Pakistan Stun the World

22/6/09

By Gulu Ezekiel

Several myths have been demolished and at least one theory set in stone now that Pakistan have stunned the cricket world by lifting the World T-20 trophy at Lord’s on Sunday.
What has been confirmed is that this is the most unpredictable format of the game and there is no such thing as a pre-tournament or even pre-match favourite.
If India were the shock winners of the inaugural tournament two years back, few before the second edition would have backed Pakistan to win.
In the IPL too, Rajasthan Royals were the dark horses in 2008 and went on to become champions while in 2009 last year’s bottom placed team, Deccan Chargers finished on top.
The biggest myth that has been torn to pieces is that playing in the IPL helps to prepare for international matches.
Coach Gary Kirsten has just been given a gag order by the BCCI not to speak out on the IPL. But he certainly let the cat out of the bag when he stated that the standard in the IPL--after all a domestic tournament--is way below international standard.
The proof of the pudding as the saying goes is in the eating. How else can one account for India with all its players coming straight out of the IPL failing to reach the semifinals, while Pakistan who did not have a single representative emerging as champions?
The terrorist attacks on Pakistan soil meant no one was willing to visit that nation for a sporting event.
Shunned by the sporting world and having their hosts rights stripped for the 2011 World Cup, Pakistan’s players have given a stinging rejoinder and silenced their critics with a stunning display.
The mood in Pakistan is understandably buoyant and Sunday’s victory will perhaps act a morale booster for a nation under siege.

Lanka are Favourites

20/6/09
By Gulu Ezekiel

Barring a major surprise, there seems little doubt that Sri Lanka will emerge champions after Sunday’s final of the World Cup T-20 championship.
Pakistan’s road to the final has seen its ups and downs. But the Lankans are the only team to remain unbeaten till now.
They were placed with Australia and the West Indies in Group C, the so-called ‘group of death’ in the first stage and came through on top.
In the Super 8 stage they comfortably beat New Zealand, Ireland and Pakistan. And their victory over the West Indies at the Oval in Friday’s semifinal was a stroll in the park. That makes it six wins on the trot, a tough feat in 20/20 cricket.
The win over Pakistan by 19 runs at Lord’s last week in the second stage will give them tremendous confidence going into Sunday’s final.
In Tillakaratne Dilshan they have the highest run scorer in the tournament by far and a batman capable of the most eye-popping shots. His dazzling innings 96 not out saw him fall just four runs short of becoming only the second batsman to reach a century in T-20 Internationals.
Till now their bowling attack was the most feared in the tournament due to the ‘Three M’s’—Malinga, Murali and Mendis.
Add to that a fourth, Angelo Mathews who sealed the match on Friday with three wickets in the opening over.
Pakistan’s unpredictability is what makes them so daunting and Lanka know they have a fight on their hands on Sunday.
Shahif Afridi is a one-man demolition job, much like Sanath Jayasuriya. What in the world went wrong with the left-hander on Friday though will remain one of cricket’s big mysteries.
Finally, the all-Asia final will resolve once and for all whether the IPL helped or hindered preparations.
Pakistan, remember had no representation at all in South Africa while there were a whole bunch of Lankans taking part.

Kirsten Bells the Cat

16/6/09

By Gulu Ezekiel

The BCCI is acting true to form in attacking coach Gary Kirsten for his frank and unbiased comments on the IPL affecting the Indian team at the T-20 World Cup.
Kirsten is in the best position to know the mental and physical condition of his players and is neither on the payrolls of the IPL nor does he have an axe to grind. His salary after all comes from the BCCI.
If is pretty courageous, some would say foolhardy, of Kirsten therefore to come out with this statement which has blown the lid off the BCCI’s money obsession.
The way the IPL mouthpieces have reacted is predictable as their bread and better depends on the successful running of this domestic corporate-based cricket circus.
The IPL has thus become both a cash cow and a sacred cow as well and any hint of criticism by unbiased observes is immediately pounced upon by officials, ex-players and sadly, many in the media too who are covertly or overtly involved with this money-minting machine.
Hopefully there will be some internal soul searching among the more level-headed officials who would have the common sense to understand that the schedule of the IPL is far too long and taxing for the players.
For some unknown reason, the ICC has scheduled the next World Cup just nine months from now and a similar situation is bound to crop up again.
Kirsten though must be pretty naïve if he thinks that any Indian cricketer will actually ponder the idea of missing the IPL in order to be fit for national duty. Besides, the corporate honchos who pull the strings for their franchises will not tolerate this notion. For them, their company’s image is more important than the nation’s and so after over 130 years of country v. country cricket, we have finally seen a tectonic shift in the loyalties of our players.
It is a sad day but with the BCCI’s priority being simply to line their already stuffed pockets, this scenario was just waiting to happen.

