Stars chasing records, let teams to loose

By the time I have completed writing this piece, it would already have become the sixth straight overseas test loss for team BCCI. Not so long ago they were staking claim for the world no.1 test team title.... One can talk about the uncertainties of the game endlessly, but to me this loss was absolutely predictable. As every one would admit, a five day match is real cricket, and the limited over matches are it's entertainment versions. It needs an overseas test series to determine, how good you are, as a pack of cricketers. And we have to admit that this bunch of cricketers are awfully short of being there. Even while considering the "manufactured win" against West Indians they are mediocre as the bunch. (some occasional individual exploits not withstanding)

 "Manufactured win?"... many of you may have doubts.. No it's not about fixing the matches... but  about doctoring the environmental factors to favor the hosts.  No one would disagree if i say the current Windies team will sweat a lot, to beat Boyc;s mom at her kitchen garden track. They are indeed a pale patch of the much feared predecessors, and that too without Chris Gayle. Still we struggled, puffed and panted to secure lead and seal the series... every test could have swung either way even In those environment that is tailored for you to win. If you struggle to succeed at those doctored pitches., how better the expectations could be when you venture out on hostile waters.... against a much tougher opponents.

In this country each and every man on the street, consider themselves as an expert and be always fit for the shoes of Duncan Fletcher. They will demand him to deliver win after win after win.. nothing else. It's no fun to be in that shoes. It needs oodles of luck along with the desired skills to succeed as coach for the team BCCI.  Being said that, I would reiterate Duncan Fletcher had been an absolute and colossal failure. He took charge of the team on it's crescendo, and it was mere maintenance that required for some period of time. But still...

One has to admit, we had an interesting bunch of talents around in the team (a great concoction of experience with freshness). Man to man, each one of them can match with any of their counterparts from other test playing nations. Also they have the best reigning captain in the world now. Still we are loosing terribly, match after match while travelling. The fact is that it's not on the talent front we loose, it's in the application that we fail. That is a problem that could not be tackled by the player himself... they need guidance and support from tacticians and management.  Take the case of Ishant Sharma..When was the last time he took more than two wickets in an inning?  He has been sleep walking so far series after series, without any success. He may be plain unlucky not getting enough wickets even after bowling well (?)..But taking wickets is the only thing that matters, in test cricket. So any exceptional bowling performance is useless if you don't have wickets to show.  I am not sure, if he is getting any support in orienting himself towards conversion. It is the case if he is not succeeding even after supported... then what is the point is continuing with him...I don't think the problem lies, when they get unsure about performing their designated roles, as the situation demand. Sehwag remains Sehwag all the time... likewise everyone... they all are considered as individual stars, not the one's who had to perform together towards a solitary team goal.

Again it's very easy to sit in an armchair and criticize post facto. But always better to aware of the situation and be better prepared. Sooner or later they are going to get hit by a tonne of bricks, when they can only see empty stands (as Rahul Dravid has already expressed  his concern) across the country, and waning resources sponsors let out filling their coffers.

Rawalpindi Loose Canon and Eternally Returning Retiree

An appeal to the folks down there – It has been over a week since Mr. Rawalpindi loose canon released his toilet paper throwing dirt against one of the most respected Icons of World Cricket… And the sole reason behind such malicious outburst is to extract money from our own pocket by kicking our sentiments.  As a firm believer of freedom of speech, I am against any ban or below the belt tactics exercised even if the concerned party deserves more than that. Now that his soul mate and partner in crime Mr. Eternal Retirement Returnee has joined the fray and started throwing more dirt, and our gentleman cricketers will hardly stoop down to their level, it has become our responsibility to provide befitting response to such creeps. We all should refrain ourselves from shelling money from our pocket by buying copies of his toilet paper,  at any cost, so that he atleast don’t get rewarded from the share of money taken from our country to splurge on nightclubs and his post retirement activities. If anybody feels so itching to read out what that scum bag had written, try to grab the pirated copies, which may soon come to the pavements, so that he hardly gets his share. … Let the huge number of copies printed by the publisher get rotten in the bookshelves, so that no other intended followers should get inspired into such third rate publicity grabbing measures and get rewarded with . … please spread this message across the cyber space and enjoy the attached video…http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPP89axrP7k&feature=fvwrel 

