Not Cricket

Chappelli's World XI

Ian Chappell has come up with his World XI Test team from the current top 3 Test playing nations.

While Australia and South Africa do battle for the No 1 computer ranking India is being short-changed; they're good enough to rate a mention in such an argument.

Australia is rebuilding after the retirements of star players and the joust for top spot should include India. In choosing a very good team from those three sides, India's merits become even more obvious.

Strong attack

The first ingredient in putting together a good team is a strong attack, as winning is only regularly achieved by taking 20 wickets. The two important aspects in selecting a good attack are penetrative new ball bowlers and variety.

Dale Steyn has evolved into the ideal opening bowler; he operates at a lively pace and swings the ball out to right-handers. Steyn always appears to be bowling within himself and can change pace up, something former star West Indies fast bowler Andy Roberts advocated. If Steyn improves the accuracy of his bouncer he'll be even more of a handful.

Ishant Sharma is only just behind Steyn as the most promising young quickie in world cricket and he would share the new ball with the South African. Sharma is accurate and penetrative and since he has developed a delivery that shapes away from the right-handers he's become even more dangerous.

At first change the tireless and strong Mitchell Johnson gets the nod. He provides variety with genuine left-arm pace and he's also productive with the bat and a good athlete in the field. If he ever learns to swing the ball in to right-handers he'll be a complete bowler.

Frankly there can't be too many dissenting voices over the XI but the only surprising ommission is Zaheer Khan. The fact that he is not even mentioned as a probable makes it even more surprising. With all due respect to Mitchell Johnson, one would think Zak has done enough over the last 18 months to merit the left arm seamer slot. If it was because of the 6 Indians already in the team, maybe a VVS could be sacrificed for Michael Clarke. In the current list Kallis at No 6 maybe a waste and maybe moved at No 5. VVS has been playing at the No 6 slot and with the tail being not complete bunnies can run a single off the first ball, which he so often seems to do.

 The other interesting choice is MSD as the Captain of the team.

 It's just a list and his own personal choice so no real problems with the selections frankly. 

He has forgotten (more overlooked as his opinion is pretty well known) to name a coach. Maybe his brother :)

Neither buck nor death stops here

JAMAICA: Steve Bucknor has announced that he will retire from umpiring at international level in March.

The third Test between South Africa and Australia in Cape Town from March 19 to 23 will be his last Test while the two upcoming ODIs between West Indies and England in Barbados on March 27 and 29 will be his last one-day international assignments.

"I have notified the ICC that the South Africa versus Australia series will be my last Test series," Bucknor, 62, told the local daily.

"The body is feeling quite good and I know I could go on for another two or three years.
However, something inside me is telling me that it is time to go."

Bucknor, who began his international umpiring career in 1989, has officiated in a record 126 Tests. He has also stood in 179 ODIs, including five consecutive World Cup finals since 1992 - the most by any umpire. Bucknor has been on the ICC's elite panel since 2002.

 Steve Bucknor seems to be following the glorious Australian tradition of announcing a farewell series for a legend. And surprisingly he has taken a good decision. Australia (the team closest to his heart)will be a part of his 'final hurrah' series.

If Bucknor seriously thinks that his body could go on for another 2-3 years, one shudders at the grand delusion he has been living his life in. A decision that should have been taken 2-3 years back is being portrayed as a brave one, by the man who always took his own sweet time to decide.

At least he has raised his finger before the 3rd Umpire was referred to.

The Jazz blues

I fully empathise with the haters of the colour of the new Indian uniform.. It is ugly.. it is repugnant.. But is it really relevant? I don't think so.. Till the time MSD keeps winning matches for India for another 5 years, I don't care if we wear chaddi and zabbas. Powder blue or Clerk blue, my only opinion on the dress is that the fit matters.. the ozs or the kiwis are looking smart because of the tight fitting dresses (I guess because I am an ignoramus at fashion)..Maybe Yuvi's or Rohit Sharma or Raina's figures are not exactly flattering in them.

 And then we keep on cribbing about Indian cricketers spending too much time on photo shoots etc!!

Mission Impossible V

KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) — In his first race this year, Olympic star Usain Bolt won the 400 meters in 46.35 seconds Saturday at the Jamaica Camperdown Classic.

He slowed in the last 50 meters, smiling while looking right and left in winning this event for the second straight year. Bolt refrained from his famed celebratory dance at the finish. Instead, he was greeted by his masseuse for a rubdown.

"The first 300 meters of the race was good, but the last 100 meters need some work," Bolt said. "I am not really in the best of shape, but I'm happy I got through it."

Bolt led a Jamaican sweep, with Yohan Blake second in 46.88 and Ricardo Chambers third in 46.98. The meet at Stadium East drew more than 2,000 international athletes.

Bolt won the 400 in 45.92 and set a personal best of 45.35 in 2003. Michael Johnson holds the world record of 43.18, set in 1999.

Usain broke two world records at the Beijing Games in winning the 100 meters in 9.69 seconds and the 200 in 19.30. He also helped Jamaica win the gold in the 400 relay.

Bolt won Sportsman of the Year 2008 for Jamaica on Friday. He also took the IAAF Male Athlete of the Year award and Jamaica's Track and Field Male Athlete of the Year.