IPL Mouthpieces Cornered

By Gulu Ezekiel

All those paid IPL mouthpieces, both overt and covert, will have a lot to answer for now that defending champions India have been knocked out of the World T-20.
Having been bombarded with propaganda for the last few weeks that India is the best placed team in the tournament as all its players took part in the IPL, one wonders what that bunch will come up with now.
It should be pretty obvious to any impartial observer that the Indian players are carrying and covering injuries as they are playing far too much cricket.
The players had been complaining of burnout pre-IPL as well. But since the first season last year and last month’s edition, the load has increased enormously.
You will never hear a professional cricketer to voice his opinion of overload during the IPL as they are paid well to not only pay but also to keep their mouths shut.
Hardly had the tour of New Zealand finished, when it was time for the IPL this year. And right after that came the World championships.
The sordid saga of Virender Sehwag has already been discussed ad nauseum and Zaheer Khan also said he was lucky to escape with a minor injury after injuring his shoulder in the IPL.
MS Dhoni has been nursing bruised hands for some time now and this showed in England where both his keeping and batting were sub-par.
Since the priority has now switched from international cricket to corporate cricket, we can expect more such injuries and further debacles from the national side.
After all, all the money in the world cannot buy you a successful team as the BCCI has finally discovered.
Coming back to the World Cup, South Africa now appear to be the favourites. If they do lift the cup at Lord’s next week it will be their first major title at the world level since the Wills International Cup tournament at Dhaka in 1998.

Captain Cool Feels the Heat

By Gulu Ezekiel

Two years in the job and the pressures appear to have got to captain MS Dhoni.
It was Sunil Gavaskar who thought up the nickname of ‘Captain Cool’ for Dhoni after watching him guide India to victory in his maiden assignment in the inaugural World Cup 20/20 in South Africa in 2007. And I chose that title for my biography of Dhoni that was released late last year.
But being captain of the Indian cricket team has brought even more stress on the incumbent than ever before with three formats of the game to contend with at the international level.
Added to that are the unique stress levels associated with the IPL where Dhoni captains Chennai Super Kings and one can well understand the burdens he has to carry. Being the wicket-keeper and a leading batsman to boot only makes the task more difficult.
From the time he took charge of the team, Dhoni has always endeared himself to the media with his insouciant airs and tongue in cheek answers.
All that has changed this time around and the way he batted in India’s opening Super 8 match against the West Indies at Lord’s on Friday, it looked like he had taken the cares of the world upon his sturdy shoulders.
Dhoni tried to patch things up with the press and admitted he had changed over the last two years. But the BCCI left the captain holding the baby in the mess over Virender Sehwag’s fitness and it will take a mighty effort now to get his relationship with the media back on an even keel.
This is where the media manager must step in and take some off the heat off the captain. But the Board appears to think that a professional to handle such matters is quite unnecessary. And so it bungles on.
If the defending champions fail to progress from here, Dhoni will cop the blame. That would be a crying shame.

India in Tough Group

By Gulu Ezekiel

Having been placed in the weakest team by rights as defending champions, India now find themselves in the tougher of the two Super 8 groups with their first match against the West Indies on Friday.
The Indians have been clinical without being spectacular in easing past Bangladesh and Ireland in the prelims. But they will face a stern test in taking on the Caribbeans, hosts England and formidable South Africa.
West Indies dealt one of the biggest blow of the tournament when they crushed Australia in their opening match thanks to a spectacular innings by captain Chris Gayle.
Gayle was missing with a leg injury in Wednesday’s lacklustre display against Sri Lanka. But he appears to have recovered and should be fit for Friday’s clash. As one of the most destructive 20/20 batsmen in the world, his side can take on the best if he fires in his opener’s role.
England bounced back in style after their shock defeat at the hands of the Netherlands in the tournament’s opening game. They were in top form while outclassing Pakistan at the Oval and look to be warming up to the challenge in front of their home supporters.
South Africa appeared to be India’s toughest challenge going into the tournament and recorded the biggest win of the tournament in crushing Scotland. It was much closer against New Zealand and the match against India next week could well be the highlight of the tournament.
Both sides had plenty of players in the IPL and going by the form book, could well be facing each other in the final at Lord’s.
Rohit Sharma’s sparkling form as opener means Virender Sehwag’s absence is hardly being felt. Understandably low key in their opening two games, the Indians will now have to step up a gear to make it to the semifinals. On present form that appears to be a given.

