What does a blog title look like? What do you write in a blog? What do you eat for lunch? What do you do with life?
So much for questions. Just trying to make sense of what is around..
Here is a simple visualization from an ESPNCRICINFO articleregarding India's future test match schedule for 2016-17. It is basically a good article - asking more questions than it answers. The author is attempting to highlight the steep increase in the number of test matches India is scheduled to play.
Stacked bar graphs are not really a great choice for this kind of comparison. It would have been much better done using a line chart. Here is the one that I created in MS Excel in less than 5 minutes.
The blue line representing test matches clearly shows an upswing in 2016-17. Easier to point out in this visualization than the one posted on the website.
P.S. - I wanted to name this post as "Bad Visualizations" but decided against it. Good decision :)
Talk about eating your hat - Ravi Shastri must have had at least a dozen! And those were not just pushed in, mind you, but being made to chew through it and then shoveled inside.
The latest being, "I would have dropped Yuvraj Singh from my team in that last match, purely because we have seen in the last few matches Yuvraj Singh is still not quite 70% or 80%".
And look what Yuvraj did- effected a direct hit and took two top order wickets including India's tormentor in the last match - Kamran Akmal.
Dear Ravi Shastri, clearly, sometimes you need to STFU!
I am presenting a list of 10 Pakistanis who are most well known in India. They are admired, loved, idolized (and sometimes pilloried) by millions across the country.
Is your list any different?
1. Imran Khan
Surely the most inspirational cricketer to have come out of Pakistan, Imran had stunning good looks to boot. His leadership skills were pivotal in Pakistan lifting the World Cup in 1992.
He wasn't as successful in his political career where he was dubbed a 'Spoiler politician'. He still remains an inspirational figure well respected in India.
2. Wasim Akram
Akram was one of the best fast bowlers in the world and one of the finest exponents of reverse swing bowling. His two sublime deliveries to dismiss Allan Lamb and Chris Lewis in the 1992 WC final are etched forever in the minds of crickets lovers.
Although his career was later tainted with match fixing scandal he remains popular in India appearing in dance shows and commercials or even denying a marriage with Sushmita.
3. Ghulam Ali
Who can forget his heart rending song Chupke Chupke Raat Din in the 1982 movie Nikaah or for that matter his ghazal Hungama Hai Kyon Barpaa.
Armed with a baritone voice and subtle vibrations he used to convey a whole range of emotions in his ghazals. Along with Mehdi Hassan he contributed immensly to the revival of Ghazal in the 70's.
4. Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
Nustat Fateh Ali Khan is probably the most well known Pakistani musician outside of Pakistan. He was primarily a Qawwali singer who has performed in over 40 countries.
He collaborated extensively with western musicians producing exquisite music. His album Intoxicated Spirit was nominated for a Grammy in 1997 for best traditional folk album.
5. Shahid Afridi
Boom Boom Afridi is certainly a maverick. He started out as a leg spinner but made his mark for his explosive batting and now considers himself a better bowler! In his first international innings, he smacked 11 sixes to score a century in 37 deliveries.
He is the only player to score 6000 ODI runs with an average of under 25. When captaining, he likes to helps his team by chewing the ball or scuffing the pitch.
6. Atif Aslam
Atif Aslam is to the youth what Ghulam Ali was to the oldies. A soulful melancholy runs through his songs be it Pehli Nazar Mein, Kuch Is Tarah, Aadat, Woh Lamhe, Tera Hone Laga Hoon or Tu Jaane Na.
He is expected to make his acting debut this year. Lets hope he dazzles us again, this time with his histrionics.
7. Shoaib Malik
Shoaib Malik is perhaps known (in India) because of his marriage to Sania Mirza than for any other cricketing reason. He has currently been dropped from the team and perhaps will never get in again given Pakistan's seemingly unending talent pool.
