Sports needs heroes

Posted: February 18, 2007 in dhanraj pillay, padukone, prakash, sport, tiger woods
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The success of sports, its popularity with people, is based on having heroes in the sport.

I am hearing less and less of F-1 racing this year. I have never been fascinated by F-1 racing, but I know so many people who used to track it and also talk about it all the time. And now I am hearing a lot less of it. Is it because Michael Schumacher has retired now?? Does it need a news item of his visit to the training field, to regenerate some interest in the sport?

Likewise, back in the days when Prakash Padukone won the All-England Badminton title, all of a sudden, the sport became a big hit in India. Thereafter, it has now been relegated to an occasional small column in the inside sports pages of the newspaper.

For a few years, in between, post Samparas’ retirement, tennis was not being talked about much. Earlier of course, during the days of Becker, Lendl, Borg, McEnroe, Connors, Navratilova, Chris Evert, Graf, etc., the sport was extremely popular in India. Then again, during the days of Agassi and Samparas. But thereafter, the popularity dipped. People said that it was on account of many other sports emerging for the public interest.

However we find tennis returning to its old glory all over again. Thanks to Roger Federer. An amazing hero. A phenomenal success, who has rekindled interest in the sport.

Cricket in India, has always had its share of heroes, whether Gavaskar, Kapil Dev, Sachin, or whoever. Hence it has never really dropped out of the popularity charts, irrespective of our win-loss record.

On the other hand, hockey of course, lost its popularity, once we stared losing internationally, and we also lost heroes. At this time, we see a huge movement in the form of the so called Premier Hockey League, being initiated to make hockey popular again. However for want of a hero in the sport, its not getting any decent traction. Inspite of all the efforts of ESPN/Star Sports. Dhanraj Pillay, the last known hero in hockey, seems to have disappeared and without him, the sport will not pick up.

Who cared for golf in India – I mean, amongst the masses. That is a sport which is so far away from a common man in India. But thanks to Tiger Woods and his immense popularity around the world, golf is known and discussed amongst common people in India.

Sports requires heroes.. undoubtedly.

This whole debate about the President of India

Posted: February 18, 2007 in Amitabh, kalam, president
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I am amazed at the media frenzy with regards to who should be the President of India.

Why so much print is being wasted on the subject? Are the people really going to decide who becomes the President of India? Do we as people have any idea of what it takes. Agreed that it is a ceremonial position, but there are clear responsibilities that go with it. Especially at critical junctures like when President’s rule needs to be imposed. So it is a position of importance. And we cannot just recommend who we feel.

So why this whole debate with names being thrown about. Amitabh Bacchan, Narayan Murthy and what not. Please.. give me a break, will you, guys?

We are not voting on the subject. If it was only a matter of opinion, then fair enough. I would personally like Abdul Kalam to be renominated and continue.

But lets not get all speculative and wild. Next you will hear someone suggesting Sachin Tendulkar or Sunil Gavaskar’s names. Heck, we have the sheriff’s positions for those kind of acknowledgements, not the President’s please!

Words of wisdom

Posted: February 18, 2007 in Uncategorized
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Recently I met up with a very respected ex-Principal of my Alma Mater, VJTI. He was a teacher to me, during my engineering college days. It was a pleasure to meet with him.

The discussion veered to the topic of concern for most parents, viz. the future of our kids. Whether with so many options in life today, with the influence of the media and the peers, the Internet and all, are kids taking the right decisions in life. Can we as parents guide them correctly, etc.

And our professor, who has seen thousands of students go past him, and who has seen the amazing changes happen year after year, had this to say.

That as parents today, we cannot really control our kids’ lives, nor decide on their behalf. What lines will be good tomorrow, what they should do, is not easy to choose. At such times, all we can hope for, is for our kids to have good company of peers. Where they can be exposed to intelligent talk and discussion. Thereafter, what they end up doing is their choice, but based on the company, they should be lead to a good decision about their life.

I was amazed at this thought. Coming from a teacher, who I would have expected to emphasise on education and the like, this was a very plain statement, and I see a lot of wisdom in these.

