State of Play

Cup of Dreams

noreply@blogger.com (shreehari paliath) — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 04:29:00 +0000

Perfect endings are not scripted in the world of cinema alone. There is poetic justice even in sports. India’s inspiring victory is an amalgamation of events that comprises of a 37 year olds twenty one year grand journey, a 22 year olds first world cup, a supremely gifted batman’s path to self realization and a Man of the tournament recognition and an ex-ticket collector’s genius at leading and delivering the hopes of a billion people.

World Cups in sport is a portal of dreams. The unison of victory and celebration is a breeding ground for the next generation of players who would extend that chain of inspiration. But none more so holds it together through his sheer presence than Sachin Tendulkar. “This is what i played for all these years, not those 99 hundreds. Now we don’t know what else to look forward to,” said a cheerful Tendulkar during a recent interview. It summarised everything; his source of inspiration, his dreams and also his way ahead. In that statement we all felt those dreaded words of his retirement camouflaged in that immense sense of satisfaction. Although most of us will never know or understand what goes inside a genius’head, but the feeling of completion that we sense each time we hear Sachin speak after this sublime win, brings us closer to the end of a blessed period for cricket.

This game never required to push itself to get the kids to pick up a bat and ball in our country. But this triumph will do what it did for Tendulkar 28 years ago, when the Calypso played a whole different tune composed by Kapil Dev’s fighting bunch.

This Cup was not just about that beautiful image of a teary eyed Tendulkar being carried around by the very group he inspired to play the game. It is also about those missed opportunities and heartbreaks that other players went through. Spare a thought for Praveen Kumar who would probably never be a part of a World Cup winning side. Muralidharan retired a champion, but his final goodbye was a match in which he went wicketless. Such are the dynamics of the game that, Yuvraj Singh, who barely made it to the final World Cup squad ended up contributing the most to the side. His acrobatics in the first 10 overs of the finals was testament to his revamped approach to the game, something he aptly attributes to Tendulkar. It isn’t just this World Cup that is a mixed bag for the players who were in it or out of it. In 1983 Sunil Valson became a part of Indian cricketing folklore, yet he never played a match for his country again. Then again a young but mature Kohli shared Tendulkar's greatest moment in his very first World Cup.

For Tendulkar, we all know by now, this achievement is a culmination of that one dream; to win the World Cup. Rarely in history has a sporting legend been able to live such a journey. He was touched by the hand of God or so many amongst us believe. He will always have good will riding by his side, not just because he is a genius, but the fact that he is continues to be a normal human being despite his greatness. That is a wonderful benchmark for the next generation of individuals, sporting or otherwise to begin their lives with.

Chances are that there will not be another one like Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar, but for an entire nation, this is their moment and we owe to one man.

A Modern Revolution

noreply@blogger.com (shreehari paliath) — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 04:49:00 +0000

Revolutions have a way of stirring the conscience of people who witness its unfurling. It sweeps in as a wave, carrying forward the dissent of a million, the response to which is often bloody, but the conclusion, a soaring victory of ordinary voices.

The flames that literally torched Tunisia’s dictatorship, are now consuming Egypt’s infeasible government. For now, the wildfire seems to have enough energy to power itself through to a historical association with the great revolutions of our times. The magnitude of participation is unprecedented in the Arab world, and the consequences for now remain vaguely describable.

Egypt’s biblical history is possibly the most recorded and re-dramatized of all the ancient civilizations. The Pharaohs and their mummified remains have possessed Hollywood and produced innumerable great documentaries of a period far removed from ours, yet whose ways and methods continue stun our senses. The country has experienced its share of prolonged and dissatisfactory governance earlier. The chants that echo through Tahrir square for the removal Mubarak’s unwelcome, three decade long presence is a path to self-determination for Egypt’s people.

Revolutions usually spawn icons of liberation and new scales of thought. A contrast when compared to the outburst seen here that has exhibited the citizens’ disgust in its respective leaders, but strangely moves ahead with no individual to chart the nations’ future course.

Even India’s journey to independence is a story of mass movements. Obviously the circumstances were different, but certainly the rush and emotion of crowded streets, vein-strained necks and the unifying force of human contact must remain the same.

The problem with sudden unrest, especially political ones, is that without clarity on the future mandate, course correction remains inevitably chaotic. These protests do not have an organised leadership channelling the crowd’s energy. Therein lays the problem for such movements. A surging crowd is magnificent and ominous as it charges in, but science professes that energy tends to gravitate towards a zero energy state equilibrium to minimise chaos and maximize stability. Time is a constraint in these circumstances and optimum use of this dimension is imperative to assure that aspirations of those gathered do not fizzle out.

