Federer shows that he is human after all..

Posted: March 30, 2007 in Roger Federer
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He beat Jimmy Connors’ record for the most consecutive weeks as World Number One.

He became the first man in the Open era to win 10 or more titles in three consecutive years (2004 – 11, 2005 – 11, 2006 – 12).

He became the first player since Ivan Lendl in 1982 to win more than 90 matches in a season (92).

He became the first man in professional era to reach six consecutive Grand Slam finals.

He is the first man to win the Wimbledon – US Open double three years in a row.

The list of his achievements and his records can go on for a long time.

I am referring to Roger Federer, the man who rides way ahead of his compatriots in contemporary tennis. So much so, that people are already talking of him as a ‘best ever’ in tennis history, and he has several years of tennis still left in him.

As he kept winning easily, as he walked over his opponents with apparently little effort he was getting to a near invincible status as a tennis player. Everyone else seemed to be resigned to just compete for the number 2 position!

Just when we started thinking of him as God on the tennis court, Federer has gone ahead and lost a couple of times recently, and proven that he is human after all!

Thank God for that!

Federer is truly amazing, a giant among tennis players. A fantastic game, amazing mental strength that goes with it, fabulous confidence. He plays some shots that defy gravity and other laws of physics. He has had an unbelievable run over the last 2-3 years. I am confident that by the time, he hangs his boots and retires in a few more years, he would have gone past Samparas and others, in various record books.

We have to consider ourselves lucky to be alive at a time when this genius is at his peak. Its a treat for all tennis fans to watch his game.

In spite of these recent losses, I am sure that Wimbledon and US Open will be his, unless there are injury issues. Its the French Open which he so dearly wants to win, and which will be his biggest challenge for the year.

Cheers to Federer..!

Indian Cricket – where do we go from here?

Posted: March 30, 2007 in cricket, india, rebuilding
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There are no easy answers. Its like asking how to remove corruption from Indian society. It is so deeply entrenched that one does not know where to even start, to think in terms of a solution. The Indian cricket scene is somewhat similar.

So on the one hand, there are the seriously macro level steps, which need a lot of will and vision to be taken up, and I wonder if they will ever be taken up, in spite of the fact that cricket generates so much money:

1. Get a board of cricket control that understands cricket, and is not full of administrators and politicians. That will be a good start.

2. Get more pacy and more international pitches across the country, instead of the featherbeds that we currently have. Domestic cricket will then show who can really stand up, in the outside world, and not keep generating batting records alone.

3. Get a selection committee of 3 persons, and who are not recommended by their zones, who have no connections nor commitments to their zones, but who understand the game well. Who also can appear to be completely above board with regards to favouritism of any kind. Names like Venkatraghvan, Ashok Mankad, Anil Kumble (should he retire now) and such come to mind.

4. Invite foreign teams to play with our domestic teams, perhaps domestic teams of other countries like Australia, South Africa, etc. That will give our domestic players a better feel of international competition, give them some reality checks too.

These are larger macro issues, as I said.

In terms of the more immediate factors, what can be done or should be done.

Ordinarily, I am not one for en-mass changes in a team, just because they have lost a series. Demands of big changes go up, amongst the fans and the media, every time an Indian team loses. But that is usually not good nor justified.

However for once I am tempted to go with that thought. Not just because of the shameful World Cup exit, but also taking into account all recent performances, including the last couple of years, before the World Cup. We have shown inconsistency, an inability to push for wins, mental weakness, lack of team spirit, lack of focus on the individual’s role in the team, etc. Many of these factors are related to the player/s concerned, be it on account of their continuing lack of form, lack of commitment, lack of fitness, or a generally couldn’t-care attitude. Continuing with such negative forces in the team, spells disaster!

With that in mind, I would go for major cutting and chopping in the team, and essentially axe players like Sachin, Saurav, Sehwag, Harbhajan, Agarkar from the ODI team. Off these, Sachin, Saurav and Agarkar may be treated as a final adieu for ODIs. Quite like how Steve Waugh was shown the door, at one point, although he continued to play test matches for Australia. Sehwag and Harbhajan may have a chance to return, but not in a hurry.

