Suddenly, PCB wakes up and bans Shoaib Akhtar for 5 years for bring disrepute to the game. Hello, where have you been till now? You are the one who actually made him a star and gulped all his tantrums since the beginning. If there is a coaching manual on "how to destroy a cricketer", then PCB's handling of Shoaib should come as the highlighted chapter. Ball tempering, drugs, indiscipline, fake injuries and lack of commitment - you name it - and Shoaib has been linked with all of the cricket's bad things. But PCB always overlooked them all - just for their benefit - they made the man bigger than the game. And now it has destroyed a wonderful career - the most fascinating fast bowler will only be bowling in IPL for some days.
Well, money is a big deal but then cricket is not just about money. It is about pride.
Showing posts with label Cricket. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cricket. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Monday, February 25, 2008
Australian Brand Of Cricket
They say they are hard and competitive. But do they fall to the other side of the line more often than not while playing? I would say "Yes" as well as "No".
Yes, because I am an Indian and in recent past they have been involved with non-cricketing issues with Indian team members only. At those times, it feels like they are rude, arrogant and snobbish all at the same time. They sledge at people and when people sledge back, they feel bad about it and run to match referee to interfere. They cannot take other people's spit-at-the-face attitude while they are ones who started it all. I was most hurt by Andrew Symonds column in an Australian paper on returning from last Indian tour, where he took shots on everything about India - its people, its crickets, its climate etc... Well, if you feel so bad about India, whey are you then signed up for IPL?
Now to the other part - No, because this is the way their society is. They are born and raised tough - unlike Indians. Parents there take their kids to fishing & sailing trips which is unlike us. This is the way their treat their life and their sports and they are competitive about it. It would be pretty hard for us to understand what they are like. One thing is for sure that they love their cricket.
Overall, I think there is surely some extent of arrogance in Australian cricketers - especially after Steve Waugh left the stage. And it is easy to be arrogant when you are successful.
Yes, because I am an Indian and in recent past they have been involved with non-cricketing issues with Indian team members only. At those times, it feels like they are rude, arrogant and snobbish all at the same time. They sledge at people and when people sledge back, they feel bad about it and run to match referee to interfere. They cannot take other people's spit-at-the-face attitude while they are ones who started it all. I was most hurt by Andrew Symonds column in an Australian paper on returning from last Indian tour, where he took shots on everything about India - its people, its crickets, its climate etc... Well, if you feel so bad about India, whey are you then signed up for IPL?
Now to the other part - No, because this is the way their society is. They are born and raised tough - unlike Indians. Parents there take their kids to fishing & sailing trips which is unlike us. This is the way their treat their life and their sports and they are competitive about it. It would be pretty hard for us to understand what they are like. One thing is for sure that they love their cricket.
Overall, I think there is surely some extent of arrogance in Australian cricketers - especially after Steve Waugh left the stage. And it is easy to be arrogant when you are successful.
Monday, January 21, 2008
Ishant Sharma & Perth
"Perth was won" - as they said in nearly every news channel for about 24 hours after India defeated Australia at Perth. But this blog entry is not about Perth. It is about a man (not boy) who is just 19 years old, is 4 test matches old. This is also about another man, who is 33 years old and has played 115 tests for his country. This is about a small session of play (nearly about one hour) when this boy of 19-year old bowled like I have never seen anyone bowl till now for India and made the life hell for this 33 year old gentleman who is surely regarded as one of the greatest batsman of this generation.
You must have guessed it till now - yes, it is about the fine bowling display which Ishant Sharma did to Ricky Ponting on the fourth day of the 3rd test between Australia & India at Perth. If you want to have a look at the bowling display, have a look at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAEXuMnw3tI or at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4UEW3luWzY.
This was Ponting as not seen before, a Ponting without reply. For more than an hour Sharma tortured him until he got his wicket. It was fast bowling at its best and it was heartening to see an Indian bowling like this. In the mould of West Indies giant Courtney Walsh with the way he hits a good length on seam and attains extra bounce, he traumatised Ponting. He put his heart out and was cutting the bowl into Ponting very sharply, had a couple of good lbw shouts turned down and eventually found the outside edge to produce a slip catch. And the moment he got out, Ponting just stood his ground in his follow through - he did not looked back but just felt that this was about to happen. If it would not had happened then it would had been justice denied for the young man & cricket in general.
You must have guessed it till now - yes, it is about the fine bowling display which Ishant Sharma did to Ricky Ponting on the fourth day of the 3rd test between Australia & India at Perth. If you want to have a look at the bowling display, have a look at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAEXuMnw3tI or at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4UEW3luWzY.
This was Ponting as not seen before, a Ponting without reply. For more than an hour Sharma tortured him until he got his wicket. It was fast bowling at its best and it was heartening to see an Indian bowling like this. In the mould of West Indies giant Courtney Walsh with the way he hits a good length on seam and attains extra bounce, he traumatised Ponting. He put his heart out and was cutting the bowl into Ponting very sharply, had a couple of good lbw shouts turned down and eventually found the outside edge to produce a slip catch. And the moment he got out, Ponting just stood his ground in his follow through - he did not looked back but just felt that this was about to happen. If it would not had happened then it would had been justice denied for the young man & cricket in general.
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