Just before the world cup started, I remember arguing with my dad about the role of corporate sponsorship and player seniority on team selection. My dad was of the opinion that certain players are selected in the playing 11 because they have lucrative sponsorship deals. This was particularly the case when the captain and senior players were being sponsored by the same corporation. I remember vociferously arguing that the captain and coach (who supposedly decide the playing 11) would not be influenced by sponsorship, but would play the best team for that game.
I am beginning to have second thoughts on my initial "assessment" of the game and the captain's interests. My case in point is selection of MS Dhoni for the first test match between India and England at Lords. I don't see any sane reason to include Dhoni in this side. He hasn't batted well outside of "home" conditions ("home" includes playing in and against Bangladesh), while Dinesh Karthik has been batting very well over the last year or so. Dhoni failed miserably in the World Cup and batted horribly in the 1st innings at Lords -- in all cases got out to very poor shots. Dravid, during the pre-match interview, claimed that "Dhoni has done no wrong to exclude him" -- I beg to differ! More importantly, if we were really choosing a horses-for-courses team, I don't see a place for Dhoni. Karthik is known to have much better and softer hands behind the stumps, and has been batting reasonably well to deserve a place ahead of Dhoni. Then why include Dhoni as well?? Wouldn't it make much more sense to play Yuvraj, a more recognized batsmen, to bolster the middle order, or include Gambhir so that we can have 2 regular openers in the side.
OH! But that would mean dropping Dhoni which would irk those sponsors who have spent millions in making Dhoni a rock-star!
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Saturday, April 7, 2007
Chappel and Powerpoints
Recent media reports suggest that the BCCI was once again "wowed" by Greg Chappel's hour-long power point presentation during the meeting "suggesting measures to improve Indian cricket". I remember when the 3 candidates (Chappel, Tom Moody, and Mohinder Amarnath) were shortlisted for the post of Indian cricket coach about 2 years ago, each presented their case to the board. Even then, Greg Chappel had impressed the Board with his great powerpoint. The BCCI Board constituted a different "bunch of jokers" then ... :-) that's what Amarnath had called the BCCI when he was dropped from the team in the '80's... did he really expect to get the job?
Everyone was so impressed with Greg's powerpoint that he got the job! I wonder what he puts in those powerpoints. Perhaps some custom animations with fancy slide transitions?!!
I don't doubt Greg's great cricketing brain, etc. but from the very beginning he always occurred to be someone who would be difficult to approach... like the extremely learned school principal who you admire, but cannot really go and talk to. It did not help that the stupid Ganguly was rooting for Greg from the outset... because Greg had showed him how to grip his bat while facing the Ausies... and Gangs had had a very successful tour! Greg's (mis)handling of the Ganguly ouster and his recent alleged altercation with Tendulkar surely don't come across as a man who understands how to coach a passionate Indian cricket team. Coaching the Indian cricket team needs much more than a learned person; I do believe we need someone like John Wright... he may not have been the most admired person, but he had an effective way of managing the team. It is no coincidence that we did pretty well while he was the coach. I gained a lot of respect for John when I heard his commentary during the India matches in the league stage. He has a fantastic cricketing mind, and what was more important was how he narrated his thoughts... it was said in a calm manner with no "airs" or pride. I am sure it was the same when dealing with the Indian cricket team.
We must also realize that in Cricket, and unlike many sports (American Football, Basketball), the coach does not have the same powers as the captain. During the game, it's the captain who makes all the decisions. Now if we had the captain wearing a ear-piece and getting instructions from the coach (like the quarterback in Football) during the game, I would elect a coach like Greg... but until then I would go for someone like Wright.
Let's see how Shastri does... I think he falls between John and Greg. Perhaps that's what we need!
Everyone was so impressed with Greg's powerpoint that he got the job! I wonder what he puts in those powerpoints. Perhaps some custom animations with fancy slide transitions?!!