His marriage/divorce with Ayesha Siddiqui left a bad taste in mouth. His subsequent marriage with Sania was given a cold shoulder by most celebs (other than Raja Murad of course). Shoaib's current pastime include cheering his wife along the ATP tour, feeding her with drinks during practice and getting banned from playing in Indian grounds.
8. Veena Malik
Veena Malik was not so much successful as an actress but much better recognized as a comedienne on a popular TV show Hum Sub Umeed Say Hain. In fact I saw her first time on this show parodying Shoaib and Sania. She was later charging enstranged cricketer boyfriend Mohammad Asif with match fixing charges.
However Veena Malik came into her own while appearing on reality show Bigg Boss 4. She was berated in Pakistan for her immoral un-Islamic behavior on the show. But she fought admirably well, took on a Maulvi and silenced him (You Tube clip). Hats off to this gutsy lady!
9. Asma Jahangir
I would be taking a bit of liberty saying she is Pakistan's Arundhati Roy. The fact is she gives them hell and we loves it. She is an advocate of the Supreme Court of Pakistan and chairperson of Human Rights Commission of Pakistan.
I think she is a very brave woman; a beacon in the dark age of Pakistan. Hope this beacon shines forever.
10. Pervez Hoodbhoy
It would be fair to call him one of Pakistan's greatest intellectual. Armed with a PhD in Nuclear Physics from MIT, he is also a prominent social activist.
He has written on a plethora of issues like feminism, education, environment, philosophy and nuclear disarmament. In 2001, he refused to accept the Sitara-e-Imtiaz award from President Musharraf. Also read his article on a month long lecture tour in India here.
Sachin Tendulkar got his 50th century today. I don't know what more can I write about this man, that has not been written in last 21 years. The God, Maestro, Little Master, Tendlya you can call him whatever you want but he is the best-est.
In every sport, there are champions who master the game and go on to rule it but none has had the sheer longevity of Sachin. 21 years and counting - highest number of Tests, runs, centuries whatever there is! He even has a bowling average of 50+ in Test - an avid fan might quip. Every run he scores today is a record. He's even got a double in ODIs. I don't have enough space on this page for listing out all his records.
This picture courtesy my dear friend Neeraj who was in South Africa watching the match. Lucky dude!
I can just say I am fortunate enough to have watched him play.
Today was special. Special because you saw someone who is Very-Very Special swear - in front of the nation. He had a bloody good reason to swear mind you! He is a very kind and gentle person but today he let his heart rip out. The lucky guy was Ojhiwho appeared to be dancing down the pitch collectin' the dimes - to borrow the expression from Hindi.
So already frustrated by the antics of his other illustrious team mates, Lax gave him a mouthful. And he wasn't exactly saying 'Ah baby those are such great shoes', I can assure you that. Finally ably assisted by the beanpole Sharma, Lax on half-a-leg was able to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
Laxman has quite been like his counterpart in Ramayana, always under the shadow of Ram. People are busy fighting over Lord Ram but I guess its time for a Laxman Janmbhoomi now.
Hats off to you Laxman - there will be Tendulkars, Dravids and Sehwags but there is no 5-th day man like you!
Its a boring Sunday afternoon and I am wondering why does one name their company Jhandu? Or why Sehwag's official website's cover has him playing football? Or when will Lalit Modi stand up and say "Give me 15 days and I will move CWG to South Africa".
And to cap it, guess what Amit Mishra has to say on his Twitter page:
HELLO FRINDS HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY I ENJOYED TODAY PATANG BAZI AFTER 5 YRS I HOPES ALL GUYS ENJOYED TODAY
Pakistan Cricket is not stranger to controversies - from Woolmer's mysterious death to the terrorist attack on Lankan team bus, from ball tampering to drug tests, from Afridi's ball eating adventure to the fiasco on Australian tour - its a never ending story for the talented yet ill-disciplined team.