The images of men atop horses and camels at the Liberation square would have done the great Omar Sharrif proud of his Arab thespian lineage reminiscent of his role in Lawrence of Arabia, but sadly it would be the disillusionment of this reality that would worry him. Clubs and sticks were weapons of our medieval past, while dialogue and peaceful protest should define our present and future.

ElBaradei is the global face of the opposition. He is a Nobel Prize winner and a distinguished diplomat. But is he a leader who feels the pulse of his nation, one who can douse the leaping vigour of discontentment through tangible administrative remedies? Egypts march is not a struggle against tyranny of a foreign rule. This fact compounds the nation’s problems as it pounds its way towards new political aspirations. How will they cope without a rule that has shadowed them for nearly 30 years, adhering themselves as a close Western ally?

What Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King.Jr inherently possessed was a sense of timing. They understood the threshold of patience and suffering of their people even while they fought for their God-given rights. Even this sea of humanity that came out to drive out and usher in a new regime will melt away as the days’ progress. The need of the hour is to make the most of this coalescence. There is safety in numbers, but remember a herd is always led by a wise and tempered soul.Till such time, hope prevails for a bloodless Nile.

Paes-Bhupathi: For Old Times' Sake

noreply@blogger.com (shreehari paliath) — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 07:29:00 +0000

They are back, finally. At a heartening period in Indian tennis as the game gathers momentum on the upswing, the once undisputed champions on the doubles scene have decided to give their egos a rest and patch together yet another eventful journey. Who would have thought that breakfast in Paris would be motivation enough to break the ice?

Doubles tennis is an Euclidean art. The formations are dense with angles, trajectories and axes that captivate and thrill. It is an acquired taste, seldom attracting more than the quintessential tennis lover. It is a cerebral form of play, a process that emphasises the need for synchrony. The great doubles pairings are always remembered, be it Roche-Newcombe, McEnroe-Fleming, Woodforde-Woodbridge or Lee-Hesh, all of whom pushed the sublime form of serve and volley to poetic peaks.

India’s contribution to this vertical in tennis is unquestionable. The power backed singles baseline play of today or the gruelling physical strains of the wooden era caused heartburn in many a Indian tennis fan. Singles is an extinct form in Indian tennis. It was a congenital malady that could only be rectified with an additional input, a cavalry in the form of another individual just to compensate for the deficiency of physical strength. Doubles was and remains perfect for the upkeep of this game in the Sub-continent where gentle ground strokes have always outpaced brawns.

Indians work well in groups, a probable extension of the way we usually function in close knit cliques. The Amritrajs’ are a depiction of the realism of human bonds off court and its reflection on it. Lee-Hesh too had that innate sense of mutual comprehension before they gave all that up. As singles players, they hardly rattled any top ranked player. Together they are a different entity. Paes ofcourse has some stupendous singles victories in the Davis Cup. Who could forget Paes rejoicing over a defeated and miffed Ivanisevic in 1995 at New Delhi playing in front of a boisterous audience? But life demands consistency and this is where the Indian duo score brownie points in doubles and therefore their reunion is celebratory moment.

Their split was an affront to the game’s progress in India, but unfortunately there are no liabilities for bad decisions. Coaxing and cajoling evidently did not work. Doubles cannot be played without the consent of the volleyer and the server, surely not when both seem to be serving to the wrong side of the court while playing as team.

Bhupathi can hold his serve as well as any in the business and Paes needs no course in reflexology at the nets. They belittled sides with unmatched ease and the rare lose slipped past because victory was always around the next bend. Their energy, fusion and poise remain unmatched. Chest pumps replete, their matches together are all out entertainers gripping the sensibility of an amateur watcher. Such was their impact in the years preceding their split.

They have announced their commitment to play at the first Grand Slam of the year in Australia, beyond which their intention to continue the annealed relationship is subject to interest and passive ego hassles.

The upcoming tennis calendar has the potential to provide ‘breaking news’ scrolls of tournament victories on news channels with over-enthusiastic anchors going nasal with joy and occasionally also ultrasonic-sonic, mildly confusing foraging bats.

Couple of months back, Qureshi and Boppana were touted as the future at the Slams for the Sub-continent, but at their advanced age (28 is rather old in tennis) hope and fitness have become telling-factors in their metamorphosis from runners-up to champions. At 35, Lee and Hesh have done it all. They have won Grand Slams, lost a few, slammed doors on each other, been promiscuous with tennis partners, and now have come a full circle for that final ascent to underscore their insurmountable status in doubles.

They are like an aging couple trying to re-kindle their lost passion for each other, attempting to move ahead reminiscing the good times. Peas and Bhupathi are like misplaced halves that have finally managed to off set the pettiness of their immature years. Somewhere they know that their individual style of play improves their combined game. This reconciliation is certainly their swansong.

