Once again, we see BCCI venturing into territories where it doesn’t belong. Mr Shah, catching up fast on the traditions of BCCI secretaries (think Lele, need I say more?!!), has a recent pronouncement

BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah said the Board has the “full power” to call back any player if he isn’t performing.

“Selection committee can always call anybody back and replace him with a new player. Board and selection committee have the full power in this regard. But first we would be watching the performance in the first Test,” he told CNN-IBN.

But, not having read the actual question to which he responded, I must say that this looks like a case of media provocation (CNN/IBN, in this case…and I can almost imagine the anchor going “..So Mr Shah, are you saying the board has got the right to call back players??…”) Looks like another case of a media-cooked story. And why not…after all, we’ve had quite a few days of break from real cricket…the sports editors would be demanding something beyond ‘net practise’ reports, afterall!

And rightly so, Vengsarkar has played down the issue, reminding the disappointed journo that its the selection committee’s decision to select (or recall players), and that happens only in case of injuries, not bad performances. Why the heck do they even try to creat a story out of such issues, I fail to understand. After all, have we EVER heard of any board recalling any player, ever, due to underperformance? They must really have an extremely dim view of the Indian audience…hoping for them to consume anything in the name of cricket.

And Mr Shah (and BCCI) can do well to realise the ‘game’..and play it by the rules. Better still…just shut the heck up, please? And btw..where’s that media manager we’ve been hearing of in folklores?

By now we all would have read (and re-read) the important soundbyte from Vengsarkar…that ‘Opener’s would not be tampered with’…which, I’m guessing, means Jaffer and Sehwag are sure to play (what else can ‘tempering’ mean

Which essentially means either one of the two approaches - (a) choose any one between Ganguly and Pathan, and play him as the fifth bowler (more of a batting allrounder) or (b) Play both, with Pathan being the fourth bowler. This is dangerous, but perhaps more likely to happen, given Vengsarkar’s assertion about regular openers, and also given the important runs that Pathan is likely to contribute with the bat. Maybe Pathan’s ongoing remedial stint with Wasim Akram is a desperate attempt to get this combination working - and last few sessions, post remedial work, in the nets would decide the fate of Pathan.

Whatever the miracle that Akram is supposed to conjure, I still feel underwhelmed to read our bowling attack as Pathan, Zaheer, Sreesanth and Kumble - too few fallback options here. Too few persistent attackers…too few potent second and third spell options.

Ah well….this is as far as we can get with conjecture….now Friday is what we’ve to look forward to.

Meanwhile in other news Boje has followed Martyn in announcing his retirement - he too realising, like Martyn, that perhaps he’s lost his usefulness to the national squad.

In other news Kaif goes back and (once again) makes crucial runs for UP against Karnataka. Ishant Sharma bags a five-for (his first?). Balaji is still missing from another TN ranji match. Nehra did not do much noteworthy this time around. And Mayank Tehlan made his first double ton - first of a few more to come, going by his growing reputation.

So now that the tour game’s ended happily (relatively), lets come to the most important team selection bit. And undoubtedly, the big question is Irfan Pathan. Consider the fact that he made 150+ runs in the game, without getting out. He made more runs in this game than ANY of our top order batsmen have made ON THE ENTIRE TOUR.

After that, I don’t care what his primary role is, and I hope Laxman’s words - that Pathan would still be considered first on his bowling performance - are just for media consumption (after all, we dont expect our team to announce their strategies in public, right before a crucial game). After all, he would not be the first bowler in world cricket to have become a batsman first. And if we can try a keeper as a specialist batsman, what stops us from doing the same for a bowler?

As for ‘what position to get him in’…well, the only likely place is to sit out Jaffer, and ask Rahul to open. It looks harsh on both, but this is the lineup most likely to get us a fighting total, going on CURRENT FORM.

