Not so long ago, you would be justified in surfing right past a Bangladesh cricket game, without giving it a second thought. Now, however, it makes good cricketing sense to keep that sports channel on, (by the way, this is not an ESPN Star Sports funded article) at least while the new kid on the block, Mohammed Ashraful’s at the crease.
For a while now, Ashraful has had top billing as a batsman (comparison’s to Sachin were common in Dacca circles, and went beyond their similar stature). But over the last year, this boy had done little to vindicate his teammates’ faith in him.
Then, along came a spider (read Australia), all set to gobble the Bangladeshis. But the ants, turned out to be tiger ants, if any such species exists. And Ashraful, almost single handedly won the game, with a magical hundred. As I’m not a diehard Bangladeshi fan, I gave it a miss, and only read the mind-altering result in the papers, the following day. I suppose, very few cricket fanatics watched the game in India. And if there were any that wanted to, the Confederation Cup telecast from Germany, took care of them. Ever wonder, why your favourite sports’ network has two TV channels, but still fails to finish games they start?
Back to the field, and the Bangladesh game versus England. Luckily this time, there were no disturbances. England made an obscene 391, and Bangladesh were at a familiar 30 for 2 by the 10th over. However, by the 26th over, Bangladesh had crossed 150. Ashraful though, had just been dismissed – but not before he had belted Harmisson for 19 in his first over, including 2 6s (before this game, Harmisson had taken 5 wickets against the Aussies, in arguably his best ODI performance). Ashraful smashed just about every other English bowler that followed – Flintoff, Giles, the entire balmy army’s pride. This little guy, played every shot in the book, and quite a few out of it – sweeps, cuts, late cuts, drives, heaves, pulls, and freakishly innovative gulli-danda like shots over fine leg.
But when Ashraful was bowled on 94 (much faster than run a ball), playing yet another gulli danda shot, I had to put the TV off. With a wry smile, I might add. That it was well past 1 am (IST) is another thing. My mind wandered back to a young Tendu going out blazing, and the others after him, going out lazing (excuse the rhyme, but it did seem apt). That Bangladesh might be on the verge of creating its first world-class player, one whom people would pay good money to watch, appeared a distinct possibility. More importantly, the marketing of this player was already underway (do we see the Cola companies queuing up?). After beating Australia, Ashraful, not only won Bangladesh their very first game against that team, but a great, big headline for himself, across the cricketing world. One that could even read – The “A” player in a “B” team. Got it? Well, A’s for Asharful (and his caliber), and B’s for Bangladesh (and their…no need to overemphasise though).
Now, one player does not a team make. And unless Bangladesh can nurture their youngsters (those that haven’t already been scarred by countless humiliating defeats), the frustrations of so near, yet so far will continue. The fact, that their famous win against Australia was to a great extent, a one-man show is obvious.
Interestingly however, the genesis of Bangladesh into a team capable of beating far better sides has been underway, albeit too slowly. For starters, their coach, Dave Whatmore has a proven track record (what, he’s even got a world cup win) and they’ve stuck it out with him, rather than chop away like Indian hockey. In its short international stint, Bangladesh has already beaten both Pakistan and India in ODIs, in addition to other non-test playing nations. In fact, Bangladesh were poised to even beat Pakistan in a test match–only the wily Inzi denied them with a miraculous last wicket partnership.
The defeats and frustrations aside, any true cricket lover would want to see Bangladesh improve as a team – compete with better sides, and cause the odd upset. You can be sure, two older cousins (read India and Pakistan) will definitely oblige. Possibly yet another way to spread this new found feeling of bonhomie in the sub subcontinent.
Wednesday, June 22, 2005
Tuesday, June 14, 2005
Comeback kids of Oz
What do Damien Martyn, Justin Langer, Michael Kasprowich, Adam Gilchrist and Mathew Hayden have in common, apart from playing for Australia? Answer: Not playing for Australia.
In 1994, after playing South Africa, Martyn was dropped after an Aussie debacle. He did plenty of time playing the domestic scene before his comeback in 2000. The last we saw of Kasprowich, for a long while, was in Sharjah, when Sachin decimated him, two games running. Last year, Kasprowich edged Brett Lee out of the test side on the basis of his performance in state cricket. Since then, he’s more than held his own among stalwarts like McGrath, Gillespie and Warne. Adam Gilchrist had to wait years for Ian Healey to retire before he could smash bowlers across the world. Both Hayden and Langer were dropped from the team before they made their magical comebacks. And to think, that each one of these players is now an integral part of the winning Aussie combo. In the last few years, each player has single handedly held an entire series together for Australia. Remember Damien Martyn in the 2004 India series and Hayden in the 2001-02 India series scoring big hundreds.
