Chak De Dravid: Thicken the One-day plot by winning at Headingley

By John Cheeran
After living through the harrowing experience of a botched World Cup campaign, this Indian team, led by Rahul Dravid, should be able to take abuse and adulation with a touch of indifference. I do not presume they would be an enervated lot as they step on to the field at Headingley for the fifth one-dayer against England.
The point is that Paul Collingwood’s England enjoy a huge lead of 3-1. India must win the remaining three games to clinch the seven-match one-day series.
Again, those who are watching the Indian team are naturally losing patience, especially after Indians let go the Manchester match out of their hands after holding England by the scruff of their neck.
India have been good in parts like the curate’s egg during the one-day series. Sachin Tendulkar and skipper Rahul Dravid have been among the runs; Piyush Chawla has found his rhythm. But India’s fielding has been slack at its best. Where is fielding coach Robin Singh hiding? Indians were not able to convert their dominance into victory in the last two matches. And I must say that Dinesh Karthick’s, whom I consider India’s best batting bet for the future, failure with the bat cost India the last two matches.
Indian bowling tends to be licentious once again, giving away runs when the batsmen should be exposed and sent back to the pavilion.
And look at in wonder the refreshing approach the young Stuart Broad carries on his shoulders. Four wickets and a 40-odd run effort from this youngster upended the match in England’s favour.
Where are India’s Stuart Broads and Ravi Boparas?
Have they all gone to Subash Chandra’s Indian Cricket League?
It’s time the BCCI and Dilip Vengsarkar came up with a nice rehabilitation package for Ajit Agarkar, the veteran of three World Cups, so that India can plug the gaping chinks in their bowling armour and start winning a few more One-dayers. It is important to have patience with the tried ones, but it is also important to test some – guys such as Robin Uthappa and Ranadeb Bose deserve a chance in these one-dayers.
Aren’t they in the one-day squad?

NP Pradeep: From pauper to Prince of Indian football

By P I Rajeev / Indian Express
KOCHI, AUGUST 30: A bit dazed by all the back-thumping and adulation ever since he landed at the airport here this morning from New Delhi, Naduparambil Pappachen Pradeep is still to come to terms with his overnight stardom in this soccer-crazy state.
It’s been a long journey for Indian soccer’s best defender in recent years, whose one blistering long ranger fetched India the Nehru Cup last night: from a frail school kid who learnt to go without food on occasions when his labourer-parents could find no work, to the tearful 16-year-old who nearly abandoned his soccer dreams because he didn’t have the money to buy a pair of football shoes.
Even his passport application fee had to be paid for by his village football club in Thodupuzha before he put on the India Under-19 colours in 2001. And this ex-captain of India’s under-23 team lives in an unfinished little hut that he had begun constructing with the Rs 28,000 that the local Moolamattom panchayat had given him.
“It was tough, very tough. I really had to struggle to remain with football until the State Bank of Travancore team took me in,” said Pradeep, who now plays for Mahindra United.
“Football is what the poor play, the rich have cricket, and the difference shows” says I M Vijayan, former Indian soccer ace who himself had come up from as poor a background.
Pradeep had played with him for Kerala once in the National Football Championship, before Vijayan retired.
“Take my word, this boy is a great player, a total footballer, probably the best among the country’s younger crop. There aren’t many who can shoot as good as him with both the left and the right,” says Vijayan.
Ironically, Pradeep could not make it to even his college football team while he did his pre-degree at the Kerala Varma College in Thrissur, where Vijayan was his senior. “I dithered. I wasn’t sure if I could really afford to get into football then,” says Pradeep. But things changed after someone spotted the youngster at a youth camp that the Kerala Football Association held in Thodupuzha, and his friends pitched in to help.
As he prepares to fly off to Mumbai tomorrow to join his team, Pradeep has only one regret — that his father, who toiled hard in the village farms to let him chase his dream, is not around.
He died a week before Pradeep was asked to join the national squad’s conditioning camp for the Nehru Cup.
Pradeep says he dedicated his goal last night to his father.

For the record: India beat Syria to win Nehru Cup (football)

NEW DELHI, August 29, 2007
Hosts India won the five-nation Nehru Cup football tournament with a 1-0 victory over favourites Syria in the final here on Wednesday.
Pappachan Pradeep scored the winner a minute before half-time with a powerful right-footer from the top of the box that caught a diving Syrian goalkeeper Musab Balhous on the wrong foot.
Some 10,000 home fans at the overflowing Ambedkar stadium cheered loudly when the final whistle blew to signal a rare moment of triumph for Indian football.
It was the first defeat in the tournament for Syria, ranked 122 in the world against India's 151, after they had won all four round-robin matches.
"The boys deserved to win because they worked very hard for the tournament," said India's English coach Bob Houghton.
"The atmosphere in the team is excellent and we just loved the support we got from the crowd. It's a great night for Indian football."
Cambodia, Kyrgyzstan and Bangladesh were the other teams in the tournament.

Salem Division: Kerala MPs tilting at wind mills

By John Cheeran
Last week MPs from Kerala created a ruckus in Parliament peeved at the creation Salem Railway Division. Their protest centered on the fact that large chunks of Palakkad Division were lopped off to create the Salem Division for the neighbouring state Tamil Nadu.
Tamil Nadu, who are demanding the new division, had their arguments based on the geographical reality that the existing Palakkad division largely runs through that state. A fair argument, indeed.
So why were Kerala’s MPs going wild when there was hardly anything to cry about?
In a federal structure what happens if a new Railway Division has been created? Are these MPs are championing the cause of some of the bureaucrats in the existing Palakkad Division? There no job losses, no trouble to passengers, so what’s the big fuss about?
As far as I know not a single Kerala railway passenger will be adversely affected by the creation of the new Salem Division. All trains that come to Kerala will still come, observing the same schedule, carrying the same passengers. There are no changes at the boarding and alighting points.
The quality of the service will be the same. So why Kerala’s MPs, mainly belonging to the CPI (M) fold, were hopping mad at the Parliament Hall?
And mind you Palakkad Division is the route through which millions of Malayalis pass through to earn their bread in such far away places as New Delhi, Dispur and Shillong. And Chennai too.
Did anyone ask these railway commuters what’s their opinion on the Salem Division issue?
No. Not the MPs or the television channels and the newspapers in Kerala.Long live these divisions, long live India.

Dravid inspires Indian revival at Bristol

By John Cheeran
There is never a dull moment in Indian cricket.
On the field, Indian cricketers have regrouped after the World Cup fiasco and won Test series in Bangladesh and England. The team remains more or less the same.
The loss in the first one-dayer against England was a shocker. It rattled at least skipper Rahul Dravid and it was no surprise that the Indian captain played an exquisite innings to help post a winning total at Bristol. For those critics who were carping that Dravid has been struggling to get runs during the Tests should be taking notes.
Yes, Sachin Tendulkar was simply superb.
But he still remains a self-conscious teenager, worried about his centuries. The more you worry about such milestones, the more you will be denied. And I’m aware that many viewers thanked the umpire for packing Tendulkar off at 99, for that ensured an Indian victory!
As always fielding remains India’s weak spot. Certain catches were dropped during the England chase and that stretched an already exasperated Indian bowling to its limits.
There are five more games to be played out in England and excitement will not be in short supply.

Confessions of skipper Dravid after the Southampton drubbing

Handed a comprehensive 104-run defeat in the series opener, India captain Rahul Dravid admitted his side had been thoroughly outplayed in all departments of the game and the players need to make amends if they are to win the ODI series against England.
"No excuses. We were outplayed today," Dravid said after the match in Southamption's Rose Bowl.
"We didn't come to the party at all - we were outbatted, outbowled and outfielded and we've got to play a lot better if we want to stay in the series," he said. It was clearly not the best way to kick off the seven-match ODI series and while shoddy batting, flat bowling and sloppy fielding did hurt, three reckless run-outs might have been the last straw for the side. "We need to go on improving. Fielding isn't our strong area and we're not going to develop strong arms and athletic legs overnight. But we need to constantly work on it and make small improvements.
"What we must to is not make stupid mistakes while running between the wickets. That's something we can definitely avoid," said an upset Dravid. He also defended his decision to bowl first, only to see England batsmen rack up 288 for 2. "In hindsight, I might do something different, but it was overcast, there had been a lot of rain in the air and the wicket looked a bit tacky," said Dravid.
"But it didn't do as much as we expected, we couldn't get wickets early on and Cook and Bell batted beautifully. The way they played the middle overs was really special and took the game away from us. And losing four wickets early always puts you under pressure."

Hockey will not be cricket, despite Chak De India!