How once again we got exploited… but this time we claim victory

As I write this piece, the verdict is out- MNIK is indeed running successfully, in the glory of being one of the rare occasions in this nation were the middle class could claim a “so called” victory against the goons who disrupted the harmony and peace. As a citizen of a free democracy I always valued the freedom of expression, and had been extremely conscious of respecting the right of fellow citizens in expressing the same. I don’t subscribe to the views of the fundamentalist extra constitutional authorities who pop up issuing threats and statements that rupture the fabric of harmony and peace. And am happy to see the nation rallying around to condemn and defeat the fascist brand of hate politics.. But being said that, when I have logically analyzed the sequence of events, what came out glaring is the way the cunning and intelligent “superstar”, ruthlessly manipulated the stupid and superfluous “pop activists” belonging to Indian middle class, to further his commercial interests, and amass wealth. Looking at it from a neutral perspective, one can clearly feel, this was the second shot by the “megalomaniac” to create a controversy to gain eyeballs and create mindshare for his flick. While his first attempt to promote the flick by crying wolf at JFK has fallen flat, when the US machinery exposed the agenda, he fired the second salvo… And bingo, it hit the bull’s eye. The whole nation, media, and government machinery worked overnight to give him precious million dollar promo blitz which he couldn’t have dreamt off spending his life time earnings..

Fist of all analyzing the very premise… supporting the cause of “Pakistani” players who has been avoided from the IPL auction, once could make out, the lack of sincerity and the true intend behind it… If he had some intellectual honesty, he should explain, why he himself has not included any Pakistan player in his team. He has all the right and might to pull it out. Being failed to do so, what is the point in expressing his opinion, which has got not even a single iota of sincerity in it. It’s nothing but a pure commercial ploy. Now going about the sequence of events, the moment, the stupid “tiger” started “meowing” (oops roaring), the badshah went hiding in an overseas safe heaven… and monitored the buzz. The spineless machinery has played into his hands by playing along. And every stupid politician and public showed their shameless display of “pop patriotism” by expressing their “solidarity” towards his “flick”. The film makers raised the ante, by jacking up the ticket rates, basking in the glory of “free publicity”.. Government, though failed to secure the lives of dying common man, has provided fortress kind of security to his “Mannat” and money. And the so called netizens, who has not even raised a word against the soaring price index has rallied around creating blogs, clogging the discussion forums, and shouting at prime time… to create one of the biggest ever opening for a Bollywood movie. The “living room activists” who don’t even spare a dime for the hungry and needy, was shelling hundreds to get the movie ticket first day first show…. And the useless “news creators” ensured high decibel drama through out the week… If you see the sequence, the brave badshah has also issued a wielded apology (from which he conveniently backtracked soon after he realized the publicity power and weakness of the depleted opposition) the moment the first shows were cancelled in Mumbai. And we the so called educated, progressive, hypocrites, stupidly walked into the trap and helped him to amass wealth and fortify his imagery of “Bad - shah Khan”… Shame on us, to call this drama as the “expression of patriotism”…. It’s everything shamelessly commercial and nothing patriotic about it.


Tailpiece: Another title that he gained by supporting the “Pakistani” gamblers was the “messiah of minorities”.. Just look into the Times of India today and see the half page ad, where his pet knights and he himself adorning the logo of a brand promoted by someone who is associated with a heinous crime committed against minorities… picture perfect.