There are a lot of voices out there, seeking Dravid’s and Chappell’s heads. And much as I feel differently, reality could show these guys becoming the first ‘fall guys’ of the World Cup loss. Which will be a shame, of course.

Yes, I did feel that Dravid did not show a very good strategy across the world cup games, and he could certainly have done with better decisions on the field. And perhaps the experimentation that Chappell-Dravid combine kept trying for so many months, should have stopped at some point, to enable the team to have a clear single strategy getting into the world cup. Unfortunately, we were still not sure what our best combination was, what will be the batting order, etc. Did that confusion stay with Dravid on the field as well? Did that confusion leave him without the ‘perfect single strategy’ for each game? Could be. Chappell’s dissatisfaction with the team has been revealed now. That he preferred young guns like Raina, but did not get them, is out in the open. If Dravid panicked at the last minute and opted for experience over youth in the selection meetings, that showed his lack of conviction in the team. Bringing in older hands, and leaving the young guys who were being groomed for last 1-2 years, smacked of insecurity.

Maybe at the end of it, all of these issues happened because the weight of the big event got on to Dravid. Bringing about a sort of anxiety that leads to taking not the best of decisions, many a times!

Given all that, and considering his individual talents, that he can still deliver for a few years, his own commitment to work and to cricket and at least my perception of him being ‘clean’, makes me believe that he should continue to be captain. Also I do not see an easy alternative. I do not believe it makes sense to make any of the older guys as captain (Sachin / Saurav). There is nothing that we need to be concerned about in the short term. Whatever steps are taken, have to be with a ‘rebuilding of the team’ in mind. Which means, we have to invest for the future. That rules out the older chaps. One would like to think akin to South Africa, when they went and got a young captain in Graeme Smith, few years back. That was a fantastic decision. But they must have seen clearly, that Smith was mature beyond his years, he had the ability to be consistent in his own performance, to have a level head to remain captain and lead the team from the front, for a few years, etc. That kind of confidence made them go and plug for him as captain.

In India, I do not see a name of that kind, on the horizon. No, Yuvraj does not work, as far as I am concerned. He has too much of an attitude problem. As Chappell put in his private (now public) SMSes, that Yuvraj behaves like a superstar which he is still not! That kind of an attitude does not make for an investment into the future, as far as captaincy goes.

For all these reasons, I will stay with Dravid.

Given a choice, I would also stay with Chappell as coach. I still believe that he had the right methodology. He just did not get the right team, nor the support from the players. Interestingly, none other than Narayan Murthy of Infosys, has written about this. And as he essentially says that don’t throw the baby with the bath water! What went wrong was not the process, but the implementation. Don’t blame the process for it. Indeed, don’t dump Chappell, but in fact, give him more control in terms of selection issues, length of time, and clear targets. I am sure he can deliver!

But how does the actual delivery happen, assuming that we have Dravid and Chappell in place, as captain and coach. What next. These could be the steps that could be undertaken.

1. The Board should give large advertisements in the media, conveying like a ‘white paper’ view, for the benefit of fans. Fundamentally to state that the Indian team is going to be rebuilt, and we are allowing a time frame of 2-3 years to achieve that, and during which time, there will be young guys being groomed and trained. And because this exercise takes time, fans are requested to not expect miracles, but wait for the 2-3 year period to go, before a great new Indian team emerges! Getting the fans pressure off the back, for this time, will be a great relief. Such ads can be repeated from time to time, during the period, to reinforce the thoughts.

2. A core team of 30 players, with perhaps another 20 in the periphery, may be chosen. Young chaps, ready to be groomed for the Indian team of the future. Chaps who are willing to work really hard. Who will take the coach’s words as gospel, and put the efforts. Quite like a Chinese team training for the Olympics.

3. Work hard with these chaps, and for each outing that comes up, give opportunities to few new names, from this lot. Give all of them a lot of exposure, in any case. Be it by sending them on unofficial tours or whatever. Let them learn all the basics, including running between the wickets, fielding, catching, playing fast bowling, playing spin, bowling to contain, bowling to attack, taking 1s and 2s, playing specific roles for the team, etc. The grooming should be complete. Mental strength also needs to be built up.