Now, making a comeback, or being awarded a contract doesn’t guarantee both a test and ODI berth down under. Katich has played some vital test innings in his short career, quite a few against India alone, but he’s still not a regular. Andrew Symonds has won ODIs alone (remember v/s Pak in the World Cup) but he’s not a part of the test team. Where as Justin Langer, the regular test opener, has been outscoring Hayden lately, but still can’t make the ODI side. Brett Lee, possibly the most flamboyant Aussie cricketer, might be a brand ambassador in India, but he can’t make the Test side.
Off late though, thanks to the Aussie rotation policy, Lee got back into the ODI team. And how! Lee is now faster, fiercer and a sure shot in the ODI team. Going by past experience, the Aussie team management and selection may only unleash Brett Lee in tests when they’re convinced he’s ready, and not vice versa. And when that happens, which might be sooner rather than later, he could possibly be Australia’s next great comeback kid.
Now, you can’t manufacture a player’s comeback. But you can deny easy comebacks. By raising the bar, you can actually assist a player’s transformation from an able player into a run making or wicket-taking machine. Look at McGrath the marvellous. Look at Hayden the horrible. Look at Martyn the merciless. Look at Ponting the prolific. These guys just don’t stop till you drop.
Team India however, has a strange policy with comebacks. Zaheer Khan has broken down series after series, yet he’s somehow always back for the next one. Be it versus Australia, Pakistan or Pakistan again, he has not played an entire series off late. Over the last year and a half, India’s ODI performance has been abysmal. Yet, the axe fell only on Laxman, the player who scored the most ODI hundreds in India’s lean ODI phase.
Comebacks don’t figure in the Indian scene, because in spite of not playing an innings of substance, players’ stay put in the team. It can be debated that Hemant Badani, Dinesh Mongia, Rohan Gavaskar, Sriram, Bangar etc were given ample chances to prove their mettle. But compare that with the opportunities that the cola buddies in the Indian team get, and there’s little fizz in the argument.
The Aussie cap is almost like the Holy Grail - if you don’t have the mercenary like hunger to grab it, it will continue to prove illusive. Where as the Indian cap appears to fall right into your lap, and stays there like a stubborn child refusing to let go.
In 1994, after playing South Africa, Martyn was dropped after an Aussie debacle. He did plenty of time playing the domestic scene before his comeback in 2000. The last we saw of Kasprowich, for a long while, was in Sharjah, when Sachin decimated him, two games running. Last year, Kasprowich edged Brett Lee out of the test side on the basis of his performance in state cricket. Since then, he’s more than held his own among stalwarts like McGrath, Gillespie and Warne. Adam Gilchrist had to wait years for Ian Healey to retire before he could smash bowlers across the world. Both Hayden and Langer were dropped from the team before they made their magical comebacks. And to think, that each one of these players is now an integral part of the winning Aussie combo. In the last few years, each player has single handedly held an entire series together for Australia. Remember Damien Martyn in the 2004 India series and Hayden in the 2001-02 India series scoring big hundreds.
Now, making a comeback, or being awarded a contract doesn’t guarantee both a test and ODI berth down under. Katich has played some vital test innings in his short career, quite a few against India alone, but he’s still not a regular. Andrew Symonds has won ODIs alone (remember v/s Pak in the World Cup) but he’s not a part of the test team. Where as Justin Langer, the regular test opener, has been outscoring Hayden lately, but still can’t make the ODI side. Brett Lee, possibly the most flamboyant Aussie cricketer, might be a brand ambassador in India, but he can’t make the Test side.
Off late though, thanks to the Aussie rotation policy, Lee got back into the ODI team. And how! Lee is now faster, fiercer and a sure shot in the ODI team. Going by past experience, the Aussie team management and selection may only unleash Brett Lee in tests when they’re convinced he’s ready, and not vice versa. And when that happens, which might be sooner rather than later, he could possibly be Australia’s next great comeback kid.
Now, you can’t manufacture a player’s comeback. But you can deny easy comebacks. By raising the bar, you can actually assist a player’s transformation from an able player into a run making or wicket-taking machine. Look at McGrath the marvellous. Look at Hayden the horrible. Look at Martyn the merciless. Look at Ponting the prolific. These guys just don’t stop till you drop.
Team India however, has a strange policy with comebacks. Zaheer Khan has broken down series after series, yet he’s somehow always back for the next one. Be it versus Australia, Pakistan or Pakistan again, he has not played an entire series off late. Over the last year and a half, India’s ODI performance has been abysmal. Yet, the axe fell only on Laxman, the player who scored the most ODI hundreds in India’s lean ODI phase.
Comebacks don’t figure in the Indian scene, because in spite of not playing an innings of substance, players’ stay put in the team. It can be debated that Hemant Badani, Dinesh Mongia, Rohan Gavaskar, Sriram, Bangar etc were given ample chances to prove their mettle. But compare that with the opportunities that the cola buddies in the Indian team get, and there’s little fizz in the argument.