Racism – home and abroad

We have witnessed a spate of incidents classified as racial abuse against Indians, in Australia – which was amply exploited by media and Bollywood to boil the blood of urban Indian, whose only exposure of life is confined to the idiot box. The war cries from so called “elite socialites” and “political activists” to give a befitting reply to the “ugly Australian racial abuser” taken over the prime time news and banner headlines….. In this society of snobs – the issue will become an issue only if it happens to the “upper strata” of the society… No one really cares on the abuses that are happening in the lives of common Indian, day in and day out. No one bothers to worry about lacs and lacs of Indian citizens, in offices, homes, street, and every corner of life, subjected to every kind of torture (mental or physical)… be it your maid, your kid, your gardener, chauffer, sister, mother, or grand father…. If you belong to certain community – you won’t get a house in a locality, one will not consume even a droplet of water from a person belonging to other community, a dalit will get killed if he happen to fall in love with an upper class girl, your homes will get burnt and you get beaten up if you question the masters…. Can anybody imagine the amount of abuses one has to suffer, just because of being born as a girl…

If the sex is determined before birth – she may not see the world (which in one way is much better than living the whole life being a subject of torture).. after birth, right from being the bearer of blames for every misfortune that would have happened to the family, to being a daughter, sister, mother, widow, colleague…. Attacking poor taxi drivers or labourers, just because they come from some other state, speaking another language… Isn’t that an abuse? It’s quite ironic that same stalwarts who order these atrocities are making war cry against Australia… Let me sum up this way… All these happenings will never justify the racist attacks happen anywhere in the world.. The only thing is that we should also pay attention to set our house in order before crying wolf…

Lalgarh and beyond - playing with fire

Perhaps one of the most disturbing news originated in the recent times, post the Mumbai attack, is the story of Maoist violence in Lalgarh. It's a matter of great concern that in this civil society of the great democratic nation, we are allowing violent forces to take over and promote anarchy. As most of the so called "national media" is wasting the time and effort to discuss about "India's cricket debacle" and "Celebrity rapist", this most dangerous situation is not getting the deserving attention. It's extremely condemnable to watch the "national political parties" keeping away from responsibility and "enjoying" the situation (if not precipiatating it further) as the communists were getting the taste of their own medicine. Any responsible and sensitive citizen cannot keep his mouth shut watching such a dangerous crime taking place. I know it's hardly appealing to the elite's and socialites like the "racist attack" against students in Australlia (no common man has the resources to send his ward for overseas education, especially to Australia) or the Mafatlal arrest... Moreover it's difficult to connect a "hindu fascist" hand behind the carnage (to appeal the "activists")... But it's high time to realise that we are slowly letting loose a huge monster that is going to affirm it's scary grip on the entire nation in a much nearer future than one could imagine. All the national political parties have to act swiftly with responsibility to end the siege and not treat it as a golden opportunity to settle the score with communists.. If it's Lalgarh today.. it can be Lucknow tomorrow...Any delays the entire nation has to pay for it

Sainthood that aint

While media is busy praising the "selfless gestures" of mother and son who refused to budge to the "temptations" of accepting any constitutional positions, they are completely ignorant to the hard fact... It's such a position of advantage than any painful sacrifice.. When someone is giving you "cream". "Milk", "Curd", "butter", "yoghurt" ... and virtually everything in a platter, why do you need to buy milk. They are enjoying all the power and might of the supreme extra constitutional authority, sans any responsibility connected to one... So why do they need to take oath of secrecy... And the whole nation is busy to impose them the halo of sainthood for their "selfless sacrifice".. I love this "democrazy..."

More...

Thinking more on the points i have noted down analyzing the results, and processing some of the responses from like minded souls, i am feeling like adding a few lines to one point... Among the important aspects that infulenced the India verdict, i have given utmost importance to the support which Rahul Baba gained from Indian youth... But if you dwell deep, most of the support is manufactured from the so called "Jagore generation".. The generation conditioned by media to react to what they "see" in the TV channels, and not what they "understand".. They were completely influenced by the "pyjama charm" of the scion... It became cool and hep to support the "good looking gentleman" whose "rural escapades" were hailed by English Speaking Channels..The media also shooed them away from supporting any other ideology by imposing the image of being uncool and primitive (the monstersque imagery of hindutva brigade, or the anti-development imagery of communists.. ) A similar situation that was created by his dad's courtiers when he "reluctantly" jumped into the fray after his mother's demise... However it didn't take much time to get the spotless kurta smeared with allegations.. Let's hope this time the son is more smarter or better advised... to have a longer career...