Now former Pakistan cricket coach Intikhab Alam has called the national players 'mentally retarded'. An inquiry comittee was set up by PCB to investigate the reasons behind the disastrous tour of Australia where they failed to win even a single match. Intikhab was the coach of the Pakistan team on that tour. While Younis and Yousuf were banned for life, others like Shoaib Malik and Naved-Ul-Hasan were banned for a year. These bans, according to Wasim Akram had made a laughing stock of Pakistan (as if it wasn't already).
Intikhab was quoted as saying,"I felt that they are mentally retarded people....There is a mental problem with our players. They don't know how to wear their clothes and how to talk in a civilized manner."
He revealed that six to seven players had taken an oath on the Quran that they will remain united against their captain Younis Khan.
Shoaib Malik, meanwhile has been practicing at the Gymkhana ground,Hyderabad with his Indian wife since he is not being allowed to do so at Pakistan. While not fetching tennis balls for his Indian tennis player wife, he along with Rana Naved have also been busy belting gully-cricket bowlers at Bangladesh.
Arguably the best wicketkeeper-batsman in the history of the game – Adam Gilchrist announced his retirement from all forms of cricket during the final test match in the ongoing test series between Australia & India. He had been under a bit of pressure from media under recent times with a barrage of dropped catches and missed stumpings. But his decision stunned us all. Just a couple of days back he said he wanted to play for one more year. What really happened is a mystery – Gilchrist has not spoken on it. He intends to do so after the finish of the ongoing match.
Victim of his own standards?
He has been a victim of his own high standards. And as former Australian player Ian Healy said, “You’re only judged on your mistakes. He could have a perfect game and catch everything that comes his way, and everyone says, ‘You’re expected to do that’. He’s got to somehow take some speccy catches so that people notice him in a positive sense – so it’s a hard thing to do.“
Instinctive & non-traditional player
There have been and will be batsman who plunder runs and bowlers who take wickets but what makes Adam Gilchrist different from many others who play cricket is the fact that he changed the way game is played. He has redefined the role of a wicketkeeper-batsman with his swashbuckling style and candor. Players like Gilchrist, Jayasuriya, Crowe, Viv Richards, Slater (and Sehwag if I may add) have defied tradition to set new benchmarks. People like him have made the game of cricket more richer (and popular) than ever.
Gilchrist has always been a instinctive player as opposite to being a thoughtful one like maybe Healy. But it is his audacity with the bat and clean work behind the stumps that made him so popular. He was a walker and famously walked in the semifinals of the WC 2003 against SriLanka even after being given not out.
As a tribute to this fantastic cricketer and a very fine human being below is an excerpt from his book WALKING TO VICTORY where he describes his emotions on that particular day:
“I was going well on 22 off 19 balls, seeing it like a football, when he (Aravinda D’Silva) came in for the second ball of his first over. He pitched it up and I went for an aggressive sweep, trying to hit it behind square leg. I got a thick, loud bottom edge. It bounced off my pad and I had no idea where it went.
“Catch it! Catch it!” I heard. I stood and turned to see that [Kumar] Sangakkara had it. I knew I was done. It was so obvious.
Then, to see the umpire shaking his head, meaning, “Not out”, gave me the strangest feeling. I don’t recall what my exact thoughts were, but somewhere in the back of my mind, all that history from the Ashes series was swirling around. Michael Vaughan, Nasser Hussain and other batsmen, both in my team and against us, who had stood their ground in those “close” catching incidents were definitely a factor in what happened in the following seconds. I had spent all summer wondering if it was possible to take ownership of these incidents and still be successful. I had wondered what I would do. I was about to find out.
The voice in my head was emphatic.
Go.
Walk.
And I did.
It was a really weird sensation to go against the grain of what 99 per cent of cricketers do these days, and what we’ve been doing for our whole careers. I was annoyed because I felt like I was batting well and had the chance to lay the foundation for a big team score – and it was me taking that away from myself.”
Go on Gilly, may you have a great life ahead with your family. We’ll miss you!
The recent India - Australia test series was very well contested. Except for the first match at MCG which was a one-sided affair and the last couple of days at Adelaide it was a fantastic series - certainly one of the most hotly contested series in the recent past, after the Ashes 2005 may be.
