reeling at 69/5. Clarker (69) and Haddin (37) batted sensibly to take Australia to 141/5 at the end of the fourth day.

India register a comprehensive win:
Aussies resumed their innings on the fifth day, hoping for rain to rescue them. Alas, they were greeted by a fiery Zaheer Khan, who took 3 quick wickets (Haddin, White, and Lee). Amit Mishra completed the job by taking the wickets of Clarke and Johnson. Within 15 overs of the first session, India had registered a comprehensive 320 run victory by outplaying Australia!

Post-match Problems:
India are in a dilemma as they head to the Feroshah Kotla stadium in Delhi. The venue is a spinner’s paradise. Kumble has an awesome record at Feroshah Kotla. Considering that Amit Mishra bowled very well in this match, it is to be seen whether Kumble will be selected. The Australians on the other hand will hope that their experience batsmen and bowlers regain their form. India and Australia go into the third test knowing that they have to win. While India need a victory to seal the series, Australia need a win to keep their hopes alive. The third test promises to be really exciting!

Yet another Milestone for the legend:

An Eventful Day!
The first day of the second test between India and Australia, at Mohali was eventful for many reasons. Sachin finally surpassed Brian Lara as the highest scorer in test cricket when he scored his 16th run during his innings of 88. He now holds the unique distinction of having the four most coveted batting records in Cricket:
1) The Highest run scorer in Test Cricket: 12000+ runs
2) The Highest run scorer in ODI cricket: 16361 runs
3) The Highest number of centuries in Test cricket: 39
4) The Highest number of centuries in ODI cricket: 42
Millions of cricket fans cherished Sachin’s milestone today. To double the happiness of Indian fans, Saurav Ganguly also surpassed 7000 runs in tests, just the 4rth Indian batsman and 33rd overall to achieve this landmark. Let us not forget the fact that this is certainly Saurav’s last series, he would have been very happy to have passed the 7000 run mark and in the process stitch yet another 100+ run partnership with Tendulkar.

India’s batting performance:
The Indians won the toss and elected to bat on a true pitch. Kumble was declared unfit and replaced by the promising leg spinner from Delhi, Amit Mishra. The Indian openers dominated the first session putting on a valuable 70 run partnership. After Sehwag fell to Johnson for a quickfire 35 , Dravid and Gambhir played solidly to take India to 146/2. Just when India looked to be dominating, Mitchell Johnson spoiled the party by snatching 3 priceless wickets of Dravid (39 runs), Gambhir (67), and Laxman (12). India appeared to be losing their advantage when the little master walked in.

The legendary batting duo rescue India yet again:


Sachin-Saurav love batting together. These two have been regarded as the best ever opening batsmen in ODIs. Together, they have scored 8000+ runs in ODIs while batting together. They are the only opening pair in ODIs to have two 250 run partnerships against their name. So, it was no surprise that these two came to India’s rescue with a magnificent 140 run partnership. While Saurav held forte at one end, Sachin timed the ball beautifully to score a magnificent 88 just off 111 balls. It was great to see Sachin in full flow. By the time, he got out; India had gone from a precarious position (163/4) to a comfortable position (303/5). Ganguly (54 not out) and Ishant (2 not out) finished the proceedings for India today. If India manage to score around 480-550, we will have an interesting match on our hands. Ganguly and Dhoni have to bat extremely well tomorrow to help India post a mammoth total. The spotlight would be on Ganguly tomorrow as this is the Bengal tiger's final series. We would all love to see some great match-winning tons from DADA. Please score some great tons for us Dada! When you finally say goodbye, let it be on a series-winning note. We love you no matter what!

BCCI: Board of Control of Cricket in India or the World?????

Being an ardent lover of Cricket, I am sad to see the recent happenings in the Cricketing world. The International Cricket calendar is too cramped; players are forced to play continually. The minnows of Cricket are showing little/ no progress. Teams such as Pakistan and Zimbabwe are suffering due to their internal problems. Yet, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has failed to take proper steps to bring order. Why? Simple, they no longer consider Cricket as a sport, but just a hot-selling commodity. Unfortunately, the hottest seller of this commodity happens to be none other than the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

Gone are the days when the International Cricket Council (ICC) used to call the shots, nowadays it seems to be BCCI which decides the cricket itinerary. Being the richest cricket power in the world, it has managed to use its money power and marketing strategies to force the other cricketing boards to dance to its tunes. This big brother attitude of BCCI makes me wonder if they are just the board of control for cricket in India, or the world.

The BCCI’s attitude was clearly evident when they forced cricketing boards across the world to ban players participating in the ICL (Indian Cricket League). Because of this, New Zealand happened to lose Shane Bond, one of the best fast bowlers in recent times: Truly a loss to cricket. It was a shame considering the fact that the other boards made little or no money from IPL. Instead they had lost their key players for nothing.


If this wasn’t enough, they literally coaxed Australia to tour India despite the bomb blasts in Delhi. They made a mockery of the ICC cricket itinerary when they announced a compensation package for the Sri Lanka Cricket board as their players had threatened to pull out off the forthcoming Srilanka-England series, citing IPL commitments.