By John Cheeran
I enjoyed Chak De India, the Shah Rukh Khan movie.
Rarely do Indian screens have sport movies and this one is an out and out effort and a good one at that.
The only romance in the screen is the romance with hockey, once a sport that enjoyed wide fan following in north India, but now reduced to a federation’s game.
I have watched and reported quite a few hockey matches at the National Stadium in New Delhi and at the Shivaji Stadium, again in New Delhi. Chak De India takes off from the camp SRK (Kabir Khan) organizes and when camera lingered over the Dhyan Chand’s swarthy statue
for a second I wondered how many would have recalled the all-time hockey great.
The 20-year-old Sagaraika Ghatge, who plays the role of center forward Preeti Sabharwal, provides the vital glue of sex appeal that holds the viewers’ attention while SRK thrashes out the values of team effort and tackles the menace of sub-nationalism in the quest for world championship gold.
By this time everyone would have known that the script was based loosely on former Indian men’s team goalkeeper Mir Ranjan Negi, who suffered the most when Pakistan raped India 8-1 at the National Stadium, during the 1982 Asian Games final. When you rummage through the Indian hockey folklore, you will be reminded that just before that stick rape, Pakistani players entered the turf paying a floral tribute to the spectators.
Blaming cricket is an easy way to promote hockey’s cause. Unfortunately Chak De India does it.
Despite Shah Rukh Khan and his bevy of skirt-toting girls, hockey lacks the appeal that would have forced the nation to swoon over the game and its stars.
But yes, definitely, people would be more familiar with hockey stick thanks to Chak De India than in the past.

Dravid and Co Conquer England: A 60th Independence Day Gift for the Nation

By John Cheeran
Finally the Test series win. After the disappointments in Cape Town and in the World Cup held in the West Indies, skipper Rahul Dravid and Indian cricket can celebrate with pride.
At this juncture you cannot but point out the lack of a fulltime professional coach. May be Indian cricket board would do well now not to look for a coach at all.
The most notable aspect of India’s Test triumph over England is the collective effort – both in bowling and in batting. India’s Fab Four – Tendulkar, Dravid, Ganguly and VVS Laxman made some runs but more than that significant knocks came from guys such as Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Dinesh Kaarthik and Wasim Jaffer.
If not for Dhoni’s gutsy batting in the second innings at Lord’s Test where would India be?
Zaheer Khan’s bowling delivered the Trent Bridge Test into Indian hands and an outstanding batting performance from Anil Kumble and Dhoni put India on an unbeatable perch.
For Indian cricket team the series win in England is a bold statement that given the right context, they could fulfill their potential.
Take note, Greg Chappell.

Twelve runs, Dravid and leading from the front

By John Cheeran
How sensible was Indian skipper Rahul Dravid’s decision to not to enforce the follow on England?
If I were the Indian captain I would have weighed the team’s options and still would have asked England to follow on.
That would have forced Michael Vaughan to sort out the pace of the last two days of the Test. That would have been quite a nervy task even for a cool head such as Vaughan.
To make sense out of the last two days England had to score quick runs first to overcome the 300-plus deficit and set India at least 175 runs as a second innings target in the last three sessions of the Test.
But Dravid has taken the onus on himself to dictate the pace of the Test and given an opportunity for England to win.
And Dravid already has paid the price for the decision to not to enforce the follow on. His struggle at the crease in the second innings after the loss three quick wickets was not for himself but for the Indian cause.
Having said that, I’m sure a well-defined assignment should convert England batsmen to suicide bombers, and make no mistake, they will hurl their bats at Indians with all their might.

Oval Test: Some Stray Thoughts

By John Cheeran
First comes Anil Kumble.
India are on the brink of a famous series win at the Brit Oval today, with England requiring 444 more runs in 90 overs, for a series-levelling win.
Things can go wrong sometimes terribly. Skipper Rahul Dravid knows that much and his classic 12 in the second innings when he shut out all risk and there by all scoring shots (scoreboard says Dravid did not score for 96 balls at a stretch) is evidence enough of a new determination not to mess up things.
India’s second innings travails at the Oval are not new. What worries us today is that will Indian bowlers suffer a panic attack if Michael Vaughan and Kevin Pietersen up the ante?
In this context, Kumble’s first Test century attains greater importance. India’s dominance in the Oval Test stems from the fact that lower order batted much more doggedly, and with élan, than their illustrious predecessors.
Dravid, Ganguly and Laxman did not do justice to the pitch at the Oval and they had left the task of consolidating the gains to the likes of Mahendra Singh Dhoni. None had expected Kumble to score more than 20s and 30s. But suddenly Kumble found how easy was scoring runs. He just threw his bat round and ball just rolled to the boundary.
As India are determined to stop England from logging 444 from 90 overs focus will be firmly on Kumble, this time to do wonders with the ball.
Skipper Dravid will find none more trustworthy and committed than this veteran leg spinner to apply breaks to England second innings and if possible, ambush their ambitious run chase.

M A Baby, majority and minority in Kerala

By John Cheeran
A few weeks ago Kerala’s current cultural czar and education minister M A Baby had made a brilliant statement on the minorities. Let me state that I belong to a minority community (Orthodox Christian) at first.
M A Baby said that minorities should not demand any benefits that are not enjoyed by the majority.
All right, Mr Baby. I agree.
But will you let the minorities in Kerala enjoy the benefits that are enjoyed by the majority in Kerala? I challenge Baby and his ignorant army of SFI, DYFI and CITUs to prove me wrong.
Does Mr Baby know that the Majority in Kerala are Hindus?
Does he know that the majority among the majority are OBCs and SCs and STs?
And the Ezhava community, the backbone of CPI (M) and the CPI in Kerala , belong to the Other Backward Commmunity and enjoy the fruits of reservation in educational institutions and public sector jobs? Are Ezhavas are worse off than Christians and Muslims in Kerala?
In India and Kerala, it’s the majority community (read aloud Hindus) who enjoy the state patronage.
And everyone knows that the OBCs and SCs and STs in the majority community are given the state patronage to ensure that they remain in the Hindu fold and do not embrace other religions.
It has been written that those who convert are not to be given the state reservation patronage.What benefits are Christians in Kerala, and in India, enjoying?
No jobs are reserved for them in government sector in India.
Kerala’s Muslims, as far as I know, come under the OBC category. So what’s comrade Baby talking about?
I’m surprised that Kerala’s media and even the Catholic Bishops did not take up the point with the Education Minister instead of raising the bogey of liberation struggle.
God save us from these Marxist babies.

Sreesanth: Crime and Punishment

By John Cheeran
Shantakumaran Sreesanth is out of the Indian squad for the seven one-day international against England in England. What it means is that he can come back home early, once the Test series ends.
Is this omission a punishment? Possible.
Especially after Sreesanth’s frustration getting the better of him during the second Test at Trent Bridge where he shoulder charged Michael Vaughan and felled Kevin Pietersen at the crease.
But all the same keep this point in mind. More than his antics, it was Sreesanth’s his inability to take wickets that let him down. As long as a bowler takes wickets he will have his place in the side.
It is when you struggle for wickets other factors such as good behaviour creeps in.
Sreesanth has been found guilty of not living up to the standards of gentlemanly conduct, by match referee and opinion makers.
Yes, Sreesanth would do well for himself by controlling his aggression. Also Sreesanth should remember that a bowler should restrict his anger between the wickets.
Sreesanth should not be disheartened by the fact he is out of one-day action. He might still get a chance to bowl in the third and final Test at the Oval.
Who knows what can Sree come up with there?

Looking at Indian cricket in wonder

By John Cheeran
Have you seen Woody Allen’s Matchpoint? If not, you should. It tells us how great a role luck plays in one’s fortunes. The movie begins with a shot of tennis ball caught in flight at the net chord, and it could go into rival’s court or bounce into yours. It all depends on which way the wind blows then.
May be you would tell me that it does not require a Woody Allen to tell this. Your own life might illustrate the point of luck much more harrowingly.
Or in case you need more proof, look at Rahul Dravid’s India. If only light and rain held out a little more, England could have hammered the final nail in India’s Test coffin by removing S Sreesanth from the crease. At nine for whatever, India stood no chance of saving the Test but for the rain intervention.
As Rahul Dravid made his famous statement “We broke out of the jail” everyone understood the meaning of cricket and may be to some sense that of life too.
Then came Trent Bridge.
India scored a creditable win over England at Trent Bridge. The victory in the second Test was no surprise, especially after India dominated the action throughout the five days.
What was surprising was the reaction to India’s Test win. It has been now taken that this bunch of players is capable of producing surprises such as this quite often. The celebrations were tempered by the terrible performance in World Cup and as what happened in South Africa, after India’s famous Sreesanth-inspired triumph in Durban Test.
India deserved to win at Trent Bridge. No wonder then it was a collective performance and a bit of luck. Winning the toss was important but the fact that for once Indians exploited the conditions to put Michael Vaughan’s England on the back foot. India put up an imposing first innings score though none scored a century. Many excelled with the bat starting from openers Dinesh Karthik and Wasim Jaffer. It was nothing but poetic justice that the record-hungry Sachin Tendulkar was denied another century and in the process India won. Take a look at the scoreboard. Sourav Ganguly, VVS Laxman and Dravid made some runs. Only MS Dhoni lost out. He might have been bloody tired after his gallant effort in the second innings to keep India alive on the ventilator.
What matters now is that India cannot lose the Test series from this position with only one Test remaining. And it shall matter if India just could play out a draw and win the series at the Oval in a week’s time.
And what does it all mean? Who is our coach? Where is he? And where is Greg Chappell.
The BCCI has showed that it anyone can be a coach, yes including Chandu Borde, and results – victories-- would still come home. It’s all about karma, mate.

