Category Archives: Cricket

A match washed out, and so the hopes

Cricket, Cyclone Phyan, McDonalds, refund, washed out November 11, 2009 Leave a comment

I read in the paper sometime ago that Dr DY Patil stadium in Navi Mumbai is one of the best in the world. This wasn’t an excuse for me to go for the India Australia match on Nov 11 though.

Mumbai-November-absolutely no chance of rain-good stadium-charged up series-a perfect atmosphere for a high adrenaline Cricket match. I took an off from work and was all set for a blissful day of cricket under lights.

Could anyone tell me what this Phyan means? WHY, just WHY did this cyclone was to hit Mumbai on Nov 10-11? Money wasted, day wasted.

And you know what bad luck is? You do? I bet you don’t. Read this:

We reached the stadium at 3 and the covers were on, it was drizzling then. Umpires came out by 4, inspected the pitch, ground and a miracle happened. The groundsmen started to remove covers and rollers worked overtime to drain out the ground. Match was about to begin.

The rain had stopped although heavy clouds continued to cover the ground.

At 5, it started to drizzle again. But I guess this was it and the umpired decided that its time to call it off.

Since then it hasn’t rained a single drop. This is bad luck.

I seriously pity McDonald’s, who couldn’t cash on this opportunity to make some extra money. All their preparations too, were washed out.

And I request BCCI to please please please refund the money. Not a single ball was bowled and the players didn’t even come out of their hotels.

I spoke to RJ Neha of Radiomirchi. She did put me on air and I gave a live report of what was happening on the ground. I asked her to appeal to BCCI from all of us to refund the money. The last I heard was that BCCI was thinking about this. Fingers crossed.

The corelation between stock market and Cricket!

Cricket, recession, stock market, sub prime April 3, 2008 Comments: 2

Actually speaking, I did not want to write this particular blog but as you know that I have quit my job (if you don’t then read the earlier post!) and have no work whatsoever to do. Kids in their summer vacation are busier than me as they have some holiday homework to do, but me? Nope. Work was worship, now its just a burden and I am happy to off-load it for some time. I never in my wildest dreams imagined that the word ‘quit’ will be music to my ears!!

Anyways, my empty head hasn’t become the devil’s workshop as yet but if it goes with the current Mach 4 speed, you bet that my next post will be as wild as a wild bear and as off-track as Indian railways. And its coming soon.

Stocks and Cricket – any similarities? Well, I realised today, yes. Anyhow the similarities are too far fetched and useless but there are a few! To begin with, both in relation to India cannot be judged. Its like the weather bureau of India. “It ll be sunny outside with maximum humidity touching 78% and no sign of rain.” Actually? Its a hailstorm outside, 98% humid and Sun hides like an Indian old fashioned bride in front of her in-laws. All the assumptions and predictions about Indian stock market and Indian Cricket has to go wrong. Its like an unwritten rule. Section 78 (B) clause 58.4: No matter how positive the game and stocks look, must nosedive is predict to move up and vice-verse.

Its been four magnificent long years since the Indian bull run begun and after an year of me actually studying the market thought of starting with baby steps into investing the markets crashed and the US went into possible recession. Just a day into my investment beginning, dammit, what a strike. You bet if compared to Football, Ronaldo will shy away by the accuracy of the u-turn. Anyways, suddenly out of the blue everyone has started to talk about recession, sub prime crisis and Mr Bernanke is about to be hanged by the neck and Indian investors may follow suit and they blindly ape the west. I hope someone predicts that the markets will continue to crash and just to prove the man wrong they rebound miraculously and leave everyone puzzled like always! Amen.

Now, Cricket. Who could have possibly thought that after putting such a show at the fist test match, India will be bowled out for 76. I mean 76 in just 20 overs, 120 balls flat. A true lazy ass, I woke up at 10 and switched the TV at 12 to see India bat just to be told that we have been all-out for 76. Imagine a week prior, when Sehwag made a world record of maximum runs in a single day, 257, and the test match grossed over 1500 runs. 76. just 76. FCUK. Anymore predictions anyone? Come one take a wild guess as who knows India might just do the opposite? What? Of course they will. They are notorious for that. Cricket or no Cricket, they will prove us wrong every time. Be it winning a tournaments being underdogs of the highest order or losing a match against substituted 11 of Bangladesh.