The Aussie cap is almost like the Holy Grail - if you don’t have the mercenary like hunger to grab it, it will continue to prove illusive. Where as the Indian cap appears to fall right into your lap, and stays there like a stubborn child refusing to let go.
Wednesday, June 01, 2005
Why did Greg Chappell refuse the West Indies?
Nowadays, it doesn’t take a bookie to predict the result of an ODI, especially one that involves the West Indies. But then, they’ve lost 9 on the trot, and a Bangladesh series isn’t in the offing for a while.
Beyond the outcome, some cricket fanatics are taking a shot at the leading wicket taker. During the second ODI v/s Pak, when the West Indies were blazing away, 60 for 1, an sms was doing the rounds: “WI will lose, Afridi 5 wickets”. At this point, Afridi had still not come on to bowl. He later went on to take four wickets in the game.
Of course, there are loads of crazy cricket sms-es floating around. This however, underlined a simple truth –the West Indians are hopeless against leg break bowlers. Not surprising then, Anil Kumble too, has had significant success against the Windies. After all, he and Afridi share the uncanny ability to skid a straight one at 70 mph plus, in addition to drastic variations in pace.
Now, this leg spin virus is no new affliction for the Windies. Flash back to Anil Kumble’s heroics in the Hero Cup (6 for 12 was it?), and the test series when Hirwani had them like halwa. These games were played more than ten years’ back, but the islanders are still all at sea against leg spin.
A few years back, the Aussies did the unthinkable by including two leg spinners, Shane Warne and Stewart McGill in the playing XI against the Windies. It’s another story, that the West Indies found the apprentice more a hand full that the master.
Greg Chappell has gone on record saying that he refused to coach the West Indies because they had short-term objectives with the 2007 World Cup in mind. However, it cannot be ruled out, that one such objective might have been working out how to play leg spinners better.
Thankfully, the East Indians (the men we boo) have handled leggies rather well.
Sidhu, hurtling down, ferociously, led the attack on Shane Warne. That was in another century, but the dividends were accruing till only recently. After Sidhu’s masterstroke, what followed was an individual strategy, wherein Tendulkar targeted Warne. Remember that new stance, those manic cross-batted heaves over midwicket. That was Sachin in another era, before the back backed out. The last to tame Warne was VVS Laxman, strolling down to play the most glorious on-drives ever. That was before the knee operation. In the last series, VVS was stuck to the crease against Warne. Sadly, almost like a West Indian.
It’s quite simple really. If you don’t attack the leg spinner, he will attack you. Remember Kumble, head all bandaged up, bowling like a man possessed. However, you might argue, that was against the West Indies, and a leg spinner will bowl to those guys even if he’s flat-out on a stretcher.
Beyond the outcome, some cricket fanatics are taking a shot at the leading wicket taker. During the second ODI v/s Pak, when the West Indies were blazing away, 60 for 1, an sms was doing the rounds: “WI will lose, Afridi 5 wickets”. At this point, Afridi had still not come on to bowl. He later went on to take four wickets in the game.
Of course, there are loads of crazy cricket sms-es floating around. This however, underlined a simple truth –the West Indians are hopeless against leg break bowlers. Not surprising then, Anil Kumble too, has had significant success against the Windies. After all, he and Afridi share the uncanny ability to skid a straight one at 70 mph plus, in addition to drastic variations in pace.
Now, this leg spin virus is no new affliction for the Windies. Flash back to Anil Kumble’s heroics in the Hero Cup (6 for 12 was it?), and the test series when Hirwani had them like halwa. These games were played more than ten years’ back, but the islanders are still all at sea against leg spin.
A few years back, the Aussies did the unthinkable by including two leg spinners, Shane Warne and Stewart McGill in the playing XI against the Windies. It’s another story, that the West Indies found the apprentice more a hand full that the master.
Greg Chappell has gone on record saying that he refused to coach the West Indies because they had short-term objectives with the 2007 World Cup in mind. However, it cannot be ruled out, that one such objective might have been working out how to play leg spinners better.
Thankfully, the East Indians (the men we boo) have handled leggies rather well.
Sidhu, hurtling down, ferociously, led the attack on Shane Warne. That was in another century, but the dividends were accruing till only recently. After Sidhu’s masterstroke, what followed was an individual strategy, wherein Tendulkar targeted Warne. Remember that new stance, those manic cross-batted heaves over midwicket. That was Sachin in another era, before the back backed out. The last to tame Warne was VVS Laxman, strolling down to play the most glorious on-drives ever. That was before the knee operation. In the last series, VVS was stuck to the crease against Warne. Sadly, almost like a West Indian.
It’s quite simple really. If you don’t attack the leg spinner, he will attack you. Remember Kumble, head all bandaged up, bowling like a man possessed. However, you might argue, that was against the West Indies, and a leg spinner will bowl to those guys even if he’s flat-out on a stretcher.
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