Also, I noticed that we didn’t bowl Saurav…which means he would be considered (and most likely picked) as a batsman, not an allrounder (something which Rahul cleared up even in Pak series, despite our selectors messing it up). That means if we want extra bowling power, especially when the relative experience of Munaf is also missing (as reported recently, he’s unlikely to recover, although I’ve seen such reports turning out wrong on match day), then Pathan is the only way to go.

Laxman also said, speaking on lack of runs from openers, that they havent yet considered tweaking the batting order (read ‘dropping Jaffer’) - but once again, I’m sure there’s more than a thought behind such a move, whether it results in an action or not.

As for bowling, as reported, Munaf is likely to miss out. And VRV was reportedly impressive, not just in numbers but also on show as commented by the players watching him up close (e.g. Sachin from slips). He also looked (from live scorecard) to be bowling good lines to contain an end, esp when there was less assistance. And this is surely positive signs. Therefore, the bowling lineup should be the same for first test, except Kumble getting in Bhajji’s place.

All in all, there are mixed signs going into the first game, and indeed the series. All we can hope for is our batting lineup to ’somehow’ get us a decent total, first up, in atleast ONE game of the series, and the bowling to continue its good work of the tour. Its not a pretty picture, I do understand, but its certainly not any worse than our last trip to SA (only the reversal of ‘hope’ - from batting to bowling )

What else…Ofcourse its about Saurav Ganguly scoring good runs (70 notout at tea) in the warm-up game against RSA (Rest of SA). And that too when he arrived with 3 quick wkts down at 30 something, to face the hostile bowling of Morkel (4 wkts - Sehwag, Sachin, VVS and Dhoni!) first up.

Laxman got off to a good start, playing at number 3, but perished, just like Sachin, fishing outside off (the Pollock treatment). Ironically, the remaining runs came from Pathan (54 notout at tea) with whom Ganguly was directly competing for that extra batsman/allrounder slot. Ofcourse, the matter of Ganguly is now settled, for the first test atleast. The problem, though, is that Pathan perhaps deserves a look-in as well, since the Indian batting performance throughout the tour does not really afford us the luxury of ignoring run-makers, no-matter who they are and what their primary duties are.

That would mean sitting out Jaffer (although its a bit harsh, but he’s looked the least likely to get runs in this tour). But whom to open with, then…what say??

Anyway, as of now, lets hope that these two continue the good work and make even bigger runs to gain more confidence.


There’s some other cricket news as well…some teams are playing an ODI somewhere in Asia…there are few others playing test cricket down under…some coaches and captains getting mauled for poor show etc etc….but lets not get distracted from our main story, shall we

Chat on !!

Shoaib and Asif go scot free in their doping case. A PCB tribunal overturned the earlier punishment based on following factors

Ashraf said the crux of the decision to overturn the ban was based on this technicality. “Shahid Hamid (chairman of the original committee) accepted the fact the PCB rules should have applied to the matter and that it was an internal matter. But the judgments his tribunal gave were according to WADA and ICC rules. It was this technicality that formed the crux of the new decision.”

But the report also points out that while under ICC regulations it is the players’ responsibility for what substances are taken, irrespective of intent, fault or negligence, the PCB’s anti-doping regulations impose no such “onerous burdens on the players,” instead placing responsibility on the PCB to ensure its players are educated. This responsibility, says the report, has not been fulfilled comprehensively.

Also, in light of the lawyers for Shoaib Akhtar arguing that providing players booklets and lists were not enough, Ashraf acknowledged that the PCB would have to become more strenuous in the future.

The simple question that comes to my mind is that, in the end, someone should take up the responsibility of the illegal act these two committed, right? So who is the person/body? PCB? The trainer/physio? Coach? Mom (ala Mrs Warney)?

But an even important issue is that these two were found guilty just before CT, and pulled out by PCB. And as it so happens now, they are finally not punished for it. Had the PCB not pulled them out of CT, there were chances (atleast some chances) of they being caught in the ICC anti-doping net. The ICC had specifically announced anit-doping tests for CT. Which essentially means the PCB saved the two by pulling them out!!!!