Concentrate on Cricket

By Gulu Ezekiel

One hopes Dhoni and his merry men can put the Sehwag brouhaha behind them and concentrate on the battles ahead in the World Cup Super 8 stage which begins on Friday.
Having brushed aside the feeble challenge of both Bangladesh and Ireland in the group stage, the defending champions will certainly have much sterner tests ahead of them. They are grouped with West Indies, England and South Africa all three of whom have looked to be peaking at the right time.
The IPL and its backers have being working overtime to cover up the origins of Sehwag’s injury suffered in the course of the semifinals for Delhi Daredevils against Deccan Chargers.
While Delhi manager TA Sekhar claimed it did not occur during the IPL, Sehwag himself went and spilled the beans when he admitted he had injured his shoulder while fielding in that match.
This was backed up by team coach Gary Kirsten and now that it has come out of the horse’s mouth, any further cover up attempt will be futile.
The captain has been put in the invidious position of trying to justify Sehwag’s inclusion while at the same time fighting off rumours of a rift with his vice-captain.
It is astonishing that a billion dollar outfit like the BCCI is incapable of carrying out routine medical tests on the team before their departure. Surely an MRI would have revealed the tear in Sehwag’s shoulder and all this unnecessary mud-slinging between the players and the media could have been avoided. In the end the captain has been left carrying the can for the Board’s blundering ways.
But then when it comes to Indian cricket it has long been known that loads of money does not translate into professionalism and good sense or for that matter, good taste either.
Just take a look at the vulgarity of the IPL trophy and you will know what I mean!

BCCI Bungles Again

By Gulu Ezekiel

The BCCI needs to get its priorities right. Is it planning to start a second IPL season (along with the Champions League) or is it in the business of nurturing and building up the national squad for international cricket?
It is currently caught between two stools and the fall-out is the messy Virender Sehwag affair.
It is a pity that captain MS Dhoni has been left holding the baby while the BCCI had no business allowing a half-fit player to travel with the team, leading to all sorts of rumours.
But it should be pretty obvious by now that players are picking up injuries during the IPL or playing in the league while half-fit in order to fulfill contractual obligations to their employees—which in the case of the IPL is not the BCCI but corporate houses.
This has been the case both with Sehwag and also Zaheer Khan who played in India’s opening match against Bangladesh despite not being fully fit.
Things are even direr for England with Kevin Pietersen carrying on till the Ashes with pain killing injections while there is a cloud over Andrew Flintoff’s condition.
Last year Sachin Tendulkar came into the IPL only after the first half was over while nursing a groin strain. This forced him to pull out of two ODI tournaments right after the IPL had ended as he obviously aggravated the injury while on the payroll of his corporate franchise side, the Mumbai Indians.
Since the IPL is apparently a force of nature, the only way out would be to shorten the format into a two-group league-cum-knockout, reducing the schedule from the currently ridiculous six weeks to three or four.
That of course is unlikely to happen. After all, the longer the tournament, the more the viewers and that is where the real money lies.
International cricket, RIP!