Clippings: India beat England in Trent Bridge Test

NOTTINGHAM
India eased to a seven-wicket win over England in the second test at Trent Bridge on Tuesday to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
The tourists, resuming on 10 without loss, reached their victory target of 73 for the loss of Dinesh Karthik, Wasim Jaffer and Sachin Tendulkar in the morning session on the fifth and final day.
England paceman Chris Tremlett took all three wickets to fall but Michael Vaughan's side slipped to their first home defeat in 13 months.
Jaffer top-edged a pull shot and was caught by Kevin Pietersen at gully, Karthik edged a short ball to wicketkeeper Matt Prior and Tendulkar was caught at backward short leg as Tremlett finished with three for 12 from 7.1 overs.
Skipper Rahul Dravid (11 not out) and Saurav Ganguly (two) steered India to victory as the winning runs came with four byes.
It was India's second test win in England since 1986. The final test starts at The Oval on August 9.
The first test at Lord's was drawn when England were prevented from taking a match-winning 20th wicket on the final day because of rain.

Kapil on Tendulkar

Sachin has not performed under pressure: Kapil New Delhi, July 24 (PTI): Former captain Kapil Dev today trained his gun on Sachin Tendulkar after his failure in the first cricket Test against England, saying he has not delivered in crunch situations which will remain a "blot" in his career. "Every time people hope big things from Sachin Tendulkar but often it is only disappointment that we are left with. He is thought to be the backbone of the Indian team but many times he has not stood up to the ocassion," he said. "Figures say that Sachin has not been able to perform under pressure. This will remain a blot in his career," Kapil Dev told 'Aaj Tak'. "There are many players who play well but they face difficulties against good bowling attack, like Sourav Ganguly faces. These kind of questions will be raised in case of Sachin as well and it will continue to remain a blot in his career till he wins matches for India under difficult circumstances," he said. When asked whether Tendulkar deserved a place in the side, Kapil said, "Whether it is Sachin or anyone, one who does not perform does not have any place in the team." Tendulkar was out for 16 in the second innings while India were chasing a stiff total of 380 to win the Test match.

Clippings: Escape from the Lord's jail

LONDON (Agencies)
England were agonisingly denied a win over India on the fifth and final day of the first test at Lord's on Monday after bad light and then rain prevented any play after tea and the match was drawn. India, set 380 to win, were teetering on 282 for nine and still 98 away from victory when the weather that had been forecast eventually arrived to save them. Top scorer Mahendra Singh Dhoni defied his natural attacking urges to play a resilient innings of 76 from 159 balls. Last man Shanthakumaran Sreesanth was four not out after surviving an lbw scare against Monty Panesar. "We got out of jail, I think, truly, we got saved by the weather today," India captain Rahul Dravid told reporters, before adding that he had hoped the umpires would have stepped in to offer the light sooner. "As a batting team in those conditions we would have wanted them to have stepped in a little earlier as we could have lost a wicket but if I was the fielding side I would have been doing the same so I have no problems with how it was handled." England, who scored 298 in their first innings and then bowled India out for 201, compiled a big lead with a second innings 282 largely thanks to Kevin Pietersen's 134, which he described as the best of his nine test centuries. The teams meet again at Trent Bridge on Friday, with India buoyed by their close escape which denied England a fourth successive test win. "That's just the English weather for you," England captain Michael Vaughan said, before praising his inexperienced bowling attack after a spate of injuries kept out Andrew Flintoff, Steve Harmison and Matthew Hoggard. "We batted well to set the game up, especially Kevin Pietersen and I thought our young bowlers put the ball in the right areas and put an experienced Indian batting line-up under pressure. It's probably the best we've bowled since 2005. "But in 2005 (when England beat Australia) we put that kind of performance in game after game so we will have to do the same at Nottingham..." HARD FIGHT India resumed on 137 for three and lost overnight batsmen Saurav Ganguly (40) and Dinesh Karthik (60) within the first half hour before VVS Laxman and Dhoni fought hard with a stand of 86. Ganguly, who scored 136 on test debut at Lord's 11 years ago, departed first when he played down the wrong line and was lbw to left-arm seamer Ryan Sidebottom. Opener Karthik was soon tempted into edging James Anderson to Paul Collingwood at second slip for 60. His three and a half hour innings did not receive any applause from his team mates on the balcony. Dhoni lived dangerously early on, edging spinner Panesar in between slip and wicketkeeper when on 14. Collingwood was unable to react quickly enough to take a difficult chance diving to his left. Dhoni was also fortunate on 21 when umpire Steve Bucknor rejected Panesar's lbw appeal, with the batsman on the back foot. Television replays suggested he was out. He also survived a convincing caught behind appeal off James Anderson on 28. Laxman perished after the lunch break when he went back to a delivery from Chris Tremlett only to be bowled for 39 after the ball kept low. That was 231 for six. Anil Kumble was the 14th lbw victim of the match (the record is 17), beaten by a Sidebottom in-swinger and Zaheer Khan was caught down the leg side off debutant Tremlett for a duck. Rudra Pratap Singh played an ill-judged attacking shot and was bowled by Panesar for two. That was 263 for nine. Anderson, playing his first home test for three years, took seven wickets in the match and claimed a career best five for 42 in the first innings. India's Sachin Tendulkar became the third-most prolific batsman in test history in the match by overtaking Steve Waugh's tally of 10,927 runs.

India escape defeat at Lord's

By John Cheeran
How unexpected defeats strike us. Argentina entered the Copa America finals without a loss yet they were outclassed by Brazil. Even after losing their World Cup campaigns, Brazil and Argentina are still held in high regard in world football.
Argentina, despite their loss in the Copa final, are most attractive plotters of the ball movements on the field. Every time they step out on the field they command respect; the lineage of Alfred Di Stefano, Mario Kempes and Maradona are kept alive by Lionel Messi.
And just two days ago, Argentina won the world youth championship, a tournament that is considered as one of the finest platform for emerging talent, defeating Czech Republic in the final.
Let’s come back to Argentina’s trait of living in dignity despite setbacks.
India, and England, too failed in their World Cup cricket campaigns. But can India command respect from their rivals as well as from television watchers despite their poor show in World Cup?
India have floundered again in the first serious Test that they faced since the World Cup. I guess, the level of expectations from the fans are so low, there are hardly any heartbreaks.
Skipper Rahul Dravid had a disastrous outing as batsman at Lord's Test against England.
VVS Laxman, finally given his chance, struggled to do himself and his team much good. Only Sourav Ganguly showed he could still play within his limitations to ensure his own survival.
And do you think that rain would have helped India if Greg Chappell was still around as coach?

Messi: Emerging from the shadows

Maracaibo, Venezuela (Reuters)
Sweltering Puerto Ordaz, lying halfway between the Caribbean coast and the Amazon jungle in the heart of Venezuela's savannah, is not noted for being one of international soccer's great venues.
On Wednesday, however, the remote, riverside town witnessed a rare moment of football magic when Lionel Messi stamped his indelible mark on the Copa America with a sublime goal.Picking up a short pass from Carlos Tevez on the right, Messi spotted Mexico goalkeeper Oswaldo Sanchez off his line and chipped the ball delicately over him from the edge of the area.
The goal, the second in Argentina's 3-0 semi-final win over Mexico, was arguably the best goal of the tournament and one of the best scored this year anywhere.
It signalled a great transformation for Messi, who only a year ago sat forlornly on the bench as Argentina lost to Germany on penalties in the World Cup quarter-final in Berlin.It was also a fitting reward for the Venezuelan organisers who have invested in state-of-the-art stadiums for an event where, in recent editions, facilities have often been basic.The Venezuelan government has spent an estimated $1 billion, building three stadiums from scratch and refurbishing another six beyond recognition, to bring the Copa to what is primarily baseball territory.The Cachamay stadium where Messi scored his goal was, until recently, a humble arena with no terraces behind the goal, where the tropical sun beat down on hapless fans.It is now an impressive, covered 41,000-capacity stadium.
When Brazilian pair Ronaldinho and Kaka announced earlier this year that they would not take part because they were too tired, it was feared that other top players would follow suit and the tournament would become a damp squib.Their decision seemed typical of an era in which top players ply their trade almost exclusively in Europe, leaving regions such as Latin America and Africa to act as nothing more than providers of raw material.So, the decision of Argentina to bring a full complement of players was greeted with great enthusiasm by the Venezuelan public.
Messi, in particular, has been greeted rapturously every time he appears on the pitch.Wednesday's goal, almost inevitably, sparked a war of superlatives among the media and led to comparisons with Diego Maradona.
"The Maradona of the 21st century scored an anthological goal," said the Argentine sports daily Ole.La Nacion described it as "a magic touch" and wrote: "On Sunday, Argentina will have to show against Brazil (in the final) that they are the best team in the Copa America."Argentina coach Alfio Basile quickly played down comparisons with Maradona, who never won the Copa America as a player.
"His career has just got off the ground and you can never compare Diego's career with a boy who is starting out," he said.
"The only thing the coaches should do is not inhibit him in the slightest, we have to let him fly."