I don't doubt Greg's great cricketing brain, etc. but from the very beginning he always occurred to be someone who would be difficult to approach... like the extremely learned school principal who you admire, but cannot really go and talk to. It did not help that the stupid Ganguly was rooting for Greg from the outset... because Greg had showed him how to grip his bat while facing the Ausies... and Gangs had had a very successful tour! Greg's (mis)handling of the Ganguly ouster and his recent alleged altercation with Tendulkar surely don't come across as a man who understands how to coach a passionate Indian cricket team. Coaching the Indian cricket team needs much more than a learned person; I do believe we need someone like John Wright... he may not have been the most admired person, but he had an effective way of managing the team. It is no coincidence that we did pretty well while he was the coach. I gained a lot of respect for John when I heard his commentary during the India matches in the league stage. He has a fantastic cricketing mind, and what was more important was how he narrated his thoughts... it was said in a calm manner with no "airs" or pride. I am sure it was the same when dealing with the Indian cricket team.
We must also realize that in Cricket, and unlike many sports (American Football, Basketball), the coach does not have the same powers as the captain. During the game, it's the captain who makes all the decisions. Now if we had the captain wearing a ear-piece and getting instructions from the coach (like the quarterback in Football) during the game, I would elect a coach like Greg... but until then I would go for someone like Wright.
Let's see how Shastri does... I think he falls between John and Greg. Perhaps that's what we need!
BCCI "cracks" down on Indian players
The BCCI just completed it's much-publicized meeting after the unceremonious exit of the Indian team from the World Cup. My personal reactions:
1) Nice to see that they hired Ravi Shastri as the Cricket Manager / Interim Coach. Shastri has the relevant experience and is able to communicate effectively. He also holds a fair amount of respect within the Indian cricket team. They have gone to him for advise in the past (the now-abolished contract system was ably supported by Shastri). I do hope Shastri, Venkatesh Prasad (bowling coach) and Robin Singh (fielding coach) interact closely with each other to improve the overall standards of the current team with an eye on upcoming youngsters in the domestic circuit.
2) I am not so sure if limiting the number of endorsements (to 3) is a good idea, nor am I sure it is legal, especially after the BCCI terminated the contract system. The players will now get paid for each match they play, with a bonus if they win. This means that they will not be employed by the BCCI for the entire year, or at least will not be paid for the entire year. In which case, how can the board restrict the players from making financial gains outside of their cricketing commitments.
I don't think the players are going to argue too much now... but after winning a series or two, I am sure things will change.
If the players don't perform well, they will automatically lose their popularity, and will not be on any TV ads and getting such lucrative offers. That's how one would expect it to work... or atleas I hope!
1) Nice to see that they hired Ravi Shastri as the Cricket Manager / Interim Coach. Shastri has the relevant experience and is able to communicate effectively. He also holds a fair amount of respect within the Indian cricket team. They have gone to him for advise in the past (the now-abolished contract system was ably supported by Shastri). I do hope Shastri, Venkatesh Prasad (bowling coach) and Robin Singh (fielding coach) interact closely with each other to improve the overall standards of the current team with an eye on upcoming youngsters in the domestic circuit.
2) I am not so sure if limiting the number of endorsements (to 3) is a good idea, nor am I sure it is legal, especially after the BCCI terminated the contract system. The players will now get paid for each match they play, with a bonus if they win. This means that they will not be employed by the BCCI for the entire year, or at least will not be paid for the entire year. In which case, how can the board restrict the players from making financial gains outside of their cricketing commitments.
How can you limit what the player does if you don't set up a contract with him? I can understand if there is a conflict of interest, but what happens when the player is not selected for a particular series or is in between two series. I understand the "clause" that suggests that players cannot be endorsing products just prior to a series, but is it legal to disallow a player from doing something else when he is not working for the BCCI?The subject of player earnings appeared to be the main focus of the meeting, and it was decided to replace the system of graded contracts with a standard fee for all, and additional bonuses for series wins. However, no figures were mentioned in this regard. This effectively means that seniors and juniors all earn the same, the difference being in what they earn from endorsements.
There, too, the board has cracked down: eEach player will be allowed a maximum of three endorsements a year but will not be allowed to shoot any commercials up to two weeks prior to any series. Also, not more than two players can endorse the same product. However, Srinivasan stressed that these were decisions taken looking ahead, as a plan for the future.