Their return should pose a severe strain on few of the top ranked pairs, hopefully. Bryans beware.

Joyless Cricket

noreply@blogger.com (shreehari paliath) — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 14:55:00 +0000

In that all too familiar manner, the Pakistani cricketers have once again managed to find themselves in a deep hole that they have dug for close to a decade and a half through match fixing. How does a team manage to find itself in the spotlight so often for sport unworthy reasons?

In a country where many things are going horribly wrong beginning with the impotent governance and the now added burden of the floods on its cities that have already been ravaged by terror attacks, cricket was among the few things that gave them some respite. But now with the match-fixing allegations ably supported by relatively conclusive assortment of evidences, the gashes on a recuperating Pakistani side have once again opened.

Where do the youth go wrong? Most certainly the lack of role-models in the side has had an adverse effect on potential bowling power houses like Mohammed Aamer and Mohammed Asif. The senior players or lack of those so to say, are themselves kindred spirits in the art of ‘figure it out yourself’. Younis Khan and Mohammed Yousuf who are constantly at loggerheads with the PCB have not the slightest chance of steering the ship to safety, unless they get their acts right. Shahid Afridi, the rebel, is perennially in a state of war with the one-day and Test cricketer within him. So who gives time to these boys who are at an impressionable age, where money can outstretch their knees just enough to earn them a thousand pound no-ball? The first look says, the bookies are nurturing them young and profiting well.

The feudal setup of Pakistani cricket is an extrapolation of the how things are in the country. Imran Khan dominated and reigned in some of the most explosive talents in world cricket. His presence, without an inkling of doubt, had a direct influence on Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Aquib Javed. In the two decades since Khan’s retirement there has not been a single influential leader in the side who could take the team with him. No wonder then that there has been no one to pay it forward.

Atleast in the present scenario Salman Butt has refused to step down from captaincy, which otherwise was the standard response at the first sign of trouble.
Wisdom comes through experience alone. An individual’s lessons come through observation, and in the bad world of international cricket, if that gaze is set upon the wrong imagery then he better buckle up for a hard fall.

If the allegations are conclusively proven to be true, then the guilty players will be punished severely. The great shame for the game would be the possible loss of a talent like Aamer, who at 17 has already seen the rise and the fall of speckled career. The youngest to take fifty wickets in Test cricket, a boy who out-classed Tendulkar in his first match against India. He was yet another great Pakistani pacer in the making.

Often the cricket set-up in Pakistan leaves a lot to be desired, especially when a young career terminates itself owing to the negligence of senior members of an establishment. Let us hope that the game survives yet another scare and the gentleman’s game stays true to its name.

cricket,loss and its aftermath

noreply@blogger.com (shreehari paliath) — Tue, 11 May 2010 13:46:00 +0000

The biggest trouble with Indian cricket is the space it has allowed the media to create for ex-cricketers to announce their expertise on the cricket team’s loss and reasons behind this departure to national shame. Isn’t it always the case that when the Indian cricket team embarks on a huge tournament like the World Cup (so what if it’s a T-20 tournament that is most often repeated in a calendar year), the same commentators on cricket put the team on a pedestal of absolution, forgetting their previous follies?

The team in Caribbean for the T-20 Cup is nowhere close to being the best by even Indian standards, forget world standards. It was prophesised well in time by the majority of cricket comprehending population that a disaster was waiting to happen and the “I told u so” saga was to continue. West Indies played their cards right and unleashed the style of cricket they were always famous for; short deliveries and cold looks. India too did what it was always incapable of; playing those short deliveries. No special report or an investigative team needed to reveal blatant inconsistencies in the batting armoury in countering top class fast bowling. More than half a century of test cricket has proven to be insufficient practise for Indian batsmen in playing rib cracking pace bowling, so why blame team composition and M.S.Dhoni for yet another early exit (unless the usual pre-tournaments yagnas and pujas have a say) from a tournament fast losing its value.

Barbadian pitch is suited for quick, short skull shattering bowling. It was one intended to allow the batsmen to feel the heat. India should have gone in with at least three fast bowlers. But, wait. Does India even have three genuinely fast bowlers who could make a dent in the opposition? Vinay Kumar could be medium fast occasionally if the wind on the day could be of assistance. He won’t have much luck at this time of the year with that kind of gale force wind. In that case Dhoni’s choice of going in with Nehra and Zaheer, his best available opening options was justified. As to why he picked Jadeja, for Pete’s sake the boy is as talented as any out there. Sure he had a bad time, maybe if Chairman ‘Mao’ Modi could accommodate Jadeja in one of the franchisees rather than banning him, the lad would have salvaged some valuable moments of match practise. The elite club of ex-players believe that team composition as usual was flawed. ‘After a flogging from the Australians why would Dhoni go in within the same team’ is the post-mortem conclusion. But who can Dhoni bring in without breaking the balance of the side that is already being held up on crutches.

