The deserving and undeserving

Well it was fascinating to see V V S Laxman being awarded the 4^th highest honor namely the Padma Shri award needless to be said for his contribution to international and domestic cricket. Though Laxman deserves the award, one has to think aout the deserving but denied cricketers like Javagal Srinath whose contribution to Indian cricket is as immense as Laxman's is along with the other 10 such players. Things have become a total confusion in Indian cricket with undeserving players becoming millionaires while the deserving are taken up for a throw away price. I can also recall someone quoting Mathew Hayden above Sachin Tendulkar in the international run.

If the list of the 10 players who have been awarded the Padma Shri is given a close look at, the list includes Sachin Tendulkar, Anil Kumble, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly, Dhoni, Harbhajan Singh, Kapil Dev, Sunil Gavaskar and Bishen Singh Bedi. No doubt that all these players deserve to be in the elite list with some doubts raising over the selection of Ganguly and Bishen Singh Bedi, some other players who could have been given a thought include Javagal Srinath who was the lone fast bowler after Kapil Dev to continue for 12 years before Zaheer Khan and co took charge.

If Anil Kumble could have been given the honor, Javagal Srinath deserves it equally. Similiarly, another cricketer to have been unlucky is Syed Kirmani, who was a wicket keeper one of his kind and a replacement for whom is yet to be included. Not even Dhoni can be placed close to Kirmani in terms of wicket keeping. And then, Krishnamachari Shrikanth was the first batsman and cricketer to have taken two five wicket hauls for India, something that even a full time bowler Kapil Dev couldn't do. Mohammed Azharuddin was the first Indian batsman to have crossed 6000 runs in one day cricket but Azharuddin has been given a different award.

No one disputes the treatment given to Azharuddin. And, if the list is once again given a close look at, it is evident that except for Kapil, Bedi and Gavaskar, the rest of them belong to the recent past or the last decade. One has to give a rethinking to the selection of Dhoni into this elite list with more than a decade to go in his career. So is the case with Harbhajan Singh when Zaheer Khan and Yuvraj Singh miss out. One more interesting fact is that except Harbhajan, Kumble, and Bedi the rest of them are batsmen. Kapil is the lone all rounder. Now, another batsman has joined the list.

Finally, the list holds good if statistics are excluded from discussion. But, what else does hold good to judge a player's caliber?

Just Rakhi Sawanth Will Not Help Make ICL Colorful

Well after almost two months without any good cricketing action,the action packed days are back with a bang.All to be deceived.Some boring umpiring in the first test between India and Australia.And the ICL is more of a flop rather than an awesome cricketing action.All eyes were on the second season of the indian Cricket League. But,it looks like the sponsorers do not need any benefit from these matches.Its just a charity game I suppose.I never thought that these matches would be so colorless.In this regard,the Indian Premier League scores very much above this league.The introduction of sky cameras and the niners would have added to the excitement.But, so far that is not to be.So when can it be expected?

Well..whether that will take place in the near future or not,that is not the issue that is haunting now.But, the ICL committee should take the commentary team seriously.It looks like the commentary team is not being payed properly by the Zee sports. Otherwise,I've never seen such a bad commentary whatsoever.And that too Hindi commentary for a commercial series?How mean!Though the ICL was introduced before the IPL,I feel it has to learn a lot from the IPL.A look at the IPL format,action involved and the commentary by the Star Cricket team would give the ICL franchisees a better idea regarding how to run a business involving cricket.

The commentary at times makes us laugh when the commentary like "batsman ne balle ko apne haath mein pakad kar ball ka intezar kar raha hain" and then "Ab is waqt,bowler gend ko apne haath mein rakh kar btsman ki taraf daud raha hain" .No doubt,the crowd that attends the match is pretty denent in number.But,if this is the trend that the ICL committee members continue doing,the present day crowd would not be the same.Else,one would see it diminishing day by day.The tournament started with a bang with Rakhi Sawanth and Kareena Kapoor (in the previous edition) shaking their leg at the inauguration.But,how long will this continue.Of course the cheer leaders are a delight to watch.More than the game of cricket,these things grab in more attraction.

Just introducing a hike in pay to Rs 14 Cr will not grab in good players or crowd. Needless to say,the committee members of the Indian Cricket League do not enjoy a freedomwhen it comes to the ground,players-who are not allowed to play for their national team once they join ICL,which is not the case with the IPL,the members need to put in a lot of hard work to see to that the tournament results in a decent crowd puller.Shifting of the telecast from Zee sports to something like say Ten Soprts or ESPN/Star Sports would help solve matters.Thank you.

A funny Episode Of ICL?

With the Edelweiss 20s getting recently,its really amazing that the world championship of the Indian Cricket League has already begun in less than a weeks time taken since the Edelweiss 20s got over.I really wonder as to what the plans of these people are.Its too much 'n' too much of cricket being played.No doubt,the planning of the series is just perfect.But,what about the timing?

And adding to the fun is that even this time the matches are being scheduled in Hyderabad which was also one of the venues for the recently concluded Edelweiss 20s challenge.And a world series getting over in a weeks time?Oh! My God!It can never get worse than this I believe.How come the name Indian Cricket League,which is believed to be a private cricket board in India consists of teams like Lahore Badshahs?And in the recently added world series,one can see teams like World XI and Pakistan XI.Then why the name Indian Cricket League?

Well it looks like these people are trying too many things at the same time.Their thinking what I can correlate with is the way a wild boar runs without thinking of the consequences.The series which is now under progress is none the less like a triangular series consisting of teams India XI,Pakistan XI and the world XI.A world series consisting of only three teams?Ha ha ha...

The previous series' that were concluded recently were of some maturity when compared to the ongoing one.Atleast there were a lot of options,a lot of colours,lots of teams competing out there....lots.

All this is happening for the reason that the rebel League is newly launched and lacks experience despite the presence of players like Kapil Dev heading.It would be nice if the Indian Cricket League stops this massive experimenting which would at times lead to disappointment and also flop shows.And much before the fans write 'em off..

Indian Fast Bowlers-Just An Illusion?

With the past three to four decades taken into consideration,it can be said that India has produced one of the best fast bowling bunch in the recent times.With bowlers like Sreesanth,R P Singh,Ishanth Sharma,Zaheer Khan & Munaf Patel,it looks as though India have found the best quartlet of fast bowlers required to win a match.

No doubt that these people have in them a killer instinct to win matches in all three forms of the game,at home as well as outside.But,the question is as to what are these players' guarantee?Most of these fast bowlers are found to miss major tours either due to an injury or otherwise owing to lack of form.

If the recent past is to be taken into consideration,Zaheer Khan missing out on his tour to Australia is still fresh in the minds of the selectors.And adding to the fire is that the man is not available for the series against South Africa also.The man was found to dismiss South African batsman Greame Smith on four occasions during his tour to South Africa in 2006.

Then we have the great Sreesanth who was forced to miss the Australian test series and then the turn was of R P Singh's who was not even fit to be trained at the NCA-Bangalore.Now comes the daddy of them all who made news for the fastest ball bowled by an Indian-Ishanth Sharma.Only to be sacked by the selectors for the ongoing tour against Sough Africa.And the only man left over is Munaf patel who is at most of the times found to struggle with his line and length.Perhaps!the lucky of 'em all I can say because he can atleast make an entry into the playing XI only to be proved out of form by the opposition batsmen.

Well..one has to learn from the age old bowlers like Srinath,Venkatesh Prasad,Manoj Prabhakar,Kapil Dev..as to how fit they were.The team hardly missed their services due to any injuries.