And mind you, I’m not even going into the actual decision of this tribunal - that the two players were naive enough to not know the illegality of their situation (somehow, its hard to believe that of Shoaib - who’s not only been around for so long, but also played in counties)

I’m sure we haven’t heard the last of this matter. As the ICC commented

The ICC did not have any immediate reaction. “Malcolm Speed is currently in Uganda and we can’t comment on the issue unless we have all the details,” said Brian Murgatroyd, the ICC spokesman. “We need to go through the judgement and also get the PCB’s version before making any comment.”

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), in charge of monitoring drugs in sport, said they needed to discuss the matter with the ICC. Frederic Donze, their media relations officer, told Cricinfo: “We will now review the reasons for the decision, liaise with the ICC and consider whether to exercise its right of appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.”

“It’s not the ankle that’s hurting at the moment.” - Andrew Flintoff.

Not much I can add, there are enough post-mortem reports out there to spell out the painful details.

Bob Simpson, in his regular Sportstar column, takes a look at what is going wrong with the Indian approach. A pertinent snippet

Everybody now wants to jump the Australian bandwagon. This is quite natural, for the Australian team is the best now. What shouldn’t be forgotten about the Australians is that they have been around a long, long time, and learnt and shaped their skills under a different regime. Australia are the best because they have learnt the basic skills well and stick within their natural talents. India, on the other hand, seem to want to change every thing.

It is ideal if the players are so malleable that coaches can immediately say, `this is the way I want you to play’ and the player can immediately change. India seem to be going through this process right now with too frequent changes in the team and styles of the players.

Perhaps he does have a valid point. Besides the obvious example of the batting order (while that was created more out of a necessity, yet alternatives should have been explored than Rahul’s promotion) the whole thing may be much bigger. And much more intangible to clearly point out. For example, this whole issue of having a particular approach to ODI innings (or, for quite a few batsmen, having ‘an approach’ itself is a tricky part, perhaps destroying part of their natural talent?) may work to detriment, especially if the system where the players have been brought up hasn’t inculcated the culture of planning in their minds. Cricket, as he points out, is afterall a simple game.

Perhaps one thing that he doesn’t factor in is the impatience that we, as a cricket nation, show with a long term approach (something which he, as part of Aussie selectors, undertook to build the foundation of the great Aussie teams of today)

And so there was another hopeless Sunday loss for the Indians. This time they did get to bat first, and decided that batting out full 50 overs was the way to go (that should have been only half the strategy, someone forgot to tell them). And so they played the game exactly like a test match. Which is a scary thought, considering they still managed only 200 /9 in 50 overs (admittedly, last few wkts fell in acceleration).

Laxman was not the saviour we were hoping for, but then he’s just landed, and was sent out to play out a lethal Pollock spell. From here onwards, he can only improve on his performance (although establishment of the ODI claims of the new Indian vice-captain would need another series, if he indeed gets one!..)

Sachin scratched around initially, but his was perhaps the strongest resolve to play out the duration. And he did survive some torrid spells from Ntini and Pollack…which bode well for his chances in tests (just don’t expect pretty play from him…take that as a bonus if it comes). He got out to a poor delivery from Kemp, which is a bit freakish..although perhaps that shut the slight chances of our victory.

Dhoni once again hit out well…and he would cause some stir in test matches…hopefully he would get the luxury of some runs from the top order, so as to allow him his natural game.

The bowling was bad, after 4 games of excellent starts. Zaheer, though, wasn’t all that bad..and more importantly, Smith did not face him till his 5th over. I would think he still has the upper hand in that battle, going into first test. Sreesanth was erratic, which means he can only be used in short bursts in the test. Munaf’s recovery is perhaps all the more crucial, because he, along with Kumble, would provided the basis for sustained and patient attack. Pathan was poor in the single over he got, but he should still fit in as the fifth bowler (ahead of a batting-heavy allrounder in Ganguly), especially if Rahul is fit. If not, then perhaps Ganguly and another middle order batsman would be the way to go.