May Gods grace be upon Stock market and Cricket. I don’t have any short positions in Cricket but stocks, yes. I guess, from now on one has to look at Cricket to predict the markets as the basic fundamental of functioning for both of them is merging at a rapid force!! Ponder.

HOLI DAY!!!!!

Cricket, GDP, Holi, holidays, India March 23, 2008 1 Comment

We Indians have an amazing knack of turning deaf to issues suddenly. It is like turning on the lights or turning off, in a snap, just like that, click, kaboom, puff and gone! And we may be scaling new heights everyday in people might say and defend the fact that we are a hardworking lot and intelligent then rest of the world but whenever the talk of productivity comes, we all turn deaf ears, in a flash. “huh, product what?” this is the most common response to the topic of maximizing work.

Being one of the fastest growing economies in the world, I wonder how do we actually manage that given the magnum options of holidays we have at our hands ever month! I purposely did not mention ‘year’ as I am sure that half of the world might faint looking at the numbers! The entire bunch of holidays they get in their lifetime, we get per year.

Its Holi time and Gawd arent we happy? More than the festival, we, Indians are happy for the fact that three holidays have come together and we can enjoy an over extended weekend. From Thursday to Sunday, its like Christmas for the western world! Holidays holidays and more holidays! What is more amusing that after such a long hiatus we still will say on Monday morning, “God, I dont like to work on Mondays… these Monday morning blues.”

Gosh, do we ever like to work? Ever? I think a bigger mystery than solving the complexities of the details of 123 nuclear deal or the Ram Setu row is how we Indians manage to grow our GDP by around 9 percent year after year when we have a millions distractions to our work. 370 days in a year our team alone is playing International Cricket and boy, its ok if we lose our job but missing a Cricket match is surely a strict taboo! No matter what,we cant do that.

I am sure in the coming times, some uselessly employed Indian will definitely file a PIL in the Supreme Court saying to put a ban on all the work happening in India as it distracts us from taking the holidays we are entitled to and hinders us from watching the Cricket! Loss of productivity will be due to working at office and the productivity is the ability to take offs and watching Cricket.

PS: I love Holi, have nothing against it and even used to celebrate till two years back. So, please dont plot to kill me that i wrote against the concept of so many holidays!!

I dont C L

Cricket, ICLm IPL, Kapil Dev, Subhash Chandra, Zee group March 16, 2008 Leave a comment

has anyone noticed the ICL? The rebel league begun with much fanfare, garnered noted sponsors but heading nowhere. In Indian Cricket, I have highest regards for Kapil Dev but I think he has got himself in a wrong position here. Born with the intention to give more opportunities to budding cricketers (read: making money through Cricket!), ICL has actually ruined the careers of many young players as the BCCI has distanced itself from the league and ICL players will not make it to the national side, ever. Moreover, the ICL has actually become the earning opportunity for a lot of retired or thrown out players in the world arena. Inzamam, Lara, Cairns, Mcmillan to name a few.

So what exactly is the ICL achieving in the process? Playing o just three substandard grounds and ‘nurturing’ cricketers… I beg to differ. Time and again we have accused the BCCI for not doing welfare for the players and then we see corporate India in the likes of Zee jump in the game for support. The end result: BCCI launches IPL, a much bigger, grander and magnanimous event sweeping away literally all the money corporate India could ever throw at Cricket in India. Zee, actually speaking has come out as a big loser in the game. Ruined lives of young cricketers and making the game a visual blunder as no one wants to see the retired brigade to run like pregnant ladies and bat like walking with a stick in hand…

On the other hand, I genuinely thank Subhash Chandra for giving us the ICl, otherwise, there wouldnt have been any IPL! The names are confusing and similar to the extent that CEE and PEE sounds similar and rhyme too… (I CEE U PEE or I PEE u CEE) Dont even bother to think what i meant by that! honestly, dont.