Sadly however, the series will be remembered more for the off field controversies than the contest on the field. Bad umpiring decisions, protests, racial comments, sledging, unsportsmanlike behavior on the field was all on display. The result - an umpire sent packing back to his home, a match referee being castigated in public, a captain accusing the other team of unfair play and finally two teams filing cases against each other's players.
A pack of wild dogs? Is this cricket? Or is this War? Certainly the latter as is promoted by the broadcaster itself. Its a "cricketing war" between two nations. One a reigning champion that prides itself on playing "aggressive" cricket and other - a challenger that managed to get under the skins of the victors - or at least matching them in their cricketing skills.
Everything that goes up must come down and so it was for the Aussies. They have played fantastic cricket over the years and deserve to be World Champions. But when paid back in their own coin they break - the invincibles mind you - just like any other team! A tree laden with fruits always comes down but the Aussies have turned egoistic bumblers today - lashing out at every body who comes in their way and all this in the name of "aggressive cricket".
That it all started with Harbhajan's congratulatory recognition to a fine delivery by Brett Lee in the form of a pat on the backside is hardly surprising. The mental makeup of the Australian team is revealed by the statement made by Mr. Andrew Symonds during the hearing. In reply to being asked what was his objection to the "pat on the back", he said, "Did I have an objection to it – my objection was that a test match is no place to be friendly with an opposition player, is my objection.”
And as Hon. Justice John Hansen noted, "If that is his view I hope it is not one shared by all international cricketers. It would be a sad day for cricket if it is."
The Big Bullies? The Australians have been hypocrites, for them everything is so - selective honesty, selective goodwill,selective judgment, selective sledging and then - out they come like whingers. Ok let me start, first Recall the gentlemanly "agreement" between the two sides regarding the catching - and what was Ponting doing claiming off an obviously grounded catch?
Secondly over the years Australians have claimed that their "sporty" attitude ensures that what ever happens on the field stays on the field. (Really?) And who went to the referee complaining like school kids. Couldn't it have been settled between two captains? And as Tony Greig said on , "If you want to nail Harbhajan....sit him down (with the captains) and nail him". Who brought the lawyers into it?
Thirdly, let's see the transcript of the stump microphone during the Sydney Test:
Hayden approaches Harbhajan. Hayden: "That's the last time." Harbhajan (apologetically): "No listen he started it." Hayden (putting his hands up): "Doesn't matter mate, it's racial vilification mate. It's a shit word and you know it."
So you go on abusing someone, expletives after expletives and when the person snaps - you report him! Very well done - that's what "mental disintegration" is! So far so good - but once in a while you find somebody who refuses to be cowed like a Ranatunga or a Harbhajan who don't hold back anything - you go back whinging to the referee. That's very un-sporty mate!
Indian side Indians are no holy cows themselves. Indian crowds behaved badly when Australians last toured. Symonds did well in the 4-2 series win for kangaroos and was subjected to racial taunts throughout the series culminating in Mumbai - where there were massive rallies in the crowd waving offensive banners and shouting "Symonds is a monkey" and "Aussies suck" with middle finger in full display et al.
These incidents were the root cause for what has happened now. Its time we put our house in order. Sections of crowd displaying such behaviour should be identified and banned from watching any future matches. Be it Mumbai or Sydney crowd trouble has to be handled in a proper manner.
Cricket is the biggest There is no place for personal banters or racial taunts in cricket or any sport. A little bit of friendly banter is good and keeps the spectators hooked but once in a while it gets ugly and things go out of hand.
One of the reasons behind this fiasco was the ineffective conduct of the two umpires in the middle. Steve Bucknor and Mark Benson did not earn too much respect from the two sides by virtue of their decisions in order to command over them. They are the ones out in the middle and can judge much better than anybody else sitting in the commentary box or the drawing room. In effect, under such cases umpires need to step up and see that the matters do not go out of hand.