Each loss reveals the panic everywhere around the team especially in the studio of a news channel, where great predictions and elaborate analytical features torch themselves in a self-preserving ritual, saving them for the next big tournament. For once leave team India alone, leave IPL alone, and stop blaming the coach. All that requires to be done is to put an end to five-point formulae to set things right, that a so-called cricket expert has constantly been preaching to unsatisfied cricket lovers. For once relax the shrill tone and just watch some good, old-fashioned slam-bang cricket!

What the IPL is worth

noreply@blogger.com (shreehari paliath) — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 17:21:00 +0000

So, what is the big deal with making money? India in its entirety strives to push up its economy to sustain a 9 percent growth, just to break the shackles that bind a third world country to perpetual poverty. Somehow reason melts away when it comes to making money in sports especially in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

The vulgarity of money in sport is often cited to reverse the trend of the money spinning IPL. In this country, aspiring MBA graduates slog for years to get into some of the top B-schools to secure their future with some mind-boggling figures on their pay-packets. Why is the grotesque nature of education not highlighted which now has become a money spinning option for savvy and opportunistic business minds.IPL is after all a game of cricket that has taken a nation’s fancy, and the game’s success was already written with fluorescent paint on the walls for years, much before IPL was even conceived.

Through IPL, BCCI made Rs 182 crore in broadcast rights, Rs 350 crores a franchise fees, Rs 122 crore through sponsors in 2009 alone and whopping Rs 8,200 crore 10 year deal with SETMAX, the official broadcasters. The new entrants, Pune and Kochi, had to dish out close to Rs 1500 crore to pocket a team. The figures are jaw-dropping no doubt, but is it sensible to blame a business idea just because it is generating revenue. Purists believe that money would stain the game and that it has already set forth the process of degeneration.

It is vital to understand that capital is needed to strengthen the game from its foundation up. With millions of starry-eyed youngsters taking to the game in the smaller pockets of the nation it has become all the more important to accommodate their needs. BCCI surely has to put all this dough to good use. Before the popular rising of cricket, the second tier towns and cities had provided Indian cricket with few cricketers. This ceased to be the case in the years succeeding World Cup victory in 1983. Mumbai, Karnataka and Hyderabad were the centres for the game before, now a Jharkhand lad captain’s team India.

It is important to ensure that the money is used properly and intelligently. There surely is a need and space for transparency in the bidding process, but it is the post-bidding actions that really matter. None of the money involved is illegal, at least not to anyone’s knowledge. Again, why so much commotion for money? There was a time when exhibition matches were a regular feature on the cricket calendar which were stitched in just to lend support to a cricketer who had hit a rough patch financially. The game supplied precious little for the greatest stars of a bygone era. A test match game earned them Rs 300 or maybe Rs 500 at most, not much even if one played for the love of the game. Now, with the huge sponsorship and broadcasting deals and sponsors to support the game there is enough and more to provide a pension and certain benefits to all retired Ranji and international players.

Beyond the financial aspect, the opportunities that IPL has thrown up are innumerable. Would we have discovered a Ravindra Jadeja or a Sourabh Tiwary if it wasn’t for the IPL? IPL has plucked players from obscurity and placed them in the lion’s den, where if one does survive, he becomes a hero else, at least he is remembered for a momentary passage of time. For many aspiring cricketers this is as big as it can get. For a young cricketer in Kerala for example, the news of an IPL franchise must be a step closer to a national cap. It, for many players will be the closest they might ever come to playing international cricket. But it is a great opportunity to show-case skills and be in the reckoning for a brighter future.

The next argument would be the influence of money on young minds and the detour they might take from their present pious existence. If all these apprehensions were viable then this world would be unbelievably sinful to live in and Tendulkar would not be half the cricketer he is recognised to be. He exemplifies what passion for the game requires a young mind to do and thereby allow finances to take care of itself. In anycase why this circumspective notion that money will in some way become a vice for the upcoming players. In that case there are enough spoilt kids around who manage to do reasonably well.

In a recent inaugural Annual Review of Global Sports Salaries by sportingintelligence.com the IPL stood second only to the NBA. Now isn’t that a success story for a six week event. There is a market for the game when a national sport like hockey is marred by controversy every other day and all corporate attempts to resuscitate the game have failed miserably. There is a transitory awkwardness in accepting this format of the game. But IPL’s permanency is inevitable unless something dramatic happens. All the money the in world can only enrich the game not countdown its demise.

Playing like champions

noreply@blogger.com (shreehari paliath) — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 06:11:00 +0000

It’s not easy for a home team to bounce back after receiving a drubbing from the visiting side, especially when the losing side is ranked number one in the Test arena. M.S.Dhoni for the first time in the tenure of his captaincy featured on the lost to column of the scorecard.