Australia Lose the Plot

By Gulu Ezekiel

Australians just do not seem to grasp the idea of 20/20 cricket—at least when they are representing their country at the international level.
In the 2007 they somehow limped to the World Cup semifinals where they were trounced by India. This despite losing two of their earlier games, including to Zimbabwe.
This time they have failed to progress to the second stage from admittedly the ‘group of death’, losing both to the West Indies and Sri Lanka.
Ironically it has been the Australians who dominated both season I and II of the IPL.
In 2008 it was Shane Warne who led unfancied Rajasthan Royals to victory while Adam Gilchrist followed up with the equally unfancied Deccan Chargers this year.
In 2008 it was all-rounder Shane Watson who emerged as the Most Valuable Player while Gilchrist picked up the award last month. And while Shaun Marsh was the highest run scorer in 2008, Matthew Hayden finished on top in 2009.
Australia must surely have missed the dynamic skills of Andrew Symonds who was sent packing for hitting the bottle once too often. Also, it could well be that captain Ricky Ponting was too focused on the more prestigious Ashes series ahead.
In fact it is this habit of not quite taking the newest format of the game too seriously that appears to hamper the Aussies.
This is certainly not the case with the IPL where the huge monetary rewards on offer apparently bring out the best in many players.
Australia are unique in that they were one of the two nations in the very first Test match (against England at Melbourne in 1877), the first ODI (also against England at Melbourne in 1971) and the first T-20 International, against New Zealand at Auckland in 2005.
That first match was treated as a bit of joke by both sides. But with 20/20 now overtaking 50-overs ODIs in terms of popularity, it is time perhaps for the ODI and Test world champions to give it a fresh look.

Minnows Make their Mark

By Gulu Ezekiel

The term ‘minnows’ (dictionary meaning, a small fish) is commonly used to describe the teams in the 20/20 World Cup that do not enjoy full international status and had to qualify for the tournament.
This time around they consist of Scotland, Ireland and the Netherlands. Bangladesh too often get clubbed into this group since they have been under performing since being granted full Test match status back in 2000. Zimbabwe also fall into Bangladesh’s category but are missing in England due to political reasons.
Well, the Netherlands shock defeat of England on the opening day on Friday was certainly one of the biggest achievements of the small fish over the bigger variety—kind of like a gold fish crushing a piranha!
But it was not the first and certainly not the last and it is this shortest variety of cricket that leads to the biggest upsets.
In the inaugural 2007 World Cup it was Zimbabwe that put it past Australia and Bangladesh that stunned the West Indies.
The first big upset on the world stage was when Sri Lanka upset India in the second World Cup in England in 1979 when ODIs were played over 60 overs.
That fast tracked the Lankans to full Test status which they gained two years later and just four editions of the World Cup later, they were crowned world champions, a remarkable success story.
Kenya’s defeat of twice world champions West Indies in Pune in 1996 is still remembered as the biggest shock of them all while Zimbabwe claimed the prized scalps of Australia in 1983 and England in 1992. Bangladesh had a dream tournament in 2007 when they first shocked India and then South Africa. And Ireland eliminated Pakistan.
There may not be many more shocks in the tournament, but the Dutch have certainly created headlines around the world by beating the inventors of cricket at the (former) home of cricket.

Fielding Flops

By Gulu Ezekiel

The biggest impact One-day cricket had on traditional cricket was to raise the all round standard of fielding.
Surprisingly though that raising of the bar does not appear to have crossed over to 20/20 cricket judging by recent evidence.
The second season of the IPL in South Africa saw the worst catching performance in an international tournament in years.
Many theories were put forward for the spate of dropped sitters, ranging from the intensely cold weather to the unusual natural lighting conditions prevalent in South Africa at the time.
It all culminated in the world record holder for most catches in Test cricket, Rahul Dravid flubbing a catch in the final that he would have taken with ease nine times out of ten.
The ongoing T-20 World Cup is only two days old at the time of writing. But the four matches so far have shown us some of the worst ground fielding in living memory.

The abysmal display by hosts England in their opener against the Netherlands was summed up by that horror of a final over by Stuart Broad.
The spearhead of the English bowling attack messed up three run out chances, including from the final ball of the match and also dropped an easy catch off his own bowling. It would have been hilarious if it had not been so pathetic.
Though the West Indies did well to beat Australia in their opening match, their fielding left much to be desired. Expert commentator Ian Chappell, not one to mince his words and one of the world’s greatest slip fielders in his day, could barely conceal his contempt as the Windies made a complete hash of things in the field.
It was no better when Bangladesh took on India. The Bangla fielders time and again missed the stumps and the wicket keeping was a disaster too. And who could believe Yuvraj Singh would floor the simplest of catches? That too just minutes after taking a blinder.