4. Also emphasize to all of the youngsters that the way to riches is via performance and there is no short cut. If this thought can be instilled into the group, it will not create an anxiety amongst them to try and make quick money, either by over-endorsing or by ‘other’ means. If the players know that serious long term gains of monetary kind as well as fame, can only happen on the strength of their performance, and which makes them focus on getting that right, always, that will pave the way for a great Indian team. Many players who make it to this stage of being considered for the Indian team, have often come from the lower echelons of society. Seeing their first big opportunity to make some money, there is an anxiety to do it soon. If a player succumbs to such temptations, he needs to be out of the loop. And which also tells the others to focus on performance, and nothing else!

I think all of these can then convert into a good Indian team happening!

Betting, match fixing, too much money, fans’ pressure – did these contribute to India’s loss?

Posted: March 29, 2007 in Uncategorized
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On account of the murder of Bob Woolmer, a lot of media attention centers around the role of betting and match fixing in cricket. And we also know that India and Pakistan are the most active in these areas, so there is a natural suspicion if the early exits of both these teams had causes other than cricketing ones.

Nothing can be said for sure, for even if these rackets exist and there is betting and match fixing, it is so well controlled that the common fan is almost never going to know the truth. Earlier, I have conveyed that really, it does not matter if matches are fixed! Yes, I said that..

In that respect, I feel that watching cricket can then be treated to be similar to watching a good movie. The director has already planned for the end, and it will be as he pleases, but we, as the audience wait with bated breath, till the end, to figure out what the end is. Let the cricket game also be so. Who cares. As long as the game is good, and we enjoy it.

It is only when the game deteriorates in quality that we feel cheated, and then, if its on account of match fixing, it feels terrible.

So speculating wildly that India’s loss could be on account of match fixing, how can that be so?

Well, like we were all thinking that it could be the last World Cup for guys like Sachin, Saurav, Dravid, Kumble, etc. And for which reason, these guys would want to work hard to see if they can get the World Cup home. On the other hand, think differently. This being their last World Cup, and betting being as large as it can possibly get, they could also have got their opportunity to make the most money, out of match fixing – that opportunity being again, something that will never repeat in their lifetime. If that was so, could they have chosen to throw the games away and made a huge packet each??

Could the obscene amounts of money that players make, without commensurate performance, have been partially responsible for the loss? Could be, for the following possible reasons:
a. The players are so rich that their egos do not allow them to listen to coaches or trainers. They end up doing what they want, and do not prepare adequately for the big games!

b. The money allows them to pay PR teams, and ensure that they stay in the news positively, even when they are failing. Examples of Sehwag and Harbhajan come to mind, in this scenario.

c. Do the large endorsement deals that players sign, get the marketing companies to influence selectors, to pick the concerned players, ahead of other deserving candidates?

Its for anyone to guess.

The role of the board, the selectors,the administrators of the game, and corruption in those high places, cannot also be underestimated. But that is such a cesspool that I cannot imagine what conspiracies could be playing out there!

Finally coming to the role that the expectations of a billion fans brings about, the fact is that when going is good, these same players are willing to ride those good times, and bask in the sunlight. Then, by the same token they should be prepared to face the brickbats, and also learn to handle the pressures. That can never be an excuse for non-performance or under-performance!

India’s exit from the World Cup : What Went Wrong?

Posted: March 29, 2007 in india, loss, world cup
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Pathetic!
That is the one word that I can use for the entire World Cup campaign of India. Various observations on what went wrong for India:
1. It seems that India was the only team at the start of the Cup, which was not clear about the likely 11. Or even the likely 12. Will Pathan play, will Sehwag play, will it be Kumble or Bhajji, will Karthik play, etc. Most teams, had a basic best 11 in place, with likelihood of minor tweaking to be done on a game to game basis.

2. What follows as a consequence of 1, is that we did not have a perfect batting order decided. Who will open, was the first big question. In order to ‘accommodate’ Sehwag, there was likelihood of any kind of jugglery in the batting order. All these kinds of open ends, when you are well into the world cup, was uniquely Indian!