This man is gunning for Michael Johnson's record and after decimating Powell and Gay at the Beijing Olympics, he is actually aiming  for the 100, 200 and 400 along with the relays at London 2012 which makes it 5. Carl Lewis got 4. And given his propensity to defy conventional wisdom, one can't argue against the possibility. This win is a step in the right direction for the champion.

As you sow so shall you reap

Brad Haddin may have never heard of this phrase but he was the lucky recipient of the reaping part today morning, when he was named the captain of the Australian T20team by the Oz selectors. It was the same guy who's 'integrity' was questioned by Dan Vettori and more or less the entire world excepting some die hard Oz fanatic. After escaping the Match Ref's disciplinary action and darkly hinting that Vettori had indeed 'apologised' to him, the Oz selectors had had enough.

Andrew Hilditch said to his fellow selectors - "Guys take a look at this. Haddin reminds me of Ricky at his worst. He should be passed the baton of unsporting, dubious and arrogant position that goes by the name of the captain of the Australian cricket team." The others nodded vigorously and voila! Brad Haddin was captaining Australia on 15th Feb 2009.

 Poor Shane Warne must be kicking himself. Only if he had sent the SMSs from the playground. The selectors, it seems, can't tolerate off field indiscretions only. On field antics are well appreciated and rewarded. Michael Clarke and Brad Haddin being the torch bearers of the proud Ponting tradition, are obviously being given their just dues.

One is waiting for Bajji to captain India some day :)

Kriss na Dhawal or Kriss is not so white?

In a cricketcrazy nation lived a superhero called Kriss

selecting players from his Chennai mansion's bliss

Ajinkya and Cheteshwar would raise his heckles

Wasim and Sreesanth, they stung like nettles

Though Vijay and Balaji, he would never miss

With sincere apologies to the inventor of the Limerick :-)

To be read with a pinch  fist of salt

The King of Bad Times

A self proclaimed high brow news channel's top presenter was interviewing Mr. Dr. Vijay Mallya on his bid for Kevin Pietersen at the 2nd edition of the IPL auction. The first statement which was made was something to the tune of 'Everyone always knew you would get KP into your side Dr. Mallya' with unmasked admiration in the presenters tone. Dr. Mallya smilled laconically (as laconic as on can get under that beard) at the statement, his ego suitably massaged and I switched the channel.

It was the same Dr. Mallya who has been in news over pledging of a decent chunk of his shares in the UB group. The Kingfisher Airline is on the verge of being grounded as the state run oil marketing companies are threatening to pull the plug on their ATF supplies. One may still argue that the KP buy need not be looked at in tandem with his other business ventures. That it is in the Royal Challengers' interest. With the captain (?) Rahul Dravid already under pressure for a place in the team and Mallya hinting at KP being considered for captaincy (a man who lost 5-0 in India and was fired by his selectors), there is going to be tremendous turmoil in the team in the near future.

 One suspects though, that it was 'brand KP' that attracted Mallya with his super sized playboy image. He found his own mirror image in KP and he knew that he had to buy KP, come what may. He had already got the flambouyant Uthappa transferred from Mumbai in exchange for Zaheer Khan. KP would make the change from a supposedly dour, boring team (RD, Kallis, Chanderpaul, Jaffer) into an exciting one, complete.

If one looks back at the auction, this open desire of Dr. Mallya to have KP in his team cost him USD 200K more. Dr. Mallya started off the bid at 1.35MM.. one could clearly see that no other team had any real interest in KP, especially as Freddie had gone for USD 1.55MM earlier. Then Rajasthan Royals put in a bid at USD 1.45MM. Now it was an open secret in the auction room that the RR bid was just to make Dr. Mallya pay higher. And as a smart businessman all one had to do was not to hike the RR bid. The RR bid was a bluff which cried out to be called. Imagine what problems the RRs would face if KP went to their team. Warne has already talked about getting an increment on the paltry sum that he was bought for last year. KP getting 4-5 times his fees would have been interesting. Add to this volatile mixture, Graeme Smith and you have a potential money spinning reality show on your hands.

Lalit Modi has famously announced that IPL is free from the dreaded 'R' word. The IPL II results haven't been convincing enough. The same day that KP was bought at the astronomical sum, Kingfisher Airlines announced a cut in its pilots salary by Rs. 80k per month. Welcome to the bad times!!!

Fed down of Nadal

Roger Federer was left wondering where will the No 14 come from as he was beaten yet again by his nemesis Rafael Nadal at the Australian Open in 5 thrilling sets. The quality of tennis was outstanding but the result crushingly familiar for Federer. Nadal may actually claim to be a better all court player than Federer, having won 3 slams on different surfaces. Even Federer hasn't managed that and barring injuries to Nadal, the French Open trophy looks like a distant dream.

Andy Roddick had famously commented ' I need to win once in a while to call it a rivalry', when questioned about his tennis rivalry with Federer. Federer may not say it but coming out second best to Rafa 5 times in a row gives the same deja vu feeling. The last time Federer won against Nadal was in November 2007. And Nadal is improving consistently where Federer seems to be caught in a rut. The vintage Federer has gone missing some where and though we see some glimpses of his mojo, it doesn't seem like the same anymore.

Maybe it's all in the mind for Federer when playing against Nadal is concerned. The only way to equal and then surpass Sampras's record is hope. The hope that Nadal is beaten by some one else. The hope that Nadal gets injured. Or maybe to get back that mojo, the motivation to improve. Nadal's irresistible march to Tennis greatness continues. Time will tell if Federer managed to slow the march down.