Visit to Gurgaon

Posted: February 18, 2007 in bpo, call center, gurgaon
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I had heard a lot about the changing face of Gurgaon. About how the BPO and call centre culture had got into the social thread, and how the whole place had a very different look.

Well, I had never been to Gurgaon ever before, so when I went there recently, I did not have an earlier Gurgaon to compare with. But I was quite expecting to see a place that had a western look, an almost American feel.

Well, here is what I saw.
Nice wide roads, to begin with. Like expressways.
Fabulous buildings on both sides of the road. Not exactly cramped for space. In the sense, the buildings were not congested – ample space between buildings. Well spread out. Many of the buildings had American logos hanging outside. Construction styles were very modern.

In a way, as we drove along on this road, it was reminiscent of Freeway 101, cutting across the Silicon Valley. The one big difference being the lack of greenery. Yet. I guess, they must be working on this as well, and should I go back a couple of years later, I should find the place quite green too.

This is as far as this particular road goes.

We also went to a couple of malls there. Lots of branded outlets. Reasonably big. But not nearly as awesome as I had visualised them, from the hype about Gurgaon that I had read.

Also they have written all kinds of things about the youth in the place – that girls and boys are smoking, wearing very modern (read ‘bold’) clothing, sounding American (thanks to the call centre training), etc. Well, I did not see any of these. I guess the media loves to exaggerate, and this kind of piece must make for good copy to be read. Reality is not quite there.

Of course, I spent less than a day in Gurgaon, so my observations are limited to that extent. It was nice to visit the place and see one of the happening new cities of India, anyway..

A new niece in the family..

Posted: February 18, 2007 in niece
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Couple of months back, my brother and his wife got a baby girl. They are in the US. To our good fortune, the three of them managed to come and spend some time with us, here in India. In fact, since the time that my brother has gone to the US, several years back, this was the longest vacation he took to India, and it was so much fun to be all together.

It kind of drove home the point that life could be so much better, if we were closer to each other.

Of course, the best part of it all was the baby. The new addition to the family.

From being a really small baby, over the couple of months that they were here, she seemed to grow so much. Became a really playful bunny baby. Started making sounds, and turning over and stuff. But what a cute baby she is.

We all so miss her, now that she has gone back to the US. Hope we get to see her soon. Hope even more that we find a way to be closer to each other, and see her grow up in front of our eyes…

Just for this one reason, Sehwag should be dropped..

Posted: February 18, 2007 in india, ODI, runout, sehwag, sri lanka
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What was that run out about?
I saw it in the highlights and I could not fathom it.

What was Sehwag doing? From half way on the pitch, he was so casually ambling away to his crease. WHAT WAS HE THINKING?

For being so casual, more amateurish than a school boy cricketer, and what could have lead the team to defeat, he should be dropped from the team. If not forever, then at least for a couple of games. Just like they penalise cricketers for some games on disciplinary grounds, the coach and the team management should do the same, for such shocking work on the field!

India has a fair chance, I would say…

Posted: February 18, 2007 in cricket, Dravid, india, ODI, world cup
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In the world cup.

The aces in the sleeves as per me, are not the batting, but the seamers. In Zaheer, Agarkar and Munaf, we have a very decent ODI attack.

Zaheer’s stint in England has done him a lot of good. Learning to bowl well, day after day, in that county atmosphere obviously taught him a thing or two. Imagine learning all that, and then coming to bowl for your country makes him a genuine leader of our bowling attack.

Ajit Agarkar, to my mind, has always been a good ODI bowler. Someone who bowls extremely well, within his known limitations. Works up a good pace, varies the pace too, works out a batsman’s wicket by strategy, is reasonably accurate early in the innings, almost always generates early wicket taking opportunities. And at this time, he seems to be in excellent nick. Perhaps spurred by the ‘competition’ for pace bowling slots in the team.

Munaf, the fastest of the trio, has figured that he needs to be very accurate. Somewhere he has got it ingrained in his head, that he has to be like a McGrath, and not like a Shoaib Akhtar. He does an excellent job of keeping the score under control, and then forcing a mistake from the batsmen.