It's deja vu all over again

By Gulu Ezekiel

A wretched opening ceremony, plenty of rain and a possible early exit for the hosts.
The World T-20 is beginning to give déjà vu to cricket fans around the world.
Exactly 10 years back when England last hosted a World Cup (50 overs that time), it was precisely this scenario that unfolded.
The Netherlands defeating the inventors of cricket at (the former) home of cricket though really takes the cake!
Another familiar World Cup scenario is a little masala thrown into the mix in relation to the Indian squad.
Back in 1999 there were calls for captain Mohammad Azharuddin’s head midway through the tournament when it looked like India would fail to make the second stage. They finally did but it all fizzled out after that.
Then four years later in South Africa, a poor performance against the Dutch and defeat at the hands of Australia in the group matches and once again the Indian public were baying for blood.
In 2003 the fans were encouraged by some loudmouthed former cricketers now masquerading as expert commentators who really should have known better than to whip up passions.
Eventually the public backlash worked wonders. The Indians made it all the way to final for the first time since 1983, before being routed by Australia.
This time around it was one mischievous report in a newspaper that is known to float rumours that stirred things up within the team.
I always shudder when I see a question mark against a headline that too on the front page and this time was no different.
Captain MS Dhoni has done well to tell it like it is and give a piece of his mind to the media. Hopefully, this too will motivate his boys to show what they are worth.
On the other hand, India’s opening match on Saturday night is against Bangladesh.
Remember the 2007 World Cup. Let’s hope it’s not déjà vu for Indian fans this time!

20/20 Is a Lottery

By Gulu Ezekiel

The very nature of 20/20 cricket means it is always a challenge to pick a pre-tournament favourite.
The IPL proved that if proof at all were needed when the bottom two teams of 2008 competed in the final and last year’s basement team Deccan Chargers clinched the title.
However international 20/20 cricket is somewhat more predictable as national teams have players with well-known track records unlike franchise-based club sides who have so many unknown faces.
The 2007inaugural World Cup tournament in South Africa certainly saw a shock winner as India had played just one season of domestic 20/20 and a single T-20 International by that stage.
How times have changed. Now India must start as the favourites considering the entire team is fresh from the second IPL season. And the thrashing of Pakistan at the Oval on Wednesday must have done their morale no end of good.
Pakistan lost in that dramatic final two years ago in Johannesburg. But with all their players excluded this team from the IPL, they have a raw and untested look about them.
Australia also made it to the semifinals in 2007 despite their shock defeat at the hands of Zimbabwe who will be missing from this year’s edition.
However, the sending home of Andrew Symonds for yet another disciplinary infringement will see them without their star all-rounder who had a brilliant IPL season. And it must surely hit the morale of their camp hard to lose such a vital player on the eve of the tournament.
England too have plenty of 20/20 experience and they must fancy their chances this time around as the hosts.
For those who prefer their cricket—whatever the format—played by national sides rather than the corporate variety, the World Cup promises plenty of action over the next two weeks.

How 20/20 Grew

3/6/09
By Gulu Ezekiel

A remarkable fact of recent cricket history is the part India has played in the growth of first ODIs and then the 20/20 version of the game.
Back in 1983 no one gave India a ghost of a chance in the third edition of the Prudential World Cup in England. The players had precious little experience of limited overs cricket having played just a handful for their country. And in the previous two cups they had just one win to their credit—against East Africa.
Test cricket was pretty robust in India despite the dire home series against England in 1981-82 which the hosts won 1-0 with four drawn. The first ODI series on Indian soil was staged during that same tour.
How Kapil Dev’s side turned the cricket world upside down by beating twice-champions West Indies in the final at Lord’s has been recounted countless times.
It led to a cricket revolution with the BCCI snatching hosting rights for the 1987 cup out of the grasping hands of the English authorities.
The explosion in 50-overs cricket was powered by India and Pakistan with Sharjah leading the way. It looked like ODIs would swamp Test cricket, but the traditional form of the game held its own.
Then two years ago the Indian board was dragged kicking and screaming to the inaugural World Cup 20/20 in South Africa. The BCCI opposed the format as it felt it would take the sheen away from ODIs.
This time it was the turn of MS Dhoni and his boys to stun one and all by beating Pakistan in the final at Johannesburg.
Out of that triumph came first the ‘rebel’ ICL and then the Indian Premier League which threatens to change the face of world cricket forever after just two seasons.
And all because of two massive upsets. Who would have guessed, India dubbed the ‘dull dogs’ of cricket till the 70s would usher in instant cricket’s revolution?