The game of cricket is the biggest of all individual egos and so it must stay.
Indian Cricket Team's official apparel sponsor, NIKE unveiled a new "inspirational" outfit for the team for the upcoming World Cup in the Carribeans.
"Advanced Nike patented technologies have been incorporated into the cricket apparel to ensure zero distraction, superior comfort levels and enhanced performance", Nike said.
The jersey is made from Dri-FIT fabric, a Nike patented technology, which reduces cling and enables the skin to breathe better. The fabric is designed to wick sweat, which leads to better moisture management and is extremely light so that the player does not carry additional weight that may affect his performance.
Captain Rahul Dravid, Vice-Captain Sachin Tendulkar, former skipper Sourav Ganguly, Zaheer Khan, Sreesanth, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Dinesh Karthik donned the new outfit at the press release.
Twist in the tail!
But to add a twist to the tale, just 24 hrs. later the International Cricket Council (ICC) informed the Indian board that only uniforms approved and supplied by the sport's world governing body can be worn at the World Cup in the Caribbean!
So why were the stars paraded in those outfits? Obvious Nike had an eye on the coming World Cup and Indian market with its fanatical support for anything that relates with cricket.
Although the new outfit is already available on major online store like Amazon it appears that the Indian team can sport the new clothings only after the World Cup.
This comes after Nike won a $ 27.12 million ( Rs. 199.96 crores) deal in Dec 2006, to sponsor the Indian cricket team's clothes for the next five years. To put it in perspective, this is more than shirt deals struck by Juventus, Chelsea, Real Madrid and Man U!
While other sports are neglected...
Amid all this razzmatazz, other sports in India get a step-brotherly treatment. Read this story about a man, who once was the best player at the National Kho-Kho games in 1987, but now works as a daily labor.
Not in recent memory I bet, and yet, it is very true. Australians were mauled by the Kiwis during their first encounter in the ongoing Chappell-Hadlee Trophy, 2007 (BTW the Chappells include our very own Guru Greg). And to make it worse, this was Australia's first ever defeat by this margin (10 wickets).
Current Australian team has dominated the world cricket scene like no one else (not even the mighty Windies in the 80's). Australian cricket team, has been playing well along the last two decades - winning the 1987 world cup, since recovering from the retirement of the irreplaceable trio of Rod Marsh, Dennis Lillee and Greg Chappell after the 1984, Sidney test.
But nothing matches their unparalleled rise under the indomitable Steve Waugh. And Ponting has not done too bad either! With two successive World cup titles under their belt (1999 and 2003) - Australia seemed insurmountable.
Their rise was matched with the subsequent decline of other teams. Pakistan after Imran, England after Stewart and South Africa after Cronje have never looked the same again. Even with the brilliance of Lara, Windies could never really match their predecessors and India have always been a "Star-Studded Paper Tiger" in the 90's. SriLanka was probably the only aberration, when the sparkling willows of Jayasuriya and De'Silva won them the World Cup in 1996. Frankly, SA had been their only competitor for the better part of 90's but unfortunately they managed to stumble at the last post!
In this context, the Ashes series of 2005 was a landmark and probably the best thing to have happened to World Cricket. Although Aussies regained the Ashes this time demolishing England by a whopping margin of 5-0, the pommies beat them in the best-of-three finals of CB series.
But their crushing defeat against the Kiwis as well as the retirement of Warne, McGrath, Langer and Martyn has put their status as the No. 1 team under threat as they risk losing to the Proteas who are on a resurgence now.
Is this the beginning of end of the Aussie dominance of the world cricket. Will a new Champion emerge out of this World Cup? Only time will tell.
Updated 19 Feb,2007 --##--
And Australia did manage to lose their no 1 ranking to South Africa. They have slipped to the second place after being beaten by New Zealand in the second match of the Chappell-Hadlee trophy to NewZealand. And what a win it was for New Zealand, shaking off the disappointment of not reaching the finals of CB series, they chased down a total of 336 and that too in 49 overs! Kudos to them.. World cricket is suddenly getting alive !