Nine all out in 10 overs : An Arabian Tale

By John Cheeran
Cricket's unlikely headquarters is at Dubai in the UAE.
And what's the status of cricket there?
The UAE women's cricket team suffered an embarassing 10-wicket defeat to Bangladesh, in the opening fixture of the ACC Women's Tournament in Malaysia.
After being put into bat the UAE, a team comprising expatriate players, were bowled out for only nine runs in 10 overs.
Bangladesh seamer Panna Ghosh (five for 6), did most of the damage as she ripped through the UAE line-up before the batswomen cleaned up in just 8 balls.
The UAE are captained by 13-year-old schoolgirl Natasha Michaels, while Bangladesh are led by 29-year-old Tajkia Akhtar who has been playing cricket since childhood.
UAE team spokesperson Sheila Razdan took the defeat in her stride saying, "We are building for the future."
Ghosh, who had the UAE batswomen in trouble from the start, said " I can bowl a lot faster, but I assessed the situation and decided not to bowl as quick as normal.'
"We're delighted to have won so well and so easily" said Tajkia Akhtar afterwards. "We feel we have a good chance to beat anybody in this tournament."
Brief scores: Bangladesh beat UAE by 10 wickets. UAE: 9 off 10 overs (P. Ghosh 5-6, S. Akter 3-2) Bangladesh: 10 for 0 off 1.2. overs

Chandra Sekhar, former Indian Prime Minister: An Obituary

By John Cheeran
One of the main privileges that an Indian Prime Minister gets is a final resting place at prime real estate in New Delhi. Chandra Sekhar ensured that in the nervous 1990s, by discarding the political position he had taken hitherto, to become India’s 11th Prime Minister, using the crutches offered by Rajiv Gandhi and L K Advani.
Chandra Sekhar is no more with us.
The one time Young Turk lost his fight to cancer and has embarked on his final journey.
Tradition is that one must not speak ill about those who have left us. But truth is that Chandra Sekhar’s political career was, in the end, an irredeemable tragedy. No pill could cure his loneliness; no pill could restore his thwarted ambitions.
Chandra Sekhar’s tragedy is that though he realized his lifelong ambition by becoming Prime Minister of India, none recalls him as such a man. History did not forgive him so easily.
Chandra Sekhar scored a pyrrhic victory when he became the PM at the fall of Vishwnath Pratap Singh’s government. He never won a mandate to become India’s Prime Minister.
What happened to the Young Turk’s secular credentials when LK Advani’s BJP withdrew their support when VP Singh stopped the Rath Yatra?
It is a travesty that obituaries that churned out by agencies and newspapers today extol the departed leader’s secular credentials and ideals. Like most of the Indian politicians, what acted as the soul force for Chandra Sekhar too, was the maddening allure of power.
Chandra Sekhar became what he sought all along his political pilgrimage. To his credit, it must be said that he displayed the nous to reinvent himself at the crisis points of Indian parliamentary history. As a Congressman, he was in a hurry to break free from Indira Gandhi’s fold but was too young to become Prime Minister (with stalwarts such as Morarji Desai calling the shots) when Janata party swept to power in the post-emergency elections held in 1979.
With in the next 10 years, in 1989, Chandra Sekhar reached the end of his political tether when VP Singh stole the thunder as the Congress dissident, a role Chandra Sekhar played without enough success during Indira’s time. Chandra Sekhar was pushed to the sidelines as the intrigue for Prime Minister’s seat was played out between Devi Lal, Chandra Sekhar and VP Singh. Though the electoral victory of the anti-Congress front was shaped by VP Singh, Chandra Sekhar believed that he had an inalienable right to lead the country.
Chandra Sekhar was forced to wait, and his day did come.

Zee.. ing is believing: Chandra's letter to the BCCI

New Delhi
If Mahatama Gandhi conducted experminets with truth and told the world about it, Zee TV mogul Subhash Chandra has revealed that he too is following in the footsteps of Mahatma.
Chandra has revealed his intent to hold experiments with Indian cricket.
Chandra, in his own words, wants to use India as 'the laboratory to innovate new methods of cricket' through his Indian Cricket League (ICL) - a copycat attempt of what Australian media merchant Kerry Packer's World Series Cricket (WSC) that shook the cricket world in the late 1970s.
In a letter to Sharad Pawar, president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Chandra said the ICL, to be launched in October, would be based on a new "vision-cum-action model", which was actually a "3-D approach - diligence, discovery and display.
Let's hear out Chandra.
"The idea is also to develop India, a leading cricketing nation, as the laboratory to innovate new models of cricket so that we set the agenda for innovation for others to follow," Chandra wrote in a three-page letter to Pawar faxed April 3, the day he announced the formation of ICL under the Essel group banner.
"The Essel initiative on cricket involves a 3-D approach that integrates the vision and action on diligence, discovery and display," Chandra wrote in the letter, a copy of which is with IANS.Chandra said he plans to innovate, unearth talent and transform "midgets" into mature, mentally strong and confident players. Since the announcement, ICL has roped in former India captain Kapil Dev, former players Kiran More and Sandeep Patil, former England skipper Tony Greig and ex-Australia batsman Dean Jones to either conduct the tournament or coach some of the six teams. The matches will be 20 overs per side.
The winner in the first tournament will receive $1 million. The matches will be telecast on Zee's in-house Zee Sports channel. Each team will have two players from India and four from abroad.The only step that the BCCI has apparently taken so far is to write to its affiliated units to warn their players and umpires not to associate themselves with ICL and not to lend their infrastructure.
Zee is, however, going ahead with its preparations. Outlining the aims of ICL, Chandra said he would go for "meticulous and out-of-the-box approach to the game to raise its standards, which involves creation of international standard infrastructure".
He plans to tap talent "with the aid of modern technological and communication tools" and provide them financial assistance.Besides, providing "encouragement to the deprived but deserving" players, Chandra wants to "build a transparent national directory of cricketing talent which cricket lovers can view by clicking on the network."This will also include a certain element of character-building through meditation and yoga models that will enable them to withstand and digest the pressures of popularity and prosperity that overawe the young cricketers before they mature into greats," he wrote.
The Zee boss admitted that the "establishment-directed approach to cricket" is "best suited" and that the national board "is the only way to make cricket competition between national teams work". But at the same time, the history of modern cricket shows that innovations have taken place mostly outside the establishment approach, he held. "In my understanding, their constraints rob the cricket establishments of the flexibility needed to adopt a new vision-cum-action model like the 3-D approach."
Chandra also said ICL would "build a national pool of cricket talent that is transparently captured on a national cricketing talent register" from which BCCI and state teams could pick players for their teams. "I assure you that Essel group conceives this as a genuine effort to fill gaps in the present establishment-directed and establishment-managed approach to cricket and will be wholly supportive of the BCCI...," he wrote.

A deserving break for Indian cricket's trinity!

By John Cheeran
National selectors have wisely left skipper Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, and Sourav Ganguly out of the probables list for the Twenty20 World Championship to be held in South Africa in September.
The likes of Virender Sehwag, Mohammad Kaif, who was also named captain of the India 'A' team for the tours of Zimbabwe and Kenya, and Irfan Pathan are there in the list for the Sep 10-24 tournament that will be held in Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg.
Squads: For Zimbabwe/Kenya tours: Mohammad Kaif (captain/Uttar Pradesh), Parthiv Patel (vice-captain/wicket-keeper/Gujarat), Robin Uthappa (Karnataka), Cheteshwar Pujara (Saurashtra), S. Badrinath (Tamil Nadu), Rohit Sharma (Mumbai), Rajesh Pawar (Baroda), Mahesh Rawat (wicket keeper/Haryana), Piyush Chawla (Uttar Pradesh), Arjun Yadav (Hyderabad), Pragyan Ojha (Hyderabad), Irfan Pathan (Baroda), Vikram Raj Vir Singh (Punjab), Yo Mahesh (Tamil Nadu), Pankaj Singh (Rajasthan) and Niraj Patel (Gujarat) Support staff: Chandrakant Pandit (Coach), T.C. Mathew (manager), Vaibhav Daga (Physiotherapist)
Probables for Twenty20 World Championship: Virender Sehwag (Delhi), Robin Uthappa (Karnataka), Yuvraj Singh (Punjab), Mahendra Singh Dhoni (Jharkhand), Mohammad Kaif (Uttar Pradesh), Dinesh Karthik (Tamil Nadu), Rohit Sharma (Mumbai), Gautam Gambhir (Delhi), Yusuf Pathan (Baroda), Suresh Raina (Uttar Pradesh), Manoj Tiwari (Bengal), Neeraj Patel (Gujarat), Karan Goel (Punjab), Cheteshwar Pujara (Saurashtra), Abhishek Jhunjhunwala (Bengal), Rudra Pratap Singh (Uttar Pradesh), Ishant Sharma (Delhi), Zaheer Khan (Mumbai), Irfan Pathan (Baroda), Ajit Agarkar (Mumbai), S. Sreesanth (Kerala), Munaf Patel (Maharashtra), Joginder Sharma (Haryana), Piyush Chawla (Uttar Pradesh), Harbhajan Singh (Punjab), Ramesh Powar (Mumbai), Rajesh Pawar (Baroda), Niranjan Behara (Orissa), Anirudh Srikant (Tamil Nadu), Praveen Kumar (Uttar Pradesh).