The second Test in Kolkata is baptism by fire for Team India. It will test their mettle against a South African side that is just a draw away from usurping India’s top Test spot. Adrenaline rush in expectation of a rare series victory in India at Nagpur. should be enough to motivate a spirited South African side. Pundits are anticipating a repetition of Dale Steyn’s heroics.

The South Africans started off valiantly after the loss of their captain Graeme Smith to his nemesis, Zaheer Khan. Smith has become Khan’s bunny. His inability to cope with the incoming delivery is a chink in his armour, and Khan has inevitably gnawed at this open wound.

Hashim Amla is possibly among the most under-rated players in international cricket today. His no-fuss cricket attracts very little attention, but his scores are antithetical to his method of play. He along with debutant Alviro Petersen steadied the innings, both going on to score centuries. India at this juncture of the match was tactically nudged out of the series, until Zaheer Khan used his years of experience to pull his team out the sink hole.

The beauty of Test cricket was laid bare on the first day of the Test match here in Kolkata. The game changed hands in a matter of 30 minutes. India’s grit and ability to display calm under stress should go a long way in pumping up the morale of the team after its despicable performance in Nagpur. With Harbhajan Singh on song, India made things easy for itself and wrapped up the South African innings at 296.

What God giveth, India nearly gifted it away! After an exceptional performance with the ball, India started the batting session reasonably with Sehwag plundering the Springbok attack. Steyn gave away 30 runs off his first five overs. Gautam Gambir’s run out and Murli Vijay’s brief stay at the wicket made sure the pressure was as usual on Tendulkar. And he did what all champions do well… rise to the occasion. His has scored four hundreds in four consecutive Test matches, this one in Kolkata being only his second at this venue and 47^th overall. He parlayed Sehwag's aggression to build an innings suited to balance the immediate need to consolidate and avoid a batting collapse.

The fall of Sehwag’s and Tendulkar’s wickets within an over of each other must have set the cat among the pigeons in the Indian side. But there is something special about Laxman at Eden Gardens. He is a super-hero outside the Justice League and his supreme ability is to undig the hole India digs for itself at this game park time and again. His class and style mesmerize the crowds and opposition alike. His boyhood idol,Mohammed Azharuddin must be proud to watch a fellow stylist and Hyderabadi perform majestically in his beloved Eden GardensDhoni’s capable and mature support, India have posted a competitive total of 631 with an hour and half of play still remaining. And with

The Indian team is fortunate to have a good leader in Dhoni during tough situations and his century is the perfect way to lead by example. India still has a chance to level the series, which should be their prime motive; else a draw is as good as a loss.

The Indian team has once before famously won a match at the same venue against an invincible Aussie side. Now there is an encore.

India treads a new path

noreply@blogger.com (shreehari paliath) — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 16:57:00 +0000

India’s path to the top of the ICC points tally has brought joy to a land teeming with cricket fanatics. This journey has not been a cake walk. It has been a cumulative effort that began two years ago, post Guru Greg.

The comprehensive series victory against Sri Lanka last week has allowed Dhoni’s well-knit unit to push themselves to the top of the ladder, though their stay there could be compromised, thanks to the Future Tours Programme (FTP).

India at present has 124 points with South Africa an arm’s length away from catching up to the leader’s meager two-point lead. The cash hungry Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has mindfully scheduled enough one-day matches to fill their coffers. While top test teams like Australia and South Africa play atleast four test matches in 2010, India is scheduled to play just two against Bangladesh. “It is a bit of a concern, as we play only two Test matches in the next six months, so it will be tough for us to maintain the position”, said Dhoni when asked about his views.

India’s improvement is largely because of its brilliant performances overseas. From 2000, India has excelled in its away series compared to its manner of play in the preceding decade. In 2000s they won 19 matches abroad and also lost as many. But in the 1990s, of the 39 matches India played, they won just one and lost 15.

India's decade-wise win-loss record overseas
Period	Tests	Won	Lost	W-L ratio
1960s	16	3	13	0.23
1970s	30	6	12	0.50
1980s	39	3	12	0.25
1990s	39	1	15	0.06
2000s	56	19	19	1.0

India's decade-wise win-loss record at home
Period	Tests	Won	Loss	W-L ratio
1960s	36	6	8	0.75
1970s	34	11	7	1.57
1980s	42	8	9	0.88
1990s	30	17	5	3.40
2000s	47	21	8	2.6

statistics: cricinfo.com

The era of McGraths, Warnes and Gilchrists saw the Aussies rising and cementing their position at the top. This decade saw Steve Waugh’s bunch contributing to the cause of Aussie supremacy. The reasons behind their success were manifold and not superstar individuals. On the contrary, India during this decade had two stalwarts in Test cricket, Tendulkar and Dravid, in a team of 11. Although Anil Kumble was a force to reckon with on sub-continental conditions, his potency overseas was starkly diminished.Again, Australia stayed No.1 on the rankings for such an incredible length of time because they gave themselves a chance by playing plenty of Test matches. 2010 alone will see them play at least eight test matches.

