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Cricket Bytes: UDRS, Hot Spot,‘To The Point’ and Chahar, the new kid on the block
The mystery behind the non-adoption of the Umpire Decision Review System (UDRS) by the BCCI has been resolved.
It is the skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni who is sceptical of the system’s merits. Dhoni believes that the system has had mixed results. Sehwag, in a recent interview, strongly supported adoption of UDRS. Rahul Dravid too has thrown his weight behind the review arrangement.
But the man whose word carries the most weight Sachin Tendulkar has not backed off from his opposition to the technology. Tendulkar prefers the competing technology —Hot Spot— that uses infra-red cameras to decide whether the ball has struck bat, pad or the batsman.
The basic UDRS system, currently in use, uses only the Hawk-Eye technology besides super slow-motion cameras and an audio feed from the stump microphone.
The Hawk-Eye is the same technology used in tennis to decide if the ball has struck the line.
Hot Spot is an improvement that is seldom used.
The ICC hope to make the UDRS mandatory for all Test series in the near future.
The Proteas wish to use the system during the upcoming tour by India but are being pressurised by the BCCI to stick to the tried-and-tested arbitration via manual umpiring.
When the top two cricketing heroes in the team put their foot down, the BCCI is bound to follow their lead.
Herschelle Gibbs has crawled out of the woodwork and into the limelight — albeit a controversial and notorious one with the release of his autobiography ‘To The Point’.
The opener has made some stunning revelations about his tenure with the South African team , rambled on about sex orgies, his relationship with his former captain Hansie Cronje, and threats from the Delhi police when cross-questioned by them about the match-fixing scandal. Though the sex-laced chapter has hit the headlines more often than not, Gibbs has been hugely critical of the cliquish South African team and current captain Graeme Smith in the remainder of the book.
Federer Versus Nadal: The War Of The Report Cards
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I have shied away from tackling the Greatest Of All Time (GOAT) debate for some time because:
1> I think it’s been done to death.
2> It’s gotten to be tiresome; there’s little new under the sun to be said about the great Federer – Nadal rivalry.
3> It’s the season end and just as the players will be taking a well-deserved break , so should B/R writers take a rest from this acrimonious topic.
4> I feel the other players deserve some space and time devoted to them.
But since there seems to be no abatement of interest in the subject , I will have another dekko at the risk of seeming repetitive.
IPL makes no news, can mum make a difference to CA fortunes?
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The news channels have been handed a respite by the 30 day extension (or notice) to the Kochi franchisee.
Kings XI Punjab will join the Rajasthan Royals by filing a petition against the BCCI for terminating their franchise.
Rajasthan Royals are embroiled in a court hearing that will happen after the Diwali vacation.
Gavaskar has slammed the press for subjecting him to a “trial by media” and said “In the eyes of the Indian media you are guilty till you are proved innocent”.
One man happy with the IPL —specifically Chennai Super Kings— is former New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming. The New Zealander has renewed his contract with the current IPL champions for another three years. Fleming guided CSK to the IPL trophy and the Champions League title.
Indian cricket: Of multi-crore deals, consistency and Ranji Kings Mumbai
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Dhoni may be the Indian cricketer with the most endorsements but Tendulkar makes more money per deal than the Indian captain. Dhoni boasts of a Rs. 180 crore deal and has over 20 brands in his portfolio.
Tendulkar has fourteen endorsements and charges around Rs. 6 – Rs. 7 crores per client. Tendulkar has always been selective about his clientele — the number of brands endorsed hovers around twelve to fifteen at a time.
Contrast this to Saina Nehwal’s recent hike in her price from Rs. 50 lakhs to a high of a crore and you can see the yawning difference in how other sports stars are treated in this country.
Keep in mind that cricket has just ten Test playing nations. It’s not quite cricket, is it?
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Tennis bids farewell to Elena Dementieva : Has the romance faded?
The retirement of Elena Dementieva comes as a bit of a shock and surprise to her many fans. She was one Russian player who always seemed on the cusp of usurping a Grand Slam but just could not pull it off. She came close twice—each time losing to her fellow Russian contemporaries, Svetlana Kuznetsova and Anastasia Myskina.
Elena does have the consolation of winning a Gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Elena, how could you disappoint us so?
Elena Dementieva spent fourteen long years on the tour. Can the younger lot match up? What if success does not come that easy? Are they willing to struggle the way Elena did and the way Sharapova is right now?
Indian cricket: Tendulkar seeks the next level, Gambhir bats for Kirsten
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It’s true that geniuses and champions are never satisfied with what they have achieved.