To expose their double standards, let us analyze the ICL issue. BCCI treated ICL like an outcast, ensured that the ICL got none of the BCCI’s support, and forced ICC to ban the players playing in ICL and what not? BCCI didn’t want ICL to eat into its revenue. As if to rub salt into ICL’s wounds, the BCCI launched a similar league called IPL (Indian Premier League), marketed it grandly, forced the ICC to rearrange the international cricket calendar to accommodate IPL and ensured everything to make IPL a runaway hit.

What has the IPL done to cricket? It has encouraged budding cricketers to earn easy money by playing in the IPL rather than for their national teams. This is detrimental to the other Cricket boards as they lose their top players to IPL and are forced to cancel/ postpone their cricketing events. Only BCCI stands to gain at the cost of the other boards, maybe at the cost of cricket itself. It’s high time that the ICC and the other boards stand up and ask BCCI to mend their big brother attitude. The sooner they do, the better it is for cricket.

The Need of the Hour: A proper and efficient strategy to be implemented!

There is a saying, “Rome was not built in a day”, the meaning of this proverb states that great things are not achieved in one day. Maybe the Indian team should know that. In order to beat the world champions, they not only need good performances from their players, but also a great strategy and a bit of good luck.

Indians, for a long time, have made the mistake of facing opponents without a proper game plan. While they have won a few games because of a few brilliant performances, they have lost many games due to lack of a proper strategy. If they desire to become world champions someday, they need to win matches consistently and to do that; you need to chalk out strategies for beating each team.

The current Indian team does not have the fittest or youngest players, let’s face it, the Australians see this as an advantage, and they want to follow a simple strategy: Cut off the boundaries, dry up the runs, and then the wickets would come. This strategy provided great dividends for the Aussies in 2004, and so they are trying to implement it in this series too.

Now, the Indian team does not seem to have chalked out an efficient strategy, they must quickly chalk out one and implement it perfectly. I hope Kumble and his boys realize that nothing pays off like an efficient strategy.
My advice to Kumble would be this:
1) While batting, ensure that at least 2 batsman take the responsibility to stay there for long periods and rotate the strike frequently. Aussies would not give you boundaries, so take the singles.
2) When Australia is batting, the Indians must attack the new batsman using every single option available. If you analyze the records, you will find that most Aussie batsman have the tendency to get out before they play 10 deliveries. Take a cue from that. Attack Aussie batsmen when they arrive and not when they are scoring runs.
3) Do not wait for things to happen; try to force the batsman to commit errors by cutting off their scoring areas.
4) Make batsman such as Hussey and Ponting to strive hard for every run. Place your best and most agile fielders in the circle. Aussies are not known for their patience, once the runs dry up, they make mistakes.
5) Rotate the bowlers. If wickets are not coming by, try bowling part-timers like Sachin and Sehwag, if needed Ganguly can also roll over his arm.
6) If India is facing a situation like today, where they need to wipe out a huge lead, it is best to try and face out many deliveries while rotating the strike, because when you consume overs, you reduce the possibility of a result.
7) Always play with a positive frame of mind, remember the Aussies have just 3 quality fast bowlers, start thrashing the part-time spinners, Clarke and White, and ensure that Australia exhaust their fast bowling resources. This will definitely work.

The India-Australia Test Series- Can India Win It?

By tomorrow, 9th of October, 2008, one of the toughest test series in Cricket would have begun. Yes, it is the India-Australia Test series, hosted by India. Eventhough the series is yet to start, people have already predicted two things, one is the end of the Invincible Aussie Era, and the next one is the end of the Fabulous four(Sachin, Saurav, Dravid, and Laxman). Unfortunately, even before the play has begun, people have started predicting how it will end.

Pre-Series Action:
This is series would be a special one, especially for two reasons, one is that the current Australian team has just four players, who have visited India before namely Hayden, Ponting, Clarke, and Katich. To add to their woes, they have no specialist spinner such as a Shane Warne or a Macgill. Knowing the Indian pitches well, all i can say that Aussie fastbowlers would be made to toil for their wickets, provided our WISE pitch curators don't prepare a green track as they did in Nagpur during 2004. This will provide India with an advantage, but still fast bowlers like Brett Lee and Shaun Tait are no ordinary bowlers and India have to be cautious against them.

THe next major reason is the form of India's most premier batsmen, Sachin, Dravid, Ganguly, and Laxman. Sachin's form is pathetic, so is Dravid's. Ganguly had failed in Srilanka while Laxman has on and off played some good innings. Overall, their failures have been heavily criticized by both supporters and critics. Ganguly has already dropped a bombshell that he would retire after this series. I guess this is just one of the many to follow. I just pray that Ganguly goes out happily as a member of the series-winning side. Hope he plays some memorable and match-winning knocks on his way out.
On the other hand, Ponting has been maintaing that he would want to improve upon his record in India while Hayden said India's aging side would be Aussies advantage. Hopefully, this series would prove both of them wrong.

To sum it up, this series is truly, evenly, poised. Neither side can claim the advantage. All I can say is that India should pull this one off if they are not complacent and play aggressively. They must be always be wary of an Aussie resurgence. SO guys, all the best. Please do bring the Gavasker-Border Trophy home, atleast for SOurav :-)