3. What is the sense in saying that Bangladesh bowled well?? Heck, you have 3 chaps with 10000+ runs each, where the opposite team does not have a total of 10000 runs. And yet, you do not have the skills or the experience to play against those bowlers, who may have bowled well on that day??

4. I cannot also understand this statement that media uses often, that ‘cricket is a game of uncertainties’. Tell that to the Aussies. Or the South Africans. Is there any uncertainty about the way they go about their game? Sure, win or loss is a different matter. But you cannot justify your pathetic display under that guise of uncertainty. When you have 5-6 apparently top class batsmen, the uncertainty factor is restricted to 1-2 of them getting out cheaply or getting an unfortunate decision or run out, or something like that. The uncertainty is REMOVED by the rest of them making up for those 1-2 losses, by playing better and ensuring that the team gets runs. We have a case of all of them succumbing to stupid play.

5. Most professional teams today give roles to team members, and they are apt to perform those roles. Against India, after losing a few early wickets, Chamara Silva and Dilshan knew that they had to stay at the wicket, even if it meant just milking singles and making 1s into 2s. No extravagant shots. Nothing in the air. They did that. Put their heads down. Did Indian batting give ANY resemblance of having ANY such plan in their heads? Or even if they had one, were the guys looking like they were attempting to implement that?? Was it panic that said ‘we will not survive if we just hang around here, so might as well make the runs quickly, and get done’?? That can be the only explanation of Uthapa and Ganguly’s mad rush initially, and also for Sehwag to keep going aerially, even after having lost the openers quickly. There is ALWAYS a chance that you will get out that way. Can’t you curb your aerial shots and play a safer game, and hang out, to ensure victory??

6. I, for one, had thought that if India progresses in the World Cup, it will be on account of its bowlers. I had a lot more hope from Zaheer, Munaf, Ajit and whoever else was going to be with them, like Sreesanth or Kumble or even Pathan. They did not do as well as they could have. A lot of extras given. Line and length not kept perfect and thus allowing the batsmen to get out of the pressure, with occasional boundaries. Letting the latter half of the team make a lot of runs, even after having got the earlier wickets. I mean, we should have restricted Bangladesh below 191 and we should have won. It was Bangladesh after all. Similarly, we should have finished off Sri Lanka in lesser than 200, after the decent start. In fact, how could we let a Bermuda batsman take 76 off us? Where is really our great bowling skill? It is in this department that Sri Lanka score over India. With guys like Vaas and Murali leading, and extremely decent options in Malinga, Fernando and Jayasuriya, they are much better placed.

Indian cricket appears to be going the hockey way. Of course, in cricket, unlike hockey, we never ‘ruled’. But like in hockey, where we kept focusing on the brilliant talent that we had, but never on strategy to win, similarly in cricket, we may hold all the individual records and have the highest averages and aggregates, but when it comes to winning games, we will be left behind. We are not focusing on the winning strategies and not executing at the individual levels.

India’s exit from the World Cup

Posted: March 29, 2007 in india, world cup
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Its been a few days since India unceremoniously bowed out of the World Cup. I have been coming to terms with the situation and hence the delay in posting these views.

I would like to look at three aspects to this debacle, and will cover these in three separate posts:

1. What went wrong – from a pure cricketing perspective

2. Betting, match fixing, too much money, fans’ pressure – could these have played a role?

3. What next? Where does India go from here

Check the three posts on the above points, that follow this one.

From an Indian perspective, this needs to happen now..

Posted: March 21, 2007 in bangladesh, india, sri lanka, super 8, world cup
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1. Sri Lanka must beat Bangladesh
(remember, in EITHER case, India has to beat Sri Lanka, so it does not get any easier for us, if Bangladesh beats Sri Lanka; it is only better for us if Bangladesh beats Sri Lanka – read on to find out why).

Necessarily that will only improve Sri Lanka’s net run rate and put them further ahead. REMEMBER that we talk of NET run rate. So even if both teams fire, the net improvement in NRR is only to the extent of the difference in the two teams. In short, Bangladesh’s NRR will go down a bit, thereafter.