Magic figures and Indian Icons

By John Cheeran
Life’s obscure parallel is death.
That’s from poetess Madhavikutty (Kamala Das.)
May be scoreboard’s obscure parallel is stock exchange. A few days after Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar crossed 15,000 run mark in One-day internationals, the top-30 Sensex hit 15,000 mark.
Parallels do not end there. Just as Sachin Tendulkar’s 15,000 runs have not fetched India World Cup, the Sensex’s 15,000 crossing has not brought cheers to vast majority of the nation.
Yet we celebrate. Bulls and Bears, Ups and Downs.

Yuvraj Singh? Best Finisher?

By John Cheeran
No contest is meaningless.
Still two half-centuries by Yuvraj Singh against South Africa that helped India win those two games have come in for much praise.
Very well. Suddenly Yuvraj Singh is hailed as the best finisher in the game. Best finisher in the game? After two innings in what could be termed as neither there nor here contest in Ireland?
The best are those who could overcome adversity. The best are not those who make runs when they make runs. The best are those who make the runs when their team needs it desperately.
I watched Yuvraj’s knock in the second One-Dayer against South Africa. Yes, Yuvraj outscored Dinesh Kaarthick in the end, but the gutsy Punjabi was all at sea except for the last two overs of the Indian innings.We often forget that batsmen are supposed to score runs. That’s simply their job.
None is doing a great favour for the BCCI or Indian Republic if they simply do their job.
And Indian cricket writers would do well to temper their thoughts and words with a sense of history.

PTI's Dream Indian Team: Dravid out; Azhar In

By John Cheeran
Press Trust of India has done a wonderful thing.
To mark India's 75th year of Test cricket, they have chosen a dream team.
Dream team: Sunil Gavaskar (captain), Vinoo Mankad, Vijay Hazare (vice-captain), Sachin Tendulkar, Mohammed Azharuddin, G R Vishwanath, Kapil Dev, Syed Kirmani (wk), Javagal Srinath, EAS Prasanna, Subash Gupte. 12th Man: Vijay Manjrekar.Reserves: Mohammed Nissar, B S Chandrasekhar, Rahul Dravid.
The team was chosen by a panel consisting of Prasanna, PTI editors and veteran journalist Rajan Bala from a list submitted by eight former Indian captains G R Vishwanath, Dilip Vengsarkar, S Venkataraghavan, K Srikkanth, Ajit Wadekar, Nari Contractor, Syed Kirmani and Abbas Ali Baig.
Isn't it ironic that the Indian with the highest batting average (57.46) Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble the highest number of Test wicket taker (552) are not included in the eleven?
What do you think?

India's triumph in Ireland: Freedom from the tyranny of coach?

By John Cheeran
It would be foolish to assume that not having a coach has worked wonders for the Indian cricket team. They have beaten Bangladesh in their own den, and now have clinched the three match series over South Africa, the No 2 One-day side, away from India, in the face of a fever and common cold outbreak.
And there was no Greg Chappell in Ireland and Bangladesh to put Rahul Dravid and company through their paces. No thinking hats, no rope way danglings.
Is not having a coach such a morale booster for this side?
Or was it the fact that there were certain changes in the team composition, notable among them the dumping of Virender Sehwag?
Absence of Sehwag has ensured that Dinesh Karthick gets his opportunity purely as a batsman. The Tamil Nadu man is capable of thinking on his feet and someone who thrives in crisis and these two attributes come to the fore in a tantalizing scoreboard chase.
In India’s Future Cup victory over South Africa, the imprint left by Sachin Tendulkar’s bat is far too obvious not to be seen. Tendulkar is back to his preferred opener’s slot. Though Tendulkar lost opportunities to score centuries he has grabbed the chance to disprove a theory by giving India a solid platform for victory.
Here it would not be amiss to quote my driver when he commented in the wake of India’s first-match loss to South Africa, after Tendulkar ran himself out at 99. “How could India win this match? Whenever Tendulkar scores heavily (read century), India loses the match.”
It is not the statistics that should worry one, and even Tendulkar.
It is the sentiment.
And Tendulkar has done his best to reverse that sentiment sacrificing his centuries and in the process playing with a sense of urgency in Ireland. Let’s us note that opening the innings in One-dayers, indeed, is a vantage point for a batsman, and especially so for someone of the caliber of Tendulkar.
It is no secret that India’s last coach Chappell looked at things rather differently. Chappell had convinced skipper Dravid that India’s problem in one-dayers is our inability to handle the last 15 overs well. Chappell believed that failure to consolidate the scoring in the last 15 overs took the match away from India’s grip. Chappell wanted Tendulkar to ‘fix’ this condition and the Chinese whisper had it that the Mumbai hero was not at all amused with his downgrading to the middle order.
I’m not too jumpy at these turns and twists in Indian cricket. Greater challenges are ahead of Dravid and his men. The immediate one is the clashes against Pakistan. And, then, there are the Test and one-day series against England. India, like any other team in the fray, are bound to taste success as well as defeats.
To form an opinion at this stage of the ‘freedom from the tyranny of coach’ should wait till the series against England is played out fully.
For the BCCI, they can point out to their trenchant critics to the infinite wisdom the 72-year-old Chandu Borde has brought into the Indian dressing room.
May be Sharad Pawar has known it all along. All things come to pass.

Is Mathrubhumi a yellow journal?

By John Cheeran
Is Mathrubhumi a yellow journal?
P Jayarajan, prominent leader of the ruling CPI(M) general manager of Deshabhimani has reiterated the charges he made in the Kerala Assembly against the widely respected newspaper. It is interesting to note that the controlling stakes of the Mathrubhumi are with an ally of the LDF government, MP Veerendrakumar, himself a wily politician, now leading a rump of Janata Dal.
CPI (M)’s chief minister V S Achuthanandan, who has been behaving like a factional leader, had quickly clarified in the Assembly on Thursday itself that Mathrubhumi is a respected national daily. It is to be noted that Mathrubhumi has been relentless in carrying stories that hurt the interests of the Pinarayi Vijayan group in particular and the CPI (M) in general.
Jayarajan, himself at the helm of Deshabhimani, has quoted Britannica encyclopedia and NBS Nighandu, to reiterate that Mathrubhumi is a yellow journal. Jayarajan says sensationalism is the hallmark of yellow journalism and Mathrubhumi, by reporting that Deshabhimani has taken Rs 2 crores from a tainted lottery king Santiago Martin in the form of bonds, has invited the charges against it.
Yes, sensationalism is yellow journalism. But who defines what’s sensationalism?
Is telling the truth amounts to sensationalism?
If, then, let’s embrace such journalism. When the Hindu and Indian Express raked up the Bofors scandal was it yellow journalism or a crusade against corruption?
A newspaper’s success should not be measured only in the profit margin column. As long as a newspaper is able to provoke the establishment into rage, as Mathrubhumi has done in Kerala, they should be considered as traveling on the right track.CPI (M), it appears, is afraid of criticism. Of course CPI (M) in Kerala are stung by Mathrubhumi’s criticism.
Having said that I admit that journalists in Kerala often get their stories wrong, much as elsewhere. Just because something has appeared in newspapers such as Mathrubhumi and Malayala Manorama should not be considered as facts.
Take the ISRO spy saga and even the Rajani Anand suicide. Kerala’s newspapers, including CPI (M)’s Deshabhimani had indulged in mindless sensationalism in such cases. But to tar them with the tag of yellow journalism would be missing the wood for the trees.
I thought CPI (M) took pride in claiming that they stood for the people.
Indian Communists had brand-positioned the CPI (M) as People’s Party in the parliamentary shopping shelf .
Why should a people’s party fear a newspaper?
I do not consider Mathrubhumi as a yellow journal. They have a legacy that has been respected by generation of readers. But I also believe that despite two of the strongest newspapers adopting anti-Marxist line for decades, Kerala’s electorate has brought Communists into power, albeit honouring the five-year interregnums.
Readers, after all, are smarter than editors.

Sivaji the boss: Nayanthara emerges as pan Indian eyecandy

By John Cheeran
Everyone is talking about Rajnikanth in the wake of Sivaji: the Boss.
I’m not qualified to discuss Rajni. Tamizhan loves his Black heroes – Kamalahasan and Karthick are exceptions – but he prefers to cavort with fair skinned girls in his fantasies.
Tamizhan’s colour complex never goes off. Even in Sivaji: the Boss, Rajni asks his mother why did she give birth to him as black. (En amma enne karuppa pette?)
For me what’s important is Rajni’s choice of women. Shreya Reddy has given a romp.
But the piece de resistance of the movie is the item number by Nayanthara, the one-time Malayalam actress. Nayanthara had a similar role in Rajni’s last movie Chandramukhi too.
For Malayalis it is a defining moment when one of their sisters wins accolades as a skin-show stealer.
Nayanthara has come a long way since her debut in Sathyan Anthikadu's Manasinakkare. And you will not recognise the Nayanthara in Raapakal, after watching her Sivaji role.
Gone are the days of coy roles. Look at Aishawrya Rai’s role in Dhoom. Look at Kangana Raut or Bipasha Basu. To be accepted as a fantasy woman is the highest honour an Indian girl can aspire for. With Sivaji getting screen space all over India, and globally wherever the diaspora is, Nayanthara is winning her place as the male eyecandy.
For a girl from Thiruvalla nothing seems impossible. What I admire in Nayanthara (christened as Diana) is her total lack of hypocrisy.
Shedding clothes is no moral choice. It is a question of attitude. Nayanthara has loads of it.
Much as Tinu Yohannan and S Sreesanth claimed their fair share of national consciousness by playing for Indian cricket team, Nayanthara is stoking the fires of passion on a pan-Indian scale.
Let’s us toast the Made-In-Thiruvalla Vamp. Let’s have an eyeful of Nayanthara.