I don't think the players are going to argue too much now... but after winning a series or two, I am sure things will change.
If the players don't perform well, they will automatically lose their popularity, and will not be on any TV ads and getting such lucrative offers. That's how one would expect it to work... or atleas I hope!
Saturday, March 31, 2007
NCAA "Commercial" Madness
I am amazed at the commercial aspect of college sports in the US. College football and basketball have such a large fan following and is a multi-million-dollar commercial venture! It's a profit-making system for almost everyone --- EXCEPT the players, who are putting on the show and providing the entertainment! I understand that they receive a free education, and the really good players go on to get lucrative contracts in the professional league. But I feel it is sure "madness" that so many people are making money on a bunch of college students who are actually putting on the show.
A lot of college athletes make themselves available to the PRO league long before they complete their education. I don't really blame them, because that's where the money is, and what if they acquire a career-ending injury while playing that extra year in college when they could have made millions playing pro?
It is, however, nice to see the importance college programs give to sports. Back in India, college sports is only considered a hobby. When I represented my college in the Inter-collegiate Badminton tournament within the University of Mumbai, I could not even get reimbursed for travel to/from the tournament venue. It was near impossible to get money to buy equipment for the game; we had to buy our own shuttlecocks during practice.
A lot of college athletes make themselves available to the PRO league long before they complete their education. I don't really blame them, because that's where the money is, and what if they acquire a career-ending injury while playing that extra year in college when they could have made millions playing pro?
It is, however, nice to see the importance college programs give to sports. Back in India, college sports is only considered a hobby. When I represented my college in the Inter-collegiate Badminton tournament within the University of Mumbai, I could not even get reimbursed for travel to/from the tournament venue. It was near impossible to get money to buy equipment for the game; we had to buy our own shuttlecocks during practice.
without
One of my favourite poems is Robert Frost's Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening:
I first read (or heard) the poem when I was a kid, even before it was part of my curriculum in the 7th or 8th grade (thanks to my elder brothers having recited it several times when they were studying the poem in school). The poem is so serene, yet metaphoric, but as a kid I guess I just enjoyed the rhyme, and the famous last 4 lines. Given that the poem is really short I could recite it easily. Growing up in a crowded and temperate city like Bombay , I never really experienced a "snowy evening" or even "stopping by the woods".
Also, I found it very interesting, that the word "without" could mean "absence of" or it could also mean "outside" (opposite of within); both these meanings would be relevant in this poem. Did Frost suggest that the horse thinks it strange to stop with no farmhouse close by, or that it was strange to stop outside the farmhouse when it was snowing? In fact, we had two English professors teach this poem to us in school, and one of them said it meant 'absence of' and the other suggested it meant 'outside'. I think it means outside in this case, esp. because it would be queer for a horse only if it knows that there is a farmhouse near by.
PS: Isn't the English language is rather strange?! Shouldn't you be frugal at spending if you are a spendthrift! Here is an explanation why it is not.
Whose woods these are I think I know,
His house is in the village though.
He will not see me stopping here,
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
My little horse must think it queer,
To stop without a farmhouse near,
Between the woods and frozen lake,
The darkest evening of the year.
He gives his harness bells a shake,
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep,
Of easy wind and downy flake.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
I first read (or heard) the poem when I was a kid, even before it was part of my curriculum in the 7th or 8th grade (thanks to my elder brothers having recited it several times when they were studying the poem in school). The poem is so serene, yet metaphoric, but as a kid I guess I just enjoyed the rhyme, and the famous last 4 lines. Given that the poem is really short I could recite it easily. Growing up in a crowded and temperate city like Bombay , I never really experienced a "snowy evening" or even "stopping by the woods".
Also, I found it very interesting, that the word "without" could mean "absence of" or it could also mean "outside" (opposite of within); both these meanings would be relevant in this poem. Did Frost suggest that the horse thinks it strange to stop with no farmhouse close by, or that it was strange to stop outside the farmhouse when it was snowing? In fact, we had two English professors teach this poem to us in school, and one of them said it meant 'absence of' and the other suggested it meant 'outside'. I think it means outside in this case, esp. because it would be queer for a horse only if it knows that there is a farmhouse near by.