While M.S.Dhoni collects all the accolades for this exemplary performance, there are individuals who have to be given due credit. Saurav Ganguly’s gutsy and driven captaincy acted as a catalyst for players like Yuvraj Singh and Harbajan Singh who were, if not for Ganguly, out of contention for disciplinary or other cricket-worthy reasons. He turned the morale of the team around during the home series against Australia in 2001-02 at a time when match fixing scandals were felling cricketing greats.Rahul Dravid quietly led the team to a series victory in the West Indies after 35 years and Kumble’s determination and gumption led to India defeating Australia in 2008 in an ill-conceived series.

In all this there has been only one consistency. Sachin Tendulkar has been there, as though in a time warp. Everything, including the game, has changed, but he remains as a frame captured within that image of a 16-year-old schoolboy. After 20 years of scintillating and record breaking cricket, he deserves to be here.

This team is a mix of youth and experience. They have set out on a journey that will be hard to sustain. But sustain they must, through sheer dedication. After all, the journey to the top begins with a single step.

In defence of Agassi

noreply@blogger.com (shreehari paliath) — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 16:55:00 +0000

He came into the scene more as a punk rocker, with a hairstyle that flustered even the most liberal tennis fan. He wore denim shorts that had little semblance to the white conformists wore, carried a kit that lit up the darkest night and yet was a precocious talent who could dumb down the voice of his fiercest critic.
Andre Aggasi was the poster boy for dissent. From his stint at the Nick Bolletierri Tennis Academy in Florida early in his tennis life to the middle of his career, he remained a rebel.
Now at 39, after a long-drawn career studded with eight Grand Slam titles and a career Grand Slam, a consequence of a gold medal in the Atlanta Olympics, Agassi has opened a chapter that could be potentially catastrophic to his revamped image. After revealing that he had experimented with drugs in his yet- to- be released autobiography Open, he seems have invoked the ghosts from his past.
Crystal methamphetamine was rampantly used by the German military in World War II to keep their spirits high. Although tennis has no relation to war (except maybe a McEnroe –Connors match), the pressures of professional tennis is as nerve -wrecking. Agassi’s tryst with crystal meth began at a time when he was down in the dumps personally and professionally. His marriage to Brooke Shields had failed and his performance on the Tour was at best, ordinary. In the book he says that he was introduced to the drug by his assistant ‘Slim’. He writes, “I snort some. I ease back on the couch and consider the Rubicon I've just crossed. There is a moment of regret, followed by vast sadness. Then comes a tidal wave of euphoria that sweeps away every negative thought in my head. I've never felt so alive, so hopeful -- and I've never felt such energy.” He failed the dope test in 1999 and was later on let off after he lied to the ATP by stating that he had accidently consumed a spiked drink. Why was such an incident not dealt with in an appropriate manner? Any other sport would have brought in a ban for a couple of years on the player.
Agassi rebounded from what most people considered his descent into obscurity by winning the two Grand Slams and thereby ending Pete Sampras’s reign as the top rank player. Obviously this cannot be done with a mere sniff of crystal meth. All those people vying for his blood ought to realise that his position in history will never be toppled.
ATP has only itself to blame for letting Agassi off the hook a decade ago. These revelations are a testament to his desire to be contrite. For a man who retired from tennis in 2006 Agassi could have led a cushy life as a commentator or just continue his fabulous philantrophic work. Penning an autobiography with scandalous content is a choice Andre Aggasi has mindfully made. He regularly works with inner city kids at the Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy. He must believe that by opening up his life he has only set an example for these kids.If this is the case, he will also elevate his position in the eyes of his most ardent supporters who otherwise have been dissapointed.
Boris Becker said he was shocked to hear the news on Agassi’s confession. He also went on to say that Agassi could have been using the drug in any of 14 matches that they played against each other. Incidentally Becker lost 10 of those to the might of the Agassi’s return of serve and not to any stimulant. In any case a man of Becker stature should only support him, considering he was under a lot of fire after he fathered a child out of wedlock and which eventually earned him a divorce. These so called Apostles of morality should paddle away from opinions that have little consequence to man who is certainly pouring his heart out.
Andre Agassi has always turned a new leaf when confronted with criticism. Be it his appearance at Wimbledon’91 in a pristine white outfit or his rise World No.1 in 1999 from the darkest phase of his tennis career.
It will be sometime before he kisses goodbye in trademark Agassi style and till then he shall remain a rebel at heart .