Deshabhimani: CPI (M)'s consultancy front

By John Cheeran
It has become impossible to tell Indian Marxists apart from politicians of other parties.
Marxists are as corrupt, if not worse, as rest of the world.
The CPI (M) rank and file in Kerala is still reeling under the shock that the suspension of Venugopal, Deputy Manager of Deshabhimani, from the party for accepting bribe – Rs one crore.
Venugopal, closely related to the late CPI (M) stalwart A.K. Gopalan (AKG), had taken the bribe allegedly from the owner of LIS, an infamous moneylending group in Kerala.
It is important to note that CPI (M) has taken the corrective step by expelling the offender from the party. But that party that prides itself as standing for the common man has an obligation to tell its followers what happened to the Rs one crore.
Has the CPI (M) degenerated into a shadow of Sonia Congress?
Prakash Karat and Pinaryi Vijayan can argue that lobbying is a part of contemporary politics and party is entitled to consultancy fee for such deal making.Has the frolicking with parliamentary democracy has debased the rank and file of the CPI (M)?
May be those who raise such questions are nothing but fools. Should one measure Marxists by a morality that one cannot apply elsewhere?

Uneasy lies the head that wears helmet

By John Cheeran
It is in Malayali’s blood to oppose everything.
From IMF to Globalization to helmets to girls and young women wearing figure-hugging clothes, Malayalis refuse to change their ways of looking at things
The opposition to wearing helmets is one such meaningless rage.
Helmets are a way of live in India’s main cities such as Delhi and Chennai. High Court has directed the LDF government to ensure that bike riders wear helmets and lead to better safety on the roads.
The gainer in this, obviously, is the one who wears the helmet. In the event of an accident, helmet will minimize the injuries to head. You tend to live longer with a bit of caution. In Delhi we used to keep an extra helmet with us so that even the pillion rider gets a safety ride. Now in Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram Malayalis display senseless machismo by not wearing helmets.
What’s government’s business in this, asks enraged Malayalis.
After all, it’s our lives that are in danger, not LDF government’s.
Yes, I agree there. But then the same Macho Malayalis are scared in the face of chikungunya and are running with real and imagined fevers to the nearest public health centers. Why should government bother if a fever rages in the land? After all taking care of one’s health is an individual’s responsibility, isn’t it?
It is foolish to see conspiracies where none exist. Helmets are designed to protect you. And it is not fever that kills people in Kerala.
It is the filthy attitude that prevents Malayalis from cleaning up one’s own backyard and silly revolutionary urge to break rules and in the process own head, by not wearing helmets.

What makes Bishan Bedi attack Gavaskar?

By John Cheeran
Bishan Singh Bedi carries chips on both his shoulders.
And India’s legendary left-arm spinner has his own reasons for that. Bedi loves to speak his mind and I’m not surprised that Bedi, who was spunky enough to call Muttaih Muralitharan a cheat, has branded Sunil Gavaskar a destructive influence in Indian cricket.
Bedi has said that Gavskar always liked power without responsibility.
The comments come in the wake of Gavaskar, a prominent member of the Indian cricket board's (BCCI) coach selection panel, criticising leading candidate Dav Whatmore in his columns and instead suggesting the name of former England player John Emburey, who has had little success as a coach and was largely considered a dummy candidate.
Bedi said: "Cricket circles had immense and blind respect for him (as a cricketer) and he successfully used this to ensure that board officials remained in awe of him. He wants the glamour, the position and if there are any financial gains so much the better...but he does not want any accountability. He's always liked power without accountability." On Gavaskar's contribution to Indian cricket, Bedi said: "I had a lot of time for his batting but never as a thought leader. You tell me what his contribution has been. He is destructive, there is nothing positive."
One of the oldest divides in Indian cricket is between Mumbai and the rest of India. With the emergence of players such as Bishan Bedi and Kapil Dev in Delhi and Haryana the divide took clear shape of Mumbai vs Delhi.
Now the Indian cricket and even Zee TV’s Indian Cricket League having a clear Mumbai imprint all over it, it is no wonder then that Bedi feels isolated in his own corner in New Delhi.
It is no secret that Mumbai lobby has taken over Indian cricket. Sharad Pawar, Niranjan Shah, Ratnakar Shetty all are key BCCI officials from Mumbai or Western India. Chairman of selection committee is Dilip Vengsarkar. Cricket manger is Chandu Borde. Ravi Shastri is the Man Friday for Sharad Pawar.
Sunil Gavaskar wields enormous influence in matters of cricket within the BCCI. The BCCI has given Gavaskar more importance than that is due in the coach selection committee. It is to be noted that there was none in the panel from Delhi or North India.
Sishir Hattangadi (former Mumbai Ranji player) is the only Mumbai-based cricketer Outlook has spoken to.
Obviously I don’t expect anyone from Mumbai to bad mouth Gavaskar.
All these should irk Bishan Bedi.
And Bedi is hardly the businessman that Kapil Dev, Gavaskar’s nemesis in the past, has become. Kapil has made his peace with the establishment much in the manner of Indian cinema’s angry old man Amitab Bachchan.
Not Bedi. Fire still burns in his belly. Bedi is quite right to point out that since his playing days Gavsakar has done nothing positive for Indian cricket.
Having interviewed Bedi at his SAIL office in Delhi and at Karnail Singh Stadium many times over in the past I know he does not take back his words. Words are swords for this feisty warrior.
Bedi has proved his guts by becoming the Indian team’s coach when Raj Singh Dungarpur anointed Mohammad Azharuddin as the captain in 1990. Even Kapil has done his bit in a similar manner. Whether these two tasted success is quite different matter. What matters Bedi and Kapil were brave enough not go beyond their syndicated columns and take the onus of doing things, in what they believed their way, the right way.
Gavaskar prefers to run with the hare and hunt with the hunter. He does not want to assume responsibility. It is easy to preach. It is easy to throw his weight around in the committee room by hurling John Emburey into the coach debate.
Why doesn’t Gavaskar take up the onerous task of making Indian cricketers world champions. It is easy to criticize Greg Chappell but the Aussie had the balls to take on what is considered as the most pressurized job in the cricket world.
What matters to Gavaskar is his own survival. He makes his peace with ease whether it is Jagmohan Dalmiya or Sharad Pawar in the seat. He forced Dalmiya make room for his son in Bengal Ranji team when things got going toigh in Mumbai.
When Shiv Sainiks ranskacked the BCCi ffice in Mumbai in 1999 with Pakistan poined to tour India, Gavaskar, the Mr India of Indian cricket, did not utter a single word on the incident although he takes pride as a cricket journalist. Gavaskar was an opportunist at the crease.
He still is an opprtunist and that hurts Indian cricket.

Dravid takes anticipatory bail for England trip

By John Cheeran
There are different versions on Rahul Dravid’s take on the lack of a coach for England-bound India team. The fact that instead of Graham Ford, the BCCI has given Dravid 72-year-old Chandu Borde to help him run the side should have a bearing on the performance of the side. Or so goes the common man’s perception.
BBC Sport quotes the Indian skipper “"A coach or cricket manager can make a difference in the team's preparation. A captain cannot give individual personalised attention to all 15 of the team. Coaches do that. "
"It's about preparing a team before and after matches in terms of looking at the whole picture, giving an outside view and taking the pressure off you in off-field activities. "I am sure this is a short-term measure and I am sure they will find someone who will do the role."
Dravid is bloody keen to separate the coach’s role from that of players. Coach can help in preparing the side, but players themselves will have to do the job of scoring runs and getting wickets.
Deccan Herald reports that Dravid does not consider that absence of a full-time coach is not a Major drawback. That’s not the message the BBC Sport puts across.
Deccan Herald staff report went on to say that “Dravid dismissed that notion, saying he was excited about the challenge of leading the side on a tough tour.“The pressure never increases or decreases. As India’s captain, there is a certain amount of pressure and a certain amount of joy that comes with it. There is great excitement about doing what you can, and that is the way I will be approaching this series,” Dravid said in Bangalore.
“There is a need for someone who can take the pressure off the players outside of a cricket field. Once a game starts, it is the responsibility of the captain and the players to perform well. A coach or a cricket manager, whatever terminology you want to use, can make a difference in the preparation. I am sure this is a short-term measure and I am sure they will find someone who will do the role.“As captain, you cannot give individual attention to all 15 members. Coaches can do that, if it means spending extra hours in the net, throwing extra balls or putting extra balls in the bowling machine. That's where his role is, before and after a game,” he said.
All said and done, I want to ask Dravid this.
Does Dravid believe that a better-prepared side has more chances of defeating its enemies?
Is Indian team ‘fully’ prepared for the Ireland-England tour under Chandu Borde, who has not even met the players so far?
One thing is pretty clear.
The BCCI will not able to excoriate this side if they plumb new depths in Ireland and England. Dravid has taken anticipatory bail even before boarding the flight.