They are always thinking of the next level, the next summit, the next goal.
They dare not rest on their laurels.
There’s always the next mountain to climb, the next peak to scale.
And so it is with Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar.
14,000 Test runs in test cricket, over 30,000 international runs and 49 Test centuries to his credit.
Yet, the gentleman talks about yearning to reach the next level.
"I’m really focusing now on how I can get to the next level as a batsman. How can I get even more competitive? How can I get even more consistent? How can I get better?"
What else does Tendukar have to say in his interview to The Guardian?
On dreaming, Tendulkar has this to say:
"Life would be flat without dreams. I think it’s really important to dream — and then to chase those dreams.”
2010 has been Tendulkar’s best year in recent times, reminding us of the young Sachin, unburdened by the cares of the team and varied niggling injuries.
Tendulkar is also back at the top of the ICC rankings, the first time since 2002.
It is said that all’s well with the world when Tendulkar is in full flow and so it is for cricket fans.
The full interview will be published this Saturday.
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Tennis Bytes: Wozniacki stays No. 1
Caroline Wozniacki ensured that she retained her No. 1 ranking for the year by winning her first match at the WTA Doha championships.
She beat Francesca Schiavone 3-6, 6-1, 6-1 in three sets.
Vera Zvonareva stays No. 2 behind the sizzling Dane.
It would have been interesting if Zvonareva had come through to be ranked No.1.
I wonder how many instances are there of two different players ranked No. 1 in the same year without ever having won a Grand Slam?
Any bets as to which of these two will clinch a Slam first?
Samantha Stosur lost to Elena Dementieva 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (4) in her third round robin match.
But her earlier victories against Wozniacki and Schiavone have propelled her into the semi-finals.
Clijsters, too, has made her way to the semis triumphing over Victoria Azarenka 6-4, 5-7, 6-1.
All Time No. 1s in Women’s Tennis
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Minds are like parachutes. They only function when they are open. |
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Australian cricket: The Big Bash à la IPL raises more than a few questions
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The Big Bash League
If the BCCI is not quite open to having private equity from foreign investors in the IPL,that is not quite the case with the Australian version (The Big Bash League) of the IPL scheduled to begin in the 2011-12 Australian summer season.
New South Wales and Victoria have allegedly already sold shares in their state associations to two giant Indian corporations.
Brisbane-based Adani Group and Jay Mehta, co-owner of Kolkata Knight Riders, have been named as Indian corporates with possible interest in the Big Bash league.
Gautam Adani recently bid unsuccessfully for an IPL team.
In breaking news, Cricket Australia (CA) has approved minority private ownership paving the way for Indian investors.
The Australian Cricketer’s Association had backed the entry of private overseas investment saying that it will not only bring in much need investment into the sport but also raise the profile of the sport Down Under.
Each Big Bash franchise is valued initially at $20 million each which is expected to rise to $80 million over the next few seasons.
The Australian cricket calendar is being punctured to accommodate the new entity; tests will be foregone for the period of the tournament to ensure the availability of top Australian cricketers for the duration of the tournament.
Tennis Bytes: Stosur Musters Her A-Game For Doha, Mirza travels to Ranchi
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I love Thomas Muster!
The man has guts! Big time!
From coming back from injury and practising in a wheelchair to making a return to the ATP Tour at the ripe old age of 43, he’s shown that there’s still life in the old dog!
Sunil Gavaskar: A Contradiction In Terms, From Calypso King To IPL Flop
Gavaskar , The Original Little Master
I have always been a huge fan of Sunil “Sunny” Gavaskar, the cricketer — the original Little Master.
When the rest of the world cowered under the barrage of bouncers and intimidating pace bowling unleashed by the marauding, rampaging Windies side of the late 70’s , 80’s and early 90’s, one man stood firm amidst the ruins.
That man was Sunil Manohar Gavaskar; thirteen of his 34 hundreds were against the mighty West Indians.
Another eight were belted against the Australians.
Whenever India played a series against the West Indians, we knew that as long as Gavaskar occupied the crease we were safe.
When the ace batter succumbed, the Indian team surrendered weakly as well.
At a time when India were making the transition from being mostly a spin bowling side to a pace bowling attack (thanks to another all-time great, Kapil Dev), we depended on the batsmen to save Test matches.
Bowlers win matches, batsmen save them.
This was a time in Indian cricket when a draw was always a noteworthy achievement; Indian sides rarely had the bowling strength to bowl out a team twice.
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Make Time For Sports. 