Updated 20 Feb,2007 --##-
Well its a dream.. New Zealand have white washed Australia 3-0 in the ongoing Chappell-Hadlee series. They chased an incredible 346 for victory. This is getting better and better!
For those who followed this year's Ranji trophy final between Mumbai and Bengal, would have noticed a player with the shirt sleeves folded up the shoulder ( ala Warne),ambling along with a swagger and an air of unmistakable confidence about him .Apart from the Indian regulars Tendulkar,Ganguly,Zaheer,Agarkar,Zaffar and Powar who hogged the limelight( remember the NECC hoardings all around the stadium ?), there was this guy managing to bask in his own glory. From becoming the highest run-getter for Bengal in a single Ranji season (overtaking Arun Lal's 729 in 1993-94) to helping Bengal reach the final (he scored 151 in the second innings of the semifinal against Karnataka while chasing 307 on the final day) this 21 year old lad has come a long way. Manoj Tiwari who has already earned the sobriquet of "Chota Dada", is very well on the path to emulate (and even overtake !) him. Armed with good attacking and defensive technique, and more importantly grit and determination to give the best, he could very well be the Indian Kevin Pietersen.
He is certainly one of the future prospects for India and indeed the find of the season. Let the dust settle down on the World Cup and Indian cricket team's heroics(?) and there will be a talk about building a team for next World Cup. This guy will sure be in the reckoning then. To be followed...
P.S. Meanwhile the Ponting juggernaut rolls on. He recently swept the Allan Border medal for best cricketer, the Test Player of the year and the ODI player of the year awards at the Cricket Australia functions (after being the ICC player of the year for 2006).
With his power packed 100 off 76 balls against WI in the last ODI at Vadodara, the "old" Sachin seems to have come alive and kicking. And how!
There were glimpses of vintage Sachin with a marvelously hit six off Marlon Samuels and a finely flicked four off a yorker from Powell. The latter shot was indeed a special one making the bowler hold his head in his hands.
But is it too early ?? Remember two straight forward catches that were dropped. The dynamics of Indian cricket and the memory of Indian public are so fickle that last performances are very quickly forgotten. And what about Sachin's comments after the match :
"I always bat as I feel is the correct way to bat. I have played long enough to know what is good for me. I do not want to know what others are thinking"
What does one make out of them? Should we not expect the fireworks from him? If yes, then I would have to grudgingly admit that a sedate and bogged- down Tendulkar is not what all the fans are looking for. He might not again be a swashbuckling batsman , he can leave that to the Dhonis, Sehwags and Utthapas but we don't to see him struggle against unknown bowlers. We want him to dominate even if he perishes... But will the World cup come good for him and Indian cricket? Only time will tell..
Dhoni , since "gatecrashing" onto the Indian cricket team has been a permanent fixture to the side. Long since his 'Dho dala' (thump 'em) days against Srilanka , he hit a lean patch in the West Indies but impressed with his skills behind the wickets. And now back in India ,life seems to come a full circle for him. In the current Ind-WI series he has performed commendably with the bat, banging sixes and fours at will.
He along with Sehwag and now Utthapa (?) have inspired a new generation of hitters across India. Equipped with a 'devil may care' attitude , the slam bang approach and the gutsy play they have captured the imagination of millions of cricket lovers across the globe.
Holding the world record for highest individual score by a wicket keeper ( when he scored 183 against Srilanka) beating the mighty Gilcrist he has literally lightened up the cricketing sky with his massive hits and long tresses.
Also worth mentioning is his trademark "whip" shot. Far away from being even close to any proper cricketing shot , he manages to hit sixes and fours wielding the willow as a whip. Complete with an exaggerated follow through , which more often than not gets him into a bit of a tangle , this stroke has become his trademark. Look how he hits them here!
With the World cup in sight , all eyes are on him . May he do a "dho dalla" of all the bowlers in the world cup.