Karat should sack Achuthanandan as chief minister

By John Cheeran
Communists in Kerala, as elsewhere, are a proud lot.
They do not react positively to unsolicited advice.
Even then I should advise CPI (M) secretary general Prakash Karat that he should sack his party's Chief Minister in Kerala, V.S. Achuthanandan.
Anger, and a sense of betrayal is growing in a Monsoon-drenched Kerala over Achuthanandan’s move to protect land grabbing by his own party CPI (M) and CPI. The credibility of the CPI (M) as a moral force has taken a terrible beating from which recovery is going to be a very long haul.
Achuthanandan’s mask as an honest leader has been ripped open by the circumstances.
It is easy to demolish someone else’s efforts; not so easy to bring down party owned resorts.
What has been projected as a big popularity drive by VS has bit back the Marxist leader.
Pinarayi Vijayan lacked patience and triggered public spat with VS on who should take the credit for Munnar demolition drive.
Now where is Pinarayi? Why he is not taking credit for what’s happening now, or to be specific, not happening, in Munnar?
Achuthanandan has tried to sell a lemon to common man by clubbing political parties and religious organizations together. Can comrade VS point out a single case of land grabbing by religious organization in Kerala?
Achuthanandan’s sidekicks are wearing dothis over their head these days. And they accuse Pinarayi of winding up CPI to move against VS and wreck the Munnarr drive.
Such excuses are silly.
Is Achuthanandan a puppet in the hands of Pinarayi?
It is time Achuthanandan came down from his moral high horse and quit the Chief Minister’s post.

Munnar land grabbing: Kerala's schadenfreude

By John Cheeran
Instead of raising a ruckus over V. S. Achuthanandan’s space grabbing statement that exonerated politicians and religious organizations on Wednesday, media in Kerala, as is their wont, have pussyfooted.
Now, what did Kerala’s so called People’s Chief Minister say in his press conference at Thiruvananthapuram?
The land grabbed by political parties as well as temples, mosques and churches built on such encroached lands but belong to the government will not be taken back by his special officers.
Wonderful.
Why is it that LDF’s honest chief minister has suddenly decided to act as a deity who is eager to please vote banks and the rank and file of CPI and CPI (M)?
And why are the leading media organizations and journalists shying away from pointing out the untenable position taken by Achuthanandan?
Land grabbing is land grabbing. It cannot be couched in red rag to justify an illegal position.Why should one condone crime, if religious organizations or political parties commit them?
Achuthanandan has been forced to flee from his moral high ground once it has been come to the light that his party CPI (M) has benefited from Ravindran Pattayams just as the CPI, if not more. Pattayams are given ostensibly to farmers, and Communist parties have no right to get it until it has been done in the name of one of their humble farmer members of the party. In Munnar, Achuthanandan’s and Veliyam Bharagavan’s parties have given their land, grabbed through pattayams, to corporates who run resorts there now.
Is this revolution? I have heard that revolutions eat their own children. In Kerala, Communist babies have eaten their own revolution.
And why JCBS are stopping short of demolishing these offensive structures?
Because such a move will hurt both the CPI and CPI (M). Communist cadres, after all, cannot march on empty stomachs.
You can demolish anything, unless it belongs to you. Those who were rejoicing in Munnar and elsewhere in Kerala when JCBS pounded the resorts and other sundry structures constructed on lands, as hotly disputed as the demolished structure in Ayodhya, were happy only because it did not belong to them.
Nothing spurs men and women on a moral track as much as jealousy. What we witnessed in Kerala in recent times is nothing but a classic example of Schadenfreude.
Long live revolution!

Axe Effect in Indian dressing room: Sehwag, Harbhajan out

By John Cheeran
Ah, changes, changes.
AXE effect fills in the Indian dressing room.
My regret is that had the selection committee chairman Dilip Vengasrakr was bold and sensible enough to impart the kind of changes that have been made to the Ireland-England bound Indian team before the World Cup, the Indian cricket would not have been plunged to the abyss that it languishes in.
It is also important that whether Rahul Dravid relented in his support for Virender Sehwag or not, the Delhi dazzler has been justifiably cast out of the squad.
Selectorial axe has fallen on the heads of Harbhajan Singh and Munaf Patel.
Sehwag’s absence ensures that Dinesh Karthick will be secure as an opener and that should bolster Indian batting. Harbhajan’s vacation in Chandigarh makes sure that Ramesh Powar gets enough overs to buy some wickets.
Criteria for selection should be performance and nothing else. Karthick and Powar deserve their places. And make no mistake, north India cannot afford to waste its tears for Sehwag and Harbhajan when the region is getting scorched under a merciless sun.
Equally heartening is the break given to Bengal medium pacer Ranadeb Bose. Bose, who compensates his lack of pace, by a disciplined line and length was lucky to miss the jinxed trip to the Caribbean. Bose was heartbroken when the list was announced for the World Cup. Now that the Test team’s doors are opened for him, Bose should hit the deck.
Selectors have kept their faith Ishant Sharma and they had little choice with Munaf Patel and Irfan Pathans losing themselves in mysterious self-confidence wrecking viruses. Selectors, much like the God, can help only those help themselves.
It is also interesting to note that rush for a place in the Indian middle order has intensified with Mumbai Rohit Sharma getting a ride to England. Yuvraj Singh, VVS Laxman and Sourav Ganguly should be on their toes now.
The 16-man team for the England Test series: Rahul Dravid (capt), Sachin Tendulkar (vice-capt), Wasim Jaffer, Dinesh Karthick, Gautam Gambhir, Saurav Ganguly, Venkatsai Laxman, Yuvraj Singh, Mahendra Dhoni, Zaheer Khan, Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, Rudra Pratap Singh, Ishant Sharma, Ranadeb Bose, Anil Kumble, Ramesh Powar.
The 15-man team for one-day matches against Ireland, South Africa and Pakistan:
Rahul Dravid (capt), Mahendra Dhoni (vice-capt), Gautam Gambhir, Robin Uthappa, Saurav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh, Dinesh Karthick, Rohit Sharma, Zaheer Khan, Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, Rudra Pratap Singh, Ajit Agarkar, Piyush Chawla, Ramesh Powar.

Chandu Borde: Pawar plays an old card!

By John Cheeran
Indian board’s announcement of former Test cricketer and selection committee chairman Chandu Borde as cricket manager to the Indian team for its Ireland-England tour comes as a surprise. But this surprise was long in the making by the BCCI and is less ‘shocking’ when you consider a series of events that preceded.
The best man to run Indian cricket was Greg Chappell. But having failed to keep him in the event of World Cup fiasco, the BCCI dithered on choosing the next coach. Look at Australian Cricket Board.
They had decided on John Buchanan’s heir apparent even before the World Cup started and had a suitable man groomed for the job.
Indian board was waiting much like the father of the neighbourhood siren waiting for a prospective son-in-law. Sharad Pawar and Niranjan Shah must have believed that Indian board’s assets would lure coaches. Rejection of an eager suitor like Dav Whatmore and spurning by an eligible Graham Ford has forced Pawar to hand over Indian cricket team to 76-year-old Borde, a man who has seen it and done it all.
What signals are the BCCI trying to send out by dusting up Borde from its cupboard?
Borde’s appointment as a cricket manager, when there are many men such as Madan Lal, Mohinder Amarnath and even S Venkataraghavan ready to be crucified as coaches, shows that the board wants to bring in a foreign professional despite its recent snafus.
That should be good news to the followers of Indian cricket.
But the episode exposes the BCCI’s management skills. They knew all about finding a replacement for Chappell after the World Cup meltdown, but despite its overflowing coffers, none were identified.
Even the handling of Ford interface was far from professional, with the Board jumping the gun without waiting for South African’s Yes.
As for the larger debate of whether a cricket team needs coach or a manager the Ireland-England tour will provide answers.
Cricket coaches for senior national teams are a new-fangled phenomenon in 1990s. There are some uncharitable views that post of coaches are a kind of pension scheme for retired cricketers.
Borde is not expected to hold PE for Rahul Dravid and company. Bowling coach Venkatesh Prasad and fielding coach Robin Singh should take care of such affairs.
The problem will arise only when the Indian team, managed by the grand old man, comes back with series win in England.