PS: Isn't the English language is rather strange?! Shouldn't you be frugal at spending if you are a spendthrift! Here is an explanation why it is not.
Monday, March 26, 2007
Blame it on the rain... blame it on the stars...
So India is officially out of the 2007 Cricket World Cup! It is a foregone conclusion that this World Cup will be financially affected by India and Pakistan's early exit. A lot of the excitement that the sub-continent giants provide will also be missing in the Super 8's. Instead of blaming the cricketers and their lackluster display in 2 out of the 3 games, I am going to go ahead and blame the format. The entire schedule of this edition of the Cup was "designed" to allow the 8 regular Test playing nations to make it to the 2nd round after they walloped the so-called "minnows" of the tournament. The real cricket was then supposed to start, with each team playing the remaining 6 teams that qualified from the other groups. The team would also carry forward only those 1st round points (and net run rate) of the team that qualified for the 2nd round, thereby eliminating the effect of any big wins over the minnows. In fact, many months before the tournament began, the official world cup website had the top 8 teams slated to meet each other, allowing people to book their tickets for the India-Pakistan clash on April 15. Those ardent cricket fans will now get to witness an Ireland vs. Bangladesh match, which will be the most insignificant match of the Super-8's.
As it stands before the start of the next round, Sri Lanka are sitting pretty with a huge NRR thanks to their big win over Bangladesh.
In retrospect, the tournament organizers will rue their decision to eliminate 8 teams out of the tournament after playing just 3 games each.
OR Perhaps this is just the rumblings of an Indian-cricket enthusiast, having wanted to watch his team play for one more fortnight, given that he has bought the World Cup streaming video online!
As it stands before the start of the next round, Sri Lanka are sitting pretty with a huge NRR thanks to their big win over Bangladesh.
In retrospect, the tournament organizers will rue their decision to eliminate 8 teams out of the tournament after playing just 3 games each.
OR Perhaps this is just the rumblings of an Indian-cricket enthusiast, having wanted to watch his team play for one more fortnight, given that he has bought the World Cup streaming video online!
Thursday, March 22, 2007
deathly effigies
It is a common practice in the Indian sub-continent to burn effigies of cricket players when the team performs badly. Recently, after the India-Bangladesh World Cup game, the effigy of Mahindra Singh Dhoni was burned and his home was damaged. If India gets eliminated from the tournament tomorrow, I won't be surprised if more effigies are burnt and cricket-crazy fanatics mob the players families and homes.
Wikipedia defines effigy as follows:
Cricket does need a reality-check, but I hope it does not come in the way of an India loss tomorrow. I have a selfish motive of wanting to be entertained for another few weeks by the Indian cricket team.
P.S.: Who makes these effigies? Is there a business model behind the manufacture of effigies? It sure must be a lucrative business; people must be working overtime these days to create effigies of the Indian cricketers. It does not even have to be a good piece of art... it is going to be burned if India loses! If India wins the World Cup, the effigy makers can then work overtime to spruce up their products... the effigies have to look good when garlanded!!
Wikipedia defines effigy as follows:
"A different type of effigy is used in some religious rituals to represent an undesired person or spirit. The effigy is burned as a sign of the participants' shared intent to banish the represented element from their lives."Given the recent confirmation that Pakistani cricket coach Bob Woolmer's death was murder by "manual strangulation", it seems that burning effigies may no longer be the modus operandi of disgruntled fanatics. Why burn a card-board, full-length figure of the person when you can actually eliminate the real-life form!
Cricket does need a reality-check, but I hope it does not come in the way of an India loss tomorrow. I have a selfish motive of wanting to be entertained for another few weeks by the Indian cricket team.
P.S.: Who makes these effigies? Is there a business model behind the manufacture of effigies? It sure must be a lucrative business; people must be working overtime these days to create effigies of the Indian cricketers. It does not even have to be a good piece of art... it is going to be burned if India loses! If India wins the World Cup, the effigy makers can then work overtime to spruce up their products... the effigies have to look good when garlanded!!
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