This one’s for Jeanne: In praise of a thoroughbred mother
If Jeanne had been a racehorse she would have commanded a hefty breeding price. My mother was sired by an Australian cricket captain and she then produced two of that breed and a third son, Trevor, who also wore the baggy green cap.
Meat Loaf might have been happy with two out of three, but not Jeanne. All the same, she wouldn’t be impressed by me saying she was worthy of a high fee. She was happiest with family and friends around her, having a good time. You know your mother loves you when she admits: “If any of you three boys ever commit a murder I’ll still stick by you.”
Continue reading on Cricinfo…
No performance anxiety, Sachin?
TEST CRICKET AT THE SCG (Photo credit: RubyGoes)
Dear Sachin,
What the heck are you doing, man, playing in silly Tests against New Zealand when your skills are so badly needed in the Rajya Sabha? Who watches a Test match against New Zealand these days when far more interesting and exciting matches are being played every day in Parliament?
Did you see that fantastic bouncer Arun Jaitley sent down to Chidambaram the other day? The man has been bowling brilliantly, he’s even better than Ashwin. The crowd has been completely bowled over by his balls.
It was also a treat to watch Manmohan Singh play a captain’s knock. Singh’s only claim to fame has so far been to occupy the crease, so his shots took everybody by surprise. I guess he had no option as the Opposition was playing bodyline against him. The poor guy had ultimately to retire hurt to Iran. Singh’s forte actually lies in bowling, where his Invisible Hand can deliver a mean googly.
You must come and watch the ladies play, they’re a sight for sore eyes.
Continue reading on HindustanTimes.com…
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- If Sachin’s record is not broken, human race will fall behind: Kapil (thehindu.com)
A leader cannot be an armchair strategist
Leadership, someone said, is about sizing up the situation and constructing the appropriate response. In my view, this is an apt description and nowhere is it more relevant than in the field of sport. During my long and cherished career representing the state and the country at the highest level, I have been fortunate to be part of teams that have been led by some exceptional individuals; in the twilight of my career, I also had the opportunity to lead the team myself. There have been substantive lessons on leadership that I have absorbed along this journey and here are some of them.
Edited version of original image depicting popular Indian cricketer Anil Kumble. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
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Indian cricket: Bloody headlines, turnaround captains and a lesson
“A bad Board lets a good side down”
“RIP. World’s No.1 Test Team”
“India surrender No. 1 Test Spot”
“Humiliation is complete, No.1 crown lost”
The headlines in the DNA, Times Of India, Hindustan Times and Indian Express read as above on an Independence Sunday, for the Indian cricket fan to fully absorb a dismal, abrupt, abject end to the Indian team’s pretensions to greatness.
The knives are out, reams of analysis will be printed, experts will make a million suggestions and scapegoats will be discovered and punished over the coming weeks and months.
Should the surrender be total, and it is certainly more than a mere possibility despite MS Dhoni’s brave words at the post-match conference, the stewardship of the Indian cricket team would be on the line.
Ten reasons why IPL IV failed to capture hearts, minds and wallets
It was to be bigger,better, grander.
However, it has not worked out that way—for IPL 2011.
Television viewer’s interest plummeted, ticket sales tapered off and there was a jaded, sleazy feeling to the largest sporting extravaganza on the Indian sub-continent.
Players whine about BCCI power (Humour)
Who’s afraid of Barrack Obama?
Certainly not international cricketers.
Why should they care about the most powerful man in the world, when they have to deal with the BCCI? Proximity bites.
The Indian cricket board is not popular with current players cutting across national borders.
You would think otherwise. Without the IPL, foreign players are at the mercy of their respective cricketing boards.
The lousy ingrates.
Cricketers believe that the BCCI has an undue influence on the ICC’s decision-making.
Grow up, chaps. Money makes the world go round—clockwise and counter-clockwise.
They whinge yet 32% promise to retire prematurely from national commitments to take part in the IPL and sundry T20 tournaments.
Aren’t you chewing off the hand that feeds?
Red wine for the whiners, please!
Note: You didn’t get this from the grapevine.
Quote of the day:
You can’t build a reputation on what you are going to do. – Henry Ford
Sachin Tendulkar, the cricketer, versus Sachin Tendulkar, the ‘artiste’
Sachin Tendulkar is an “artiste”. Not a mere cricketer, not a mere entertainer but a performer who uses creativity, imagination and skill arranging elements in such a way to to affect the human senses and emotions and having a certain aesthetic value.
This definition of the batsman comes courtesy that Income Tax Appellate Tribunal which overruled an IT officer’s objections that Tendulkar’s income earned via commercials should not be granted tax-exemption.
The said officer contended that by appearing in commercials Tendulkar does not become an actor.