Ford slaps Indian board in its face

By John Cheeran
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), world’s richest cricket board, is spurned by a young South African, who has not played a single Test or One-day match.
What does Ford know about cricket, and Indian cricket in particular?
Graham Ford has said no the BCCI offer to become the coach of the Indian national team.
Ford’s refusal is nothing but a slap in the face of Sharad Pawar and Niranjan Shah.
Ford has said that he prefers to carry n with his assignment with English County Kent.
It is interesting now to note that Indian cricketers and board itself tore the resume of someone who was pretty much keen to manage a much riven Indian cricket team.
Yes, Whatmore must be hard pressed to contain a few chuckles and watching with interest how the story develops from here.
But be sure that last is not heard on Ford deal itself. Money has its attractions and who knows Ford’s verbal crossover on Monday may just be part of tough bargaining. May be Ford is peeved that the BCCI held out only a one-year deal to him for which he is not willing to abandon the quite and comforts of Kent.
Also happy must be our desi brigade, whom I admonished in an earlier post to take up assignments with Bangladesh and Pakistan. But hope springs eternal.
Who knows in a patriotic fit, Pawar might even tell Ravi Shastri to take charge of the team.And how can Shastri refuse when the future Prime Minister of India requests him to save Indian cricket.

What next for desi cricket coaches?

By John Cheeran
What should our desi coaches do now?
Indian cricket board and Indian cricketers have ignored and insulted them by appointing a man who has never played Test cricket and one-day internationals as a coach.
And to make matters worse, Sharad Pawar has new fixer is from South Africa, the nation that perfected apartheid into an art form.
Desi coaches would do well to remind Pawar that Mahatma Gandhi was booted out of a train compartment in Graham Ford’s land.
Well, for Madan Lal, Mohinder Amarnath and Chetan Chauhan I have a suggestion.
Why do our desi coaches fail to get interview letters from other cricket nations or even provincial teams?
Yes, yes..Madan Lal coached the UAE and Sandeep Patil did stints with Kenya and Oman.
But there is hope for desi coaches after all.
Without wasting time, they should apply to Bangladesh Cricket Board and Pakistan Cricket Board since they are hunting for new coaches. They should act fast or else Sunil Gavaskar will recommend John Emburey’s application there as well.
Or else, they can march to Jantar Mantar and burn Ford’s effigies..Good luck.

India bring on Ford: Change of coach, yes. Will there be a change of direction?

By John Cheeran
Yes, it is Graham Ford only.
The 46-year-old former South Africa coach, currently cricket director of English county Kent, was selected ahead of former England spinner John Emburey, senior board official N. Srinivasan announced in Chennai n Saturday after the two were interviewed by its coaching committee.
Ford's appointment would have to be formally ratified by the board's decision-making working committee, he said. It is due to meet on Tuesday.
He would have a one-year tenure in the job which fell vacant after former Australia skipper Greg Chappell quit following the team's shock first round exit in the World Cup.
"The seven-man (coaching) committee has recommended to the working committee the name of Graham Ford as India's next coach," N. Srinivasan said.
He said Ford would inform the working committee when he would assume charge. Although his contract with Kent runs until 2008, the club have already given him permission to apply for the job.
Ford was rated well ahead of Emburey, cricket director with English county Middlesex, due to the reported backing from senior players including skipper Rahul Dravid, a former Kent player.
The board surprisingly rejected on Wednesday Australian Dav Whatmore, the outgoing Bangladesh coach who until then had appeared to have almost secured the job.
Ford is expected to take charge at the earliest as the team is due to leave later this month for Ireland, where they face the home country and South Africa in one-day internationals, followed by a full tour of England.
Ford has inspired South Africa to eight wins from 11 Test series in two years until he was sacked in 2001 after consecutive series defeats against Australia in the wake of the Hansie Cronje match-fixing saga.
Ford is regarded as a motivator and his lack of experience at the highest level of the game should work in his favour. Unlike Greg Chappell, Ford made the cut neither as Test cricketer nor as a One-day player.
For Team India, success on the field will have to be earned by sheer dint of hard work.
Change of coach has been achieved; will there be a change of direction as well?

Will there be a fatwa against Joy Alukkas?

By John Cheeran
Marxists in Kerala say lighting of traditional lamps (nilavilakku) is a Hindu ritual and should not be used to inaugurate public functions, be it a jewellery shop or college union function.
I recall my student days when the Student Federation of India (SFI) used to fuss over the non-secular aspect of nilavilakku.
Obviously Muslim fundamentalists in Kerala, nurtured by petro dollar from the Middle East, championed such a stand taken by secular Marxists.
Now I’m amazed to see some pictures from Dubai. Picture shows Joy Alukkas’ latest jewellery showroom being inaugurated by Jassem Mohammad Ebrahim Al Hasawi, a prominent Muslim in Dubai society, by lighting the nilavilakku.
Ah, isn’t it sacrilege for a Muslim to perform a Hindu ritual?
Should Muslims buy jewellery from a shop that has been opened by performing a Hindu ritual?
I’m sure these questions should agitate the Kerala’s Muslim fundamentalists.
May be, a fatwa on the subject is coming our way.
Till such time secularists should put aside their gold hunt.

Ford runs over Whatmore's coach

By John Cheeran
Twist in the Dav Whatmore tail has left many in Indian cricket perplexed.
Once The Times of India frontpaged the story a few weeks ago that the Australian has been all but appointed as the new coach for the Indian team, such a twist was unforeseen.
But that is Indian cricket.
Since I believe no coach can overhaul the Indian cricket in a short span, I had not taken much interest in the coach business. But I must say that skipper Rahul Dravid did the right thing in looking beyond Whatmore for guidance to the team’s fortunes.
Whatmore’s biggest credit in the recent times has been the World Cup coup he pulled off for Bangladesh against India in the Caribbean. That led to talks such as how the man has worked wonders with sub continental teams – Sri Lanka’s World Cup triumph in 1996 and now Bangladesh’s entry into Super Eight, in the process pushing India into the abyss.
For Indian cricketers who were finessed by Whatmore in the Caribbean, the presence of the former Bangladesh coach would have been a constant reminder of their shame.
None of them including Dravid and Virender Sehwag would have welcomed such irritating thoughts as they strive to rebuild.
That must be the singular reason that scuppered Whatmore’s chances. Sunil Gavaskar's dislike for Whatmore is only adds the detail.
It has been reported that players themselves were scouting for a suitable coach in a much a shrunken field.
None of the team members welcomed the idea of having a former Indian cricketer as coach.
Jokers such as Madan Lal, Mohinder Amanath and Chetan Chauhan were dragged into the race by Kapil Dev, with the former Indian captain vigorously arguing for an Indian coach.
It seems former South African coach Graham Ford, who is now handling English County Kent, is Dravid’s preferred choice and the other candidate, propped up by Gavaskar, is former England skipper and off-spinner John Emburey.
Ford was South Africa’s coach between 1991 and 2001 when South Africa won nine of their 11 Tests and one-day series, including a historic Test series win in India.
It is also to be remembered that the match-fixing controversy and Hansie Cronje affair happened during those days. And Emburey’s coaching stints with Northamptonshire and Middlesex did not yield desired results.
That strengthens Ford’s case to become the Team India coach. But none is certain after what they did to Whatmore.

Birla, Ambani and Achuthanandan

By John Cheeran
Despite Monsoon, Kerala’s current political climate remains hot. Anti-bourgeoisie grandstanding is a box-office hit there. CPI (M)’s Chief Minister incumbent V.S. Achuthanadan is against the rich and might in Kerala.
Achuthanandan has been declaiming that Ambani’s Reliance will not be welcomed in Kerala to open their retail chain. V S wants to get applause from the thousands of retailers in Kerala who act as obscurantist middlemen as far as consumers are concerned. And these retailers rarely contribute to the tax kitty.
Once Reliance comes to Kerala, these retailers will have to shut their shops, though it will take a long time to happen such a thing. Consumers will and should get a better value from for their money from hypermarkets such as Reliance is planning.
To oppose such business ventures, as Achuthanandan and his acolytes are doing, is not good Communism or good economics. I’m afraid that CPI (M) secretary Pinaryi Vijayan can, for once, see eye-to-eye with his bete noire on handcuffing Anil Ambani.
But is that the course the LDF, and CPI (M) in particular, must be adopting when Kerala is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the first democratically elected Communist government in the world?
Let me remind comrades that EMS Namboodiripad as Chief Minister of Kerala in 1957 wooed north Indian industrialists to set shops in the state. EMS always believed in subjecting the society to the hammer blows of industrialization, ostensibly to advance the class struggle. But the point is that EMS also wanted Kerala to prosper and to that end he was willing to set aside puerile dogmas. Comrades did not hesitate to woo the private sector in 1957.
Let me quote from Sarvepalli Gopal’s biography of Jawaharlal Nehru, volume 3.
“Curiously what gave the planning commission concern was that the state government appeared to be unduly favouring the private sector. The Birla group was given permission to set up a wood-pulp plant, and plans were drawn up to invite a private company to construct a refinery for the manufacture of lubricating oil, in contravention of the industrial policy of the Government of India. There was, in fact little that was Communist in the official activities of the state ministry and even the Communist Party disapproved of some provisions of the agreement with the Birla Group.”
Ah, how I wish VS Achuthanandan abandoned his phoney ideological posturing and build on the advantages that Kerala has.