Thanking ICL, and eagerly waiting for the IPL to start, this cricket fan is hapy o be born in this era when Cricket is at its peak and many more peaks are left to be conquered but in sight of victory. Everyday is a bliss anc everyday with Cricket is pure heaven. Long live the sport.

WHY AM I NOT A CRICKETER?

analysis, Australia, BCCI, Brett Lee, Cricket, India, Indian cricket, IPL, Irfan Pathan, Mahendre Singh Dhoni, Money, Mumbai, Shane Warne, Shubhashish February 21, 2008 Leave a comment

To read this story I would seriously recommend you to first understand the money cricketers and people associated with the game are making. I know everyone of us want to be cricketers especially after the IPL fiasco! Alas, we are not the lucky ones. Read on as a consolation…

Ever since the commercialisation of the game, I feel, why I am not a cricketer? I mean, WHY? WHY GOD WHY? Oops… I forgot, I am an athiest!
You know this is what India can do to you. Everyone around you in so engrossed in prayers and the love-for-God that even the non-believers are tend to think their way. As we all know that “Hey Bhagwan” is the most loved words of Indians. People who dont believe in the supernatural power are looked down as monkeys [no offence to my fellow Australian dude who managed the second highest bid :)].
Getting back to the main issue – Cricket. The main question which my otherwise non-functional mind is throwing up – How are the bidders going to recover the money? Dont they think that they money spent is just too much to be recovered or even converted into profits in such a short duration?
I guess all these questions are dancing in my mind due to the fact that I, the average Indian Cricket fan, an ex-aspiring cricketer wont benefit in any way possible. We are only left to cry because as such the cricket calendar is packed for the entire lifetime, where is the time to track every match? And now we have the IPL.
I seriously feel that the Indian Eye Doctor Association should file a PIL against the BCCI taking in consideration the long term affects of watching TV non-stop.
Also, the Indian Workers Productivity Association should work a bit and file a PIL too for the loss of productivity that will in the long run and also, according to my erroneous calculations, in the short term too, will affect the productivity.
I see only one positivity in this entire concept! India which is getting divided on the politics of regionalism will get some relief. Imagine a Gujarati playing for Mohali team and a Chattisgarhi playing for Chennai! We have to wait and watch who the people will support and the pattern of the supporters. Will they still stick to regionalism or will they cheer for their favourite star?

Time will tell, and until that, I ll try to find answers to the question that why I am not a cricketer?

SHUBHASHISH

India does it again!

analysis, Anil Kumble, Australia, birds, Brett Lee, Cricket, Down Under, flaw, flock, Harbhajan Singh, India, Indian cricket, Match, overrated December 29, 2007 Leave a comment

Well, what reaches the apex, comes down too! The Indian cricket team’s moment to create history in Down Under has been damaged without batting an eyelid. They lost and how! The match is still on but we are nine down for a paltry 159 and the question arises is whether we ll be able to reach our previous inning’s score of 196 or no? Oh Gosh! they are all out for 161!!

We have done it again!

One of the biggest flaws in this Indian team is the pace attack. I mean, you cannot afford to go to Australia with pacers who can’t bowl a tad more than 135 km/hr. I think this is the slowest bowled by Brett Lee. Anil Kumble can bowl faster than that I bet. So what is the problem with this team? After two stupendous series it is back to square one. Null, zero, blob, full-moon and million more adjectives to their names.

Harbhajan Singh, in an interview in yesterdays paper said that this target is gettable and we ll do it! Well, not impressive with the bowl and lets just forget how he gave away his wicket to the Aussies on the Indian Kebab platter.

The game is over and the post match analysis is underway. But for what? Analysis of what? Its out of my comprehension.

We are a bunch of guys who amidst themselves are the strongest team and individuals and stats to beat the world, but, in reality, we are just overrated flock of birds who fly at the slightest hint of fight.

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