And to think that a Sreesanth with all his energy and enthusiasm, and never say die spirit, with an eagerness to keep learning, is the fourth bowler. And then there is the very promising, at one time our pace hope for the next decade, currently, slightly out of form, Irfan Pathan, waiting in the wings. And it makes me say with confidence that indeed, our aces are this pace attack.

If Greg Chappell, Dravid, Sachin and others can find a way to train the 5 boys to NOT panic against a serious counter attack (think Gilchrist or Jayasuriya or Afridi) and keep bowling intelligently, then we have one area completely covered.

Now coming to the batting. Yes, it has the biggest names and one would feel that its the batting that should be our strong point. While I believe that its good, is it good enough for the world cup? Lets examine details.

Up in the opening slot, what options do we have?
Ideally, Ganguly and Uthappa.
Ganguly is of course, in the best of form. And his resolve and determination to prove himself should see him continue doing well, right through the world cup.
Uthappa has a lot of promise. He does not seem to have many nerves. But its the technique that I would wonder about. Is it good enough to face up to really class bowling – a Shaun Pollock or a McGrath, or even a Chaminda Vaas? Lets hope so..
In case either of these guys are injured, what options do we have for the opening slot? Sehwag, Sachin or even Dravid. All of them have played the parts in the past.

Sachin can be a good bet, but I think the team will be better served if he comes in at 4. More about that later. Sehwag would be the one who would be first choice for opening slot, if there is any problem with Uthapa or Saurav. And of course, like everyone else in India, I can also only hope that he strikes some sort of form, soon. Yes, he can be destructive and take the game away. Just when will be start delivering now, I am not sure. He is under huge pressure, and will remain so, inspite of the best of confidence that his captain has in him.
Dravid would be the last option to go to the opening slot. If it comes to that, I would believe that we would be in serious trouble. Nothing else worked out, or 2-3 people on the injury list, is what may warrant such a step. But if it comes to it, he is fine. One with such good technique can certainly manage the opening slot too, if required.

Then on to the middle order. We have names like Dravid (number 3), Sachin (4), Yuvraj (5) and Sehwag or Karthick (6). Dhoni at 7 and then 4 specialist bowlers is the way I see it going, in most cases. Unless we have tremendous respect for our 5 batsmen, I think we will continue to play with 4 bowlers and 6 batsmen, plus Dhoni. In case we play 5+5+1, then of course, the 6th batsman (Sehwag / Karthick) will be out.

In batting then, there is no doubt about Dravid and Sachin. They are strong middle order batters. Yuvraj’s form looks good if the last game against Sri Lanka is any indication. And if that is true, then we have a good 3,4,5 combination there. It is the 6th batsman or the bench strength beyond these main working team that is worrying. Karthick has played some good knocks, but I just can’t see him as a reliable batsman against quality bowling. And Sehwag.. well, we all know. He is out of form. If the first 1-2 games don’t redeem him, I would believe that he will have to sit out through the competition. There will just be no point in carrying on someone in the world cup team, who has lost all confidence and where, we just continue to ‘hope’ that he fires! And then when you see the reserves, there is really no one else left, as far as batsmen go. Will we consider using Pathan in that case, as a batsman who may also bowl? I suppose. There is no choice left. We may yet miss a Raina..

So in batting, I would believe that there is a genuine weakness of one slot, and there is no adequate cover against a possible injury to our top batsmen.

The wicketkeeper-cum-batsman position is in good hands with Dhoni. He has great temperament as a batsman, and is quite good (though not flawless) as a wicketkeeper. He can certainly slam the bowling around, and is quite mature too. However again, I have a question on genuine technique and ability to face quality bowlers. Here we just need to hope for the best. Karthick is a good cover in case the wicketkeeper’s position needs to be filled, but then, if he is anyway a part of the team, as a 6th batsman, then who do we get as a replacement? This is in the event that Sehwag does not get into form at all…

So in short, that one batsman’s position may still hurt us. We may be forced to go with a 5+5+1 combination and hope that the bowlers compensate for the one lesser batsman, then.