A State of War

noreply@blogger.com (shreehari paliath) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 17:31:00 +0000

‘Naxals are nothing but cold-blooded murderers’ said the tagline on an advertisement posted by a desperate government that is trying to curb the sphere of influence of an extremist rebellion of Maoists. This desperation must come as moral victory to these violent elements that sustain themselves by exploiting the population of the most backward areas in India.

From a violent uprising that started in the small hamlet of Naxalbari in Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal in 1967 to its flowering as the chief dissident ideology in India, constantly on the boil towards staging an armed revolution, Naxalism has come a long way. In the past three months, Naxals have managed to ambush the police force in the Red Corridor that spans from Bihar,Chattisgarh,Jhakahnd, Andhra Pradesh,Maharashtra and West Bengal frequently enough to draw the central government’s attention. In the past week, they attacked the police in the Ghadchiroli district of Maharashtra. Led by Tarakka, the wife of the central committee member and head of the Maharashtra region, the ambush killed 17 policemen. The massacred policemen were the part of Maharashtra’s C-60 anti-Naxal squad.

Of all the regions under Naxal control, the tribal belt of Dantewada in Chattisgarh is the most affected. Chattisgarh has the worst indices of wealth misdistribution and income inequality. Dantewada presents a grim picture of malnutrition, starvation deaths, illiteracy, abysmal health facilities and unsafe drinking water. This region is blessed with rich natural resources which paradoxically is a curse on the population of these regions. The natural richness of this area means that it remains in the clutches of exploitation by the industry-State nexus. The tribals here voice their opinion against the treatment meted out to them through bloodshed and savagery that represents Naxal ideology. The abominable state of literacy at 39% -one-third of the national average - adds to the plight of the inhabitants. Poverty is endemic to this region.

The highest number of incidents of violence has taken place in four worst-affected states -- Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Jharkhand and Orissa -- where 2,212 people lost their lives from January 2006 to August this year. In Chhattisgarh, 388 people were killed by the Maoists in 715 incidents in 2006. While 369 lost their lives in 2007, another 242 were killed in 2008. In 2009 till August, about 180 people lost their lives in the state. Altogether 124 people were killed by Maoists in 2006 in Jharkhand, 157 people in 2007 while another 207 lost their lives in 2008. In 2009 till August, about 150 people were killed by the Naxals.

Even though the Naxal attacks remain rampant, the Prime Minister has refrained from utilising the armed forces against them. The government has unveiled a Rs. 7300-crore developmental work plan in areas not under the control of the Naxals. Armed resistance should be the least used option. Rehabilitation and restructuring of the developmental and industrialisation plans is the need of the hour. The developmental policy regarding the increase of private investment and ownership in mining and forestry is a cause of concern. This type of development was the initial reason behind the alienation of tribals since they saw their communal methods of ownership and freedom being curtailed and destroyed

The present aim of Naxal ideology is not seizure of land and crops but the ultimate capture of State power. Elections and all democratic norms of engagement have been trampled over. They continue to attack capitalism and feudalism, the bane of the social structure according to their thinking. The state and central governments continue to develop plans to contain and eliminate the Naxal movement.

This movement encompasses around 98 percentage of all Left wing extremism. The now infamous Salwa Judum is a part the State’s counter insurgency strategy which empowers the locals, majority of whom are unemployed. Salwa Judum has become a tool that the government uses in its witch hunt against any opposition, Naxalite or otherwise. It is a strategy that has backfired on the authorities. This organisation of Special Police Officers who are mostly youths, have done grave injustice to the very cause of their formation.

Salwa Judum has been accused of using minors for their operations, abusing women in the settlements and killing tribals on mere suspicion of harbouring Naxal elements. The Bharatiya Janta Party and the Congress have been accused of encouraging Salwa Judum. Human Rights groups have also protested against the activities of this organisation.

In West Bengal, the Naxalites have found a footing after the Singur and Nandigram agitations. The agrarian revolution has allowed them to follow a war path that would encourage the population of these impoverished regions. The various Special Economic Zones to be set up for the so-called industrial upliftment is sure to cause more flare-ups. With the recent success of the Maoists in Nepal, similar plans will be chalked out to support the secessionists in order to carve a separate state structured on Maoist principles. The Naxals have supported the call for a separate state in the Telengana and Vidarbha regions.

Naxalites are flexible in their tactics and methodical in executing their plans. It is high time that the government implemented all its developmental programmes in these regions, and at the same time, used force against organisations which de-stabilize the State and the country. Naxals are not misguided elements but a genuine threat to the nation's well being

games so far

noreply@blogger.com (shreehari paliath) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 16:57:00 +0000

The size of the audience at the Champions League T20 (CL T20) matches so far has been a bit of a dampener, but that has taken nothing away from the manner in which the teams have gone about their business. The games have by and large been edge of the seat nail-biters with spectacular finishes.