But staying with Munaf….a latest report suggested that he had been carrying the niggle since the CT…and atleast I had noticed this, I would say. Yes he did bowl well even after that (as in first game against SA) but probably he should have been rested right away. Now, it seems that the injury is still persisting despite rest, and all we can hope for is that he recovers in next 10 days. Or else, our chances would look even bleaker.

Meanwhile, in the domestic circuit, Akash Chopra continues his excellent run with another unbeaten 50 against UP. Earlier Nehra got a 5-for, to announce his first step towards claiming a national berth.

And the Aussies batted well, or lets say England still could not locate Harmison, in the Adelaid test. But the series has very much come alive, especially with the English batsmen proving the vulnerability of Aussie attack (surely they cannot go in again with 4 bowlers in next game?). It looks like even Strauss is coming back to form in the second innings. The only piece they need to solve, now is the Harmison mystery…and esp so for a helpful WACA track.

Rahul Bhatia, writing on his blog Green Channel, touches upon one of my favorite topics of late - deciphering the Indian cricket fan. Here’s a well targeted snip…but do go read the whole piece.

The tendency to depict fans as an oppressed bunch of cricket tragics who descend into violence as a result of daily suffering is a tired and lazy generalization.

Interesting battles happening on the cricket field, despite desperate attempts of Indian cricket to hog the limelight through off-field drama.

First Ashes…and right as some predicted, one good session for English batsmen, and suddenly the Aussie attack is not looking all that great. McGrath, as I wrote earlier, has the tendency to be off-and-on of late, Warne can do only as much in first innings, and Lee is not a great test bowler, despite all those pronouncements. Would be interesting to see at what point the Aussies blink…perhaps at 400/4 at lunch time tomorrow??…Hold on to you seats folks…as we are perhaps witnessing the revival of the great Ashes battle as we’ve come to expect since last year.

And btw…who would’ve thought that Bell and Collingwood would be the top run-getters for Eng against a mighty Aussie attack! I still can’t forget Boycs getting stuck into Collingwood throughout last winter…even when he was getting runs in Pakistan and India. And Bell is a real enigma. Obviously not as talented as some top names, he’s worked hard for every single run since the wretched start to his career against Aussies (after a Bangladesh treat at home). And today, he should be the first name to be jotted down by English selectors. Even in ODIs…where Eng has struggled for more than a year now, he’s been the backbone of whatever little fight they’ve shown (check out his average in last 20 or so games!). He may never top the ratings (or maybe he would…after what we’ve witnessed in past week but he’s a big asset.

And there’s perhaps a lesson to all of us Indian fans, selectors or anyone related to (or interested in) Indian cricket. That talent is, afterall, not the only criteria to look for. Look no further than Bell and Collingwood.

In the other highlight of the day, Brian Lara did not bat for the full day, as he had declared yesterday. But he did get another half-century (almost) to finish off his tour in style. WI are still in with a chance to save the game, at 155/4 with CPaul and Bravo at the crease (and a possibility for Sarwan to return after retiring hurt earlier?). If they do, it would be a huge lift for WI cricket to come away losing just one test in Pak..and this after the huge efforts by Yusuf and Gul (who’s grown into another excellent pace bowling spearhead in pak…in the absence of bigger stars. They really seem to produce the pacers in bulk, the Pakistanis!)

And India…well…what about them? On cricketing front…VVS comes in today (as Sehwag said the other day)…perhaps play the twenty20 (where India has as much chance of doing well…as they do of winning the test series!)…with Veeru as captain. Same for the ODI on Sunday…then they switch places for the tests. There are reports indicating not everything well with the camp (that was expected…as earlier reports indicated issues with Sehwag…perhaps the team management was invovled in the decision of taking away his vice-captaincy). We, as fans, can only hope that all this doesnt affect the on-field performance. thankfully the first test is still some time away..maybe things would settle down a bit by then. Atleast those that intend to settle, anyway.