Coming to spinners, I think we are just so-so. Harbhajan and Kumble may keep the scores down, against lesser teams or against batsmen who are not adept at playing spin. Better batsmen who have faced these guys for many years, may actually get a lot of runs against them. We will probably play only one of these two guys, and it may be a case of regular swapping between these two. Unless one of them makes the most of his opportunities and succeeds in the early games, and seals his seat in the team. Or if there is a known weakness against one of them, from the opposite side. Kumble can be successful against lesser teams, and also against lower order batsmen, and he can potentially run through the tail. But against that, he is a huge liability in the field and nowadays, also with the bat. Even if he can hang around on the crease as a batsman, he cannot run fast between the wickets, he will not be able to rotate strike (say he has a batsman at the opposite end) and he will not be able to seriously wallop the bowling for some big hits and big runs.

So I would again see the spinner’s slot as a kind of weakness. Depending on the pitches then, we may actually like to play 4 seamers and no specialist spinner. The spin part, if necessary, can then be handled by Sachin, Yuvraj, and Sehwag, if he is in the team. Its good to also have Saurav who can back up as a slow medium pacer and take care of few overs. In such a case, if Pathan is the fourth seamer, then our batting would look even better and deeper.

So indeed, the team composition gives some flexibility in that sense. To an extent, Chappell’s efforts towards this endeavour, from the time that he has taken over, may have delivered us these options.

But one thing that he worked for, and which has clearly not converted into results, perhaps on account of the final composition of the team, is the fielding. The young and fast guys, like Raina and Kaif, are not in the team at all. Off the current lot, only Yuvraj qualifies as a great fielder. Who is going to cover the inner circle and stop the singles? There is no one that I can think of. Maybe Uthapa. Perhaps a Karthick. But that is it.

Guys like Sachin, Sehwag, Pathan, Agarkar, Ganguly and Dravid are decent, but not very sharp. Unless they raise their levels, inspired by the occasion! All of these guys can cover the boundary ropes too, decently. Zaheer and Harbhajan are also okay, on the field. But out there in the deep field, there are some people whom we would have to hide on the ground. Guys like Munaf Patel and Kumble. There is an extra run written all over it, when the ball goes to either of them. Forget about a sharp, fast return, with possibilities of run-outs!

So sure, we are not the perfectly equipped team. I am not sure if any other team is, anyway. But there is a lot going for our team, there are many strengths there, which makes me feel that we stand a decent chance, this time around.

Lets see how it goes..

Australia’s bench strength?

Posted: February 18, 2007 in australia, cricket, england, new zealand, ODI
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The Australian cricket team has been playing with what looks like its bench, against New Zealand, in the Chappell Hadlee series. And they have got beaten twice in a row, and have also lost the number one position in international ODI ratings, to South Africa, in the process. They lost the first game big time – by 10 wickets, after getting bowled out for under 150. And then in the second game, they put up a big total of 336, and New Zealand chased it down!

It tells me a few things.
So much for Australia’s famed bench strength. Perhaps its not quite as great as its been made out to be. The little that I saw of these games, I could sense that there were just 2-3 batsmen who looked good (Hussey, Hayden – both regulars, and Hodge), and in bowling, there was not much to offer beyond McGrath and Bracken. Watson also got hit and Hogg got thumped big time. The rest of the guys looked quite ordinary.

A much stronger Australian side got beaten by England in the tri-series finals. Ponting, Lee, Clarke, Gilchrist were all there then. And still they lost – in straight games. Which proves that they are certainly beatable. Over the recent years, they had created a feeling of invincibility. Heck, that is out of the window now.

And I am going to stick my neck out and say that they will NOT win the World Cup. I am not saying who will win; at this time, all I am saying is that Australia won’t.

Which brings the question of the quality of the Australian team, over the next couple of years. With Warne, Langer and Martyn already gone, McGrath to go after the WC, there are going to be few new faces there.

Clarke and Hussey look like great inheritors of the Australian spirit. Of course, Ponting will be around for a while. And Hodge holds a lot of promise. There is of course, Hayden, Gilchrist (don’t know for how long, though) and Symonds should get fit soon. So the batting looks okay as long as all of these guys maintain decent form. But its the bowling that looks pretty vulnerable.