The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) kicked off the inaugural season of CL T20 against the South African Cape Cobras with a flurry of runs. They posted a competitive score of 180 against the Cape Cobras with Ross Taylor gracing the innings with trademark swishes over mid-wicket. A rejuvenated Robin Uttappa, who had a below par IPL season, played some staggering shots to lift the team to a respectable score. RCB would have fancied their chances at this stage of the game, never suspecting an onslaught from the opposition.

The South African T-20 champions came hard at them. J.P Duminy played a Bevanesque knock that fell one short of a well deserved century. It was stroke-filled and well executed to the point of perfection. The Royal Challengers would have considered themselves favourites with the Cobras having to chase 117 in 70 balls. In a gut wrenching final over, with Duminy clobbering Vinay Kumar for a six, the Cobras sealed the match.

Despite the loss, RCB along with Cape Cobras has managed to graduate to the next level of the tournament by comprehensively beating New Zealand’s Otago Volts.

In this tournament, the Indian Premier League (IPL) sides seem to follow each other when it comes to choking in the last couple of overs. The Deccan Chargers (DC) followed suit against the Somerset. After barely managing to put up a formidable score of 157 in the 20 overs, thanks to a cameo by Venugopal Rao and an unusually brisk start from V.V.S Laxman, the Chargers had Somerset on the mat by the 17^thover. With the prospect of an exhilarating finish to the match in the last over, Somerset began with a loss of a wicket. This unfolded into a last ball slog into the boundary by the number ten batsman Alfonso Thomas.

The incapability of the bowling attack to go for the kill must be demoralising for teams like RCB and DC, considering that they lack accomplished stand-bys. The Challengers will have to sacrifice a top order batsman to include Dale Stein to comply with the four-overseas-players-in-a-team rule.

The Deccan Chargers on the other hand are the most skilled bunch on paper yet the most uncoordinated. Their survival will depend on the ferocity of Gilchrist’s form. Between Rohit Sharma’s fluctuating form and Andrew Symonds’ failed sobriety tests, Gilchrist has very few options but to rely on providence.

The teams from India have the faculty to register themselves in the annals of T20 history. It is only want of collective execution that could deny them the crown of champions.

Different League

noreply@blogger.com (shreehari paliath) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 07:00:00 +0000

Last year’s 26/11 terror attacks ended all hopes of the much awaited inaugural Champions League T20 (CL T20) competition to be conducted in India. But, the tournament this year is anticipated to be a heady concoction of hyper cricket and instant fame. With many of the international players like DeVilliers, Pietersen and Collingwood out of action due to injuries , the CL T20 is bound to be an arena for youngsters to blossom into champion cricketers. The Indian Premier League (IPL) has thrown up surprises in the two years of its exhilarating existence. It facilitated the entry of greenhorns in teams that comprised primarily of the game’s giants and in return the old hands have got an opportunity to learn a format distant from their beginnings in the game. This cosmopolitan version of the IPL is sure to be a revelation of potential.

Although, Champions League has been accused of being another sinister, money-making plot of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), it nevertheless attracts a lot of takers for its gala cricket events and competitions. Many of the players have protested strongly at the prospect of being denied permission to play in this well paying Indian T20 format. And why shouldn’t they?

This year includes the top T-20 teams from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, England and Sri Lanka. Many of the visiting international players look familiar to the crowds from their IPL stint earlier in the year, but they have switched loyalties to their respective state sides.

The opening ceremony of the tournament on October 9 is expected to be an over the top affair with music and gizmos that would convert the austere looking Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore into a theatre of splendour. The sensational A.R Rehman has composed the theme song for the League, whose performance in the opening ceremony will be embellished with dancers and acrobats.

The Indian diaspora the world over has helped create a wonderful aura around the IPL which will certainly rub off on the Champions League. But the extent to which Lalith Modi Chairman and Commissioner of IPL, can achieve his dream of developing club loyalties in cricket with constantly switching players from IPL teams to their state sides is yet to be seen.

If the Champions League is as explosive and well received as the IPL, it will in all likelihood transform into a tournament bigger than the T-20 World Cup. IPL and the Champions League draw bigger audiences and revenue worldwide than any other cricket tournament in history.

Both these tournaments will emancipate local cricket in all participating countries through their inclusive and youthful formats. They have made the game at the grass roots level a lot more competitive.

The winner of this $2.5 million tournament will be at the centre of envy and adulation for obvious reasons.

The Champions League should be a spectacle to behold.

In the succeeding post I will be commenting on the various matches in the Champions League.