2. India beats Sri Lanka, by JUST ENOUGH to see them through to the top of the NRR, and also ensure that way, that Sri Lanka’s NRR does not drop a lot, in the process. Again, repeat, that we HAVE to beat Sri Lanka, to have any chance. There is no escaping that fact.

3. Now, before Bangladesh take on Bermuda, they will have India and Sri Lanka a fair bit ahead of them, in the NRR, and if they have to come up ahead of the (assuming) second placed Sri Lanka, they will need to win by a huge margin, against Bermuda. That may not be so easy, and hence India and Sri Lanka will go ahead to the Super 8, in number 1 and 2 positions respectively.

Understand now also, what happens when teams get into Super 8.
Off the two teams going from each group, one of them would have beaten the other. For example, if India and Sri Lanka go, as per the above surmise, then India would have beaten Sri Lanka, in the group. In that case, at the start of the Super 8, that winning team (e.g. India) starts with 2 points, and the other team (e.g. Sri Lanka) starts with 0 points.

If India and Bangaldesh go, then it will be Bangladesh who would go with 2, and India with 0. So you see why it is important for India and Sri Lanka to go rather than India and Bangladesh (now you can see why in point number 1 above, I propose that Sri Lanka win today, and not Bangladesh).

One more interesting point. In the Super 8, all teams play all the rest of the super 8 teams, EXCEPT for their own group team (since they have already played each other in the first round). There will already be one ‘minnow’ (if you can still call them thus) team in the Super 8, viz. Ireland. Now if Bangladesh were to also make it into the super 8 instead of Sri Lanka, then think of it this way:
Say, New Zealand and South Africa emerge as their group leaders and hence start with 2 points each. They will be playing both, Ireland and Bangladesh in the Super 8 then, and they should win those games rather easily (with no disrespect to Ireland and Bangladesh). They will zoom in to 6 points without much sweat then. That would put so much more pressure on teams like India to catch up and get to the semi-finals, then.

On the other hand, if Sri Lanka and India make it, then it will only be an Ireland, who will be like a ‘weaker’ team in the Super 8, and the Super 8 will remain more open, with most teams having a chance to proceed into the last 4 stage.

Now you see, why the above mentioned points 1, 2 and 3, are what should happen now, from an Indian perspective… or even from a Sri Lankan perspective, for that matter.

Whats with the Indo-Pak cricket fan??

Posted: March 19, 2007 in cricket, Dhoni, fans, india, inzamam, pakistan, woolmer
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Following the losses of India and Pakistan in Saturday’s games at the World Cup, a whole host of reactions have been seen.

1. Inzamam has announced his retirement from ODIs.

2. Fans have burnt effigies of Dhoni and have also damaged an under-construction house of his.

3. Fans have come on TV to demand that the plot alloted to Dhoni be taken back by the government.

4. Fans have also suggested that if India does not go further in the World Cup, the team should not be allowed to stay in India (??!).

and of course, the worst reaction of them all:
5. Bob Woolmer, the coach of the Pakistan team, dies.

I have to clarify that the last mentioned bit of news, may have NOTHING directly connected to the Pakistan loss. Having said that, considering that it happened so close to Pak’s crashing out of the world cup against all expectations, and recognising that Woolmer was quite healthy otherwise, it makes one wonder if the stress of the loss contributed in some or the other way, to his death.

There have been other strong issues that have seemingly got disproportionate attention, only thanks to the fans’ involvement:
1. Saurav Ganguly’s dropping from the team, accompanied by anger against Greg Chappell, effigy burning, matter reaching West Bengal and Indian mainstream political levels, etc.

2. Demand to drop Sehwag, defense against which was offered by none other than Sharad Pawar, President of BCCI. Completely unwarranted, uncalled for, but juicy mainstream media bytes, that the fans would lap up!