Lee appears to be the only real strike bowler. Bracken, Stuart Clarke in pace, or Hogg in spin, don’t look like matchwinners by any circumstances. I don’t know what has happened to Stuart McGill. He should finally get his chance without Warne’s shadow lurking behind him, and he can be a good prospect. But overall, if a team wants to beat Australia in the next year or two, they have their best chance in out-batting Australia, by going after a weak bowling attack.

Meanwhile, the eternal underdog down under, New Zealand, should be feeling fabulous, and so also the traditional arch rivals, England, both of them having beaten Australia, going into the World Cup!

The maximum retail price concept

Posted: February 18, 2007 in consumer activism, MRP, weights and measures
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They have been doing a lot of advertising about how we should not be paying more than the declared maximum retail price (MRP) mentioned on any packaged product.

So here I was at the international airport in Mumbai, waiting to receive someone, when I walked up to the snack counter, to find that several packaged products were being sold way above the MRP. I asked them about the MRP but they insisted on getting more. Well, I did for that time, but later, I tried to look up some government website where I could register a complaint. Finally found one which was the Weights and Measures department, located at Delhi. There was an email there, so I went ahead and put the details there. And promptly forgot about it.

Till about a week or so later, when I got an email from them. Yes, surprise, surprise! They actually responded. What they conveyed was an address in Mumbai where I could complain. It did not mention their email address. Well, since there was a reply, I just printed out my old email complaint and sent it off. And again, promptly forgot about it.

Till a few weeks later, when I received a call. It took me like a few seconds to register, who was calling. Remember I had forgotten about this matter. But on the phone they mentioned that they did follow up on the case, went and did some of their own purchases and confirmed that indeed, there were violations happening. And then they took some action against them. And they had called me just to inform me.

That was neat. That a simple email managed to generate such action, that too in government, and that they actually called back, just to let me know!

Of course, in terms of the actual matter, it was shortlived joy for me. When recently, I went to the same airport again, and I walked to the same snack bar, they were selling stuff at higher prices, all over again! When I reminded them about the raid that they had, they gave ME the items at the MRP level. But for all other consumers, they were merrily selling the stuff at prices that were highly inflated.

I have taken the step to write to the Mumbai department again, for whatever it is worth. But as for the menace to be removed from society – I wonder if it can be done at all??

My thoughts on Eklavya

Posted: February 18, 2007 in Amitabh, eklavya, saif, vidhu vinod chopra, vidya balan
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One is not going to miss a Vidhu Vinod Chopra directed film, especially one that comes after a seven year break. That is how, for a change, I did not wait to hear or read reviews and landed up in the theatre to see Eklavya.

And I liked this short (less than 2 hours) film. It looks like a period film, with palace / fort, the servants, guards etc. However some of the characters appear modern, and there are indications that the film is based in the 80s or 90s, in fact (there is a background shot of a film playing – that film was Parinda, which was an 80s release, if I am not mistaken). So in a way, it looked like a location where time forgot to tell them that the world has changed, and where the King still thinks that he rules!

Anyway, that apart, the taut story line has a lot of high strung emotions. Based on the value system of the royal lives, in a way! I mean, we have seen this in reality, haven’t we? The massacre in the Nepal palace is pretty recent, after all.

Amitabh is the best.
Yeah, what’s new, right?
But he’s pretty good, and its clearly his film, first and foremost. Amazing emotional communication without even opening his mouth. The twitches of his face, the eyes – they convey so much. The scene of the blind folded AB showing his skills is quite amazing.

Other than him, its Saif Ali Khan. Very mature role, well enacted. He has really come of age and should start getting more respect – like being treated as one of the Khans, along with Aamir, SRK and Salman!

They seem to be raving about Jackie. But I don’t know why. He is okay in a small role. Nothing particularly outstanding. The scene of his death is shown well. Vidya Balan looks good on the screen.. as usual, I may add!

And so now we have the Vinod Chopra regulars getting established. Amitabh was the key element here, but other than him, the regulars were there to see – Sanjay Dutt – Munnabhai, Parineeta, Mission Kashmir. Saif – Parineeta. Vidya Balan – Parineeta, Munnabhai. Boman Irani – Munnabhais. Jimmy Shergill – Munnabhais. And of course, the old and faithful Jackie Shroff.

As regards Eklavya, I think its worth checking it out.

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