What is it about the Indo-Pak cricket scenario that spurns such strong reactions? There are no easy answers, but some thoughts on the subject are as under:

1. We do not have any other ‘release’ for our strong pent up emotions. We may feel equally strongly about our political issues, but normally, the frustrations with the political system are not felt in one go, but over the years. So there is no one strong moment when everyone unites to release their frustrations against the political system. Bollywood rejections are done, simply by empty theatres. No other sport in the country has anywhere close to the following, that cricket does. Then, cricket it is, that serves to be a release of sorts, of our pent up emotions, and all of our frustrations. For the common citizen, cricket is his own proxy of battle and victory and world leadership. When the team does not get there, it seems that he has not got the victory. It is taken that personally. And hence the vent.

2. The sudden increase in emoluments to the cricketers has not helped. The fact is that the huge growth of media and television reach, the accompanying increase in advertising moolah coming into the sport, has meant a consequential benefit to the cricketers providing the entertainment. It had to happen, and is completely justified as well. Just the fact that the movement to an increasing pay packet for the cricketers has been sharp and sudden, and has given a lot of media attention. Those who don’t get the fact that the cricketers are getting just rewards, perceive this jump as unjustified, and that ‘if they are paid so much, they must perform each time they go out on the field’. It almost feels as if the cricketers are getting paid from taxpayers’ money, which of course, is completely baseless.

3. The extremes that fans go to, like the way they damaged Dhoni’s house and which was visible all over television, or the way they have done similar damage to Kaif’s house in the past, the police can certainly stop the damages. If they want to. But do they want to? I don’t know what can be the political factor in this, but is appears that the local leadership almost lets the fans do their part. Let them go and vent out their anger at Dhoni. First of all, I completely and totally sympathise with Dhoni (and Kaif, in the past). They have not even been the ‘enemy number 1’, if you will. There were worse offenders to India’s loss/es. That apart, how can the scenes be visible on TV, and the local police does not even come and try to stop the mayhem? Does the local political leadership believe that ‘let the citizens take up small issues like these, and allow us to do our own money making undisturbed’? Or are these incidents inspired and motivated by small time local leadership itself, enjoying political protection, and thereby getting their own two minutes of fame, to assert their local leadership, via prime time television? I wonder..

4. Betting. Yes, I suspect that India and Pakistan contribute to the largest betting in cricket. Officially it is banned, at least in India. Yet, its clear that its happening, undoubtedly. And big time too. Betting on each ball (‘will it be a dot ball’ and such), on each over, on each player’s score, on the winning margins, on just about all aspects of the game. Its a major gambling pot, and from the ancient times, our culture has had gambling as an intricate part (think Yuddhisthir gambling away Draupadi, amongst other things!). With the high stakes involved, lot of money exchanging hands, on an apparently un-influencable set of events, there is a tendency to see if money CAN influence the events. Which is why most betting scandals connected to cricket have their roots in India or Dubai (Indo-Pak melting pot). Do these betting centres influence fan ire? Do they vent out the anger of their personal monetary losses on the cricketers? Could well be so.

Such strong reactions are not seen in more mature markets like England, Australia, South Africa. They are also not seen in Sri Lanka, which would be expected to have a similar culture as Indo-Pak. That Sri Lanka did not come from the original undivided India, does it make a difference to its attitude and culture in such respects? Again, I am not so sure. I do not also see such reactions in West Indies. There, I suppose, there are other sports like basketball and perhaps, soccer as well, that give the fans enough to follow, and partisan forces find their own balance, as a result.

I am quite aghast when things reach the level that they reach in our countries – damage to Dhoni’s house, or Woolmer’s death or Inzamam’s retirement, being what come to my mind. When will the fans in India and Pakistan look to this as a game, and nothing more? Fine, you can make coffee table discussion on the subject, perhaps even animated ones. Maybe fans can have strong arguments about their respective favorites. But hey, know where to stop. Don’t take your anger to the streets, man.

The biggest reaction that fans can give to the sport, if they feel like rejecting it, is to stop watching the games. The TRPs will fall, and the endorsements will go down, and the players will know that only performance will give them their rich dividends. However that being a long term strategy, meanwhile, fans find it easier to burn effigies.
😦

Here you go..

Posted: March 19, 2007 in advertiser, broadcaster, loss, sponsor, times of india, world cup
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What I wrote about the possible losses to advertisers and broadcasters in the event that India does not go ahead in the World Cup, has been confirmed by the morning headlines in the newspapers.

Check this story in Times of India.

There are going to be a LOT more prayers that are going to be said to take India ahead!

Cricket World Cup: Saturday Night Fever

Posted: March 18, 2007 in bangladesh, cricket, india, loss, pakistan, world cup
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So the first night of full match watching that I could afford, as it was the weekend, turned out to be a nightmare, to say the least 😦

Here are my stray thoughts on the day of debacle, for India and Pakistan:

1. What can I say about India’s loss against Bangladesh?
…
…
…

Yes, ‘nothing’. I am dumb founded.

2. Pakistan is out of the world cup. So much for the convenient 2 big, 2 minnow groups, to supposedly serve as more practise games for the big guys. The quickest big team exit. Quite unbelievable.

3. Refer my earlier posts about the bigger teams who should be asserting themselves stronger against the smaller ones. Now after the Saturday night, I wonder if there is really that much of a difference between the so called minnows and the big guys. Its like the tennis tournaments now. Yes, the top seeds are potentially far better, but if they take anything casually, they could well be upset. Happens all the time in tennis and now we see the same in cricket too.

4. India has it all uphill from now. They need to win both the games, against Bermude and Sri Lanka. And YET, they may not be sure to make it to the next round. Bangladesh will have their second win against Bermuda, and Sri Lanka should manage to beat Bangladesh, to add to their Bermuda victory. If India wins both, that will still leave 3 teams with 2 wins each, and a tie breaker of sorts will decide the top two teams, to go to the next round. Never easy for anyone to predict the final two from the group.

Of course, winning against Sri Lanka itself will be a huge effort, coming as it will against the backdrop of this loss against Bangladesh, with the huge expectations of the billion people from India, and the psychological impact of all these put together. I wouldn’t want to be in Dravid’s shoes at this time.

5. So lets imagine the scenario should India also get hustled out in the first round itself.
How will the sponsors survive? They who depend solely on the Indian viewership, will have a huge loss on their hands.
I am sure the viewership in India will drop by at least 50%.
The big bucks that Hutch and Hero Honda and Pepsi, not to speak of Sony Entertainment, have put behind the event – how will they get their ROI??
Will some of them renege their contracts and pay the penalty, but get out quickly, cutting their losses? 🙂
I wouldn’t want to be in the shoes of these sponsors as well.

6. Will there be some or the ‘other’ kind of lobbying going on, at this time, from the sponsors end, to see how they can ‘ensure’ that India makes it to the next round?

Ohh.. the scenario is tough to imagine. All the hype surrounding the event, all the media packages waiting to be unleashed as the rounds progress (I believe that the media and advertising hype has been a little subdued so far, just to ensure against consumer fatigue, since its a long tournament; now will it be long at all, for Indian fans??), will they remain in the cans and not see the light of the day?

Tough calls. We will see the picture emerge in the next few days now..!

Sehwag: Enough is Enough, Dravid!

Posted: March 17, 2007 in Dravid, sehwag
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India’s first World Cup match has just started. Against Bangladesh. On the first ball of the 3rd over, and with Sehwag on just 2, he tries to cut a widish ball, which crashes into his stumps, and he is bowled out.

NOW can we give him a break?
Isn’t enough enough??
What is the fault of Karthik, in reasonable form, and cooling his heels in the pavilion, outside the playing 11?
Why not accomodate Pathan as an all rounder, instead, otherwise??

Don’t you see that each match has only added pressure on Sehwag, and even if he has the capability, “its just not happening”.

Irrespective of where the result of this match goes, Dravid, PLEASE LISTEN TO ALL OF US NOW!

GIVE US A BREAK. WE ARE COMPLETELY AND TOTALLY EXASPERATED SEEING SUCH A SPECTACLE.

While Sehwag comes out looking as the joker, we are worried about you too, Dravid! WHY are you persevering with him so much??

Please, let this be the last chance for Sehwag, unless injuries to other batsmen, or a sustained bad form of any other batsmen forces you to give Sehwag another try, later in the World Cup.

Please.. !

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