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India Cricket: Rajeev Shukla Promotes English Cricket

What he said:

"England have been losing for the last 10 years, most of their teams, and at football also. So therefore we’re absolutely happy because we want cricket to grow in England."

New IPL Chairman, Rajeev Shukla, is a jolly good fellow.

Shukla’s horizons have broadened since ascending the BCCI ladder. The IPL chief believes that the recent victory over India at home will benefit English sport.

Shukla said:

“As far as the fans were concerned they were not very happy, but in games, defeat and victory go together, you lose and you win, that happens."

Ironically, Shukla is troubled about the deleterious effect of IPL on Test cricket:

The effect IPL is having on Test cricket is also our concern. That is why we are doing our level best to promote Test cricket now.

We are playing more Test matches, there will be a focus on the Tests. We need to promote all three forms of the game and we are not thinking only from the position of money. There may be more money in Twenty20, more money in one-day, but it does not mean that we should compromise with Test cricket.

We are thinking that we should organise more Test matches in B towns because in the populated metropolises people are always in a hurry, they’re busier, they want Twenty20, they want the one-dayer. But in B grade cities in India where they hardly get any international cricket but still have large populations, if a Test match is organised people will want to watch it.

What he really meant:

“We don’t mind losing on the field; we’re winning in the board room.”

What he definitely didn’t:

“I’m just learning the ropes; that’s the best positive spin I can put on an unmitigated disaster of a tour.”

Indian Grand Prix: Samir Gaur’s Jaypee Sports Hosts 24 Bridegrooms

What he said:

“In India, when marriages take place, till last moment one keeps arranging for flower, vermillion till the last moment. Here we are welcoming not one, but 24 bridegrooms.”

Jaypee Sports CEO and MD, Samir Gaur, brushed aside questions from the press as to whether work on the Buddh circuit was still underway less than a fortnight before the much awaited Indian Grand Prix on October 30.

India’s first ever Formula One Grand Prix is the epee of Indian sport this year.

Narain Karthikeyan, praising the track, said:

“I have raced on all the major F1 tracks across the globe and I rate this track as one of the best in the world.”

What he really meant: 

“The bride (Buddh) is being prepared for the Swayamvar. Surely, you’d expect nerves and last-minute palpitations?”

What he definitely didn’t:

“There’s enough wedding cake for all to go around.”

Formula One: Karun Chandhok Regrets That Not All His Fans Can Go-Kart

What he said:

“A kid watching a Karun Chandhok on TV can’t get into his go-kart and drive off.”

Karun Chandhok, just the second Indian Formula One driver after Narain Karthikeyan, admits that Grand Prix racing is an elitist sport.

Chandhok said:

When you come from a country like India, where you are one of the two people out of 1.2 billion, it’s a nice little exclusive club to be a part of.
One of two people out of 1.2 billion. That’s a huge disparity. Especially, when people throng to other sports.

Well, it’s only cricket, isn’t it? I think the main thing is infrastructure.

Chandhok made his F1 debut for Hispania Racing and is currently a test driver with Team Lotus.

On racing being glamorous and attracting WAGS, Chandhok shrugs:

This is a glamorous sport, and we shouldn’t apologise for it because there is nothing wrong in it. It’s a fantastic selling point for the sport. WAGs you even have in cricket; they have Liz Hurley now, I hear.

On the Indian GP in NOIDA, Chandhok says:

I’d love a great Indian crowd here. So far, we have sold about 60,000 tickets already which is great. I hope the teams and drivers enjoy it. They were asking me about Delhi and some of them want to go to Jaipur for a holiday, so I have become some sort of a tourism authority for them.

How did Chandhok get into the sport?

My grandfather used to race in the 50s, my father used to race in the 70s, and in India getting into your family business is normal. I started go-karting when I was just 6 and I started racing when I was 16.

What Chandhok really meant:

“A kid watching Sachin Tendulkar can’t bat like him either but at least he  can try.”

What Chandhok  definitely didn’t:

“You guys can speed race with souped up engines instead—a la ‘The Fast and The Furious’.”

Korean GP: Sebastian Vettel Laps Fastest—One Last Time

What he said:

“It’s probably more to do with the ego because there are no points, so it’s really stupid from my side, but now I’ve got one, I’m happy."

Youngest two-time Formula One champion Sebastian Vettel dedicates the fastest lap of the race at the Korea Grand Prix to his ego.

Vettel won 10 races this season but had just one fastest lap against his name until Korea.

Vettel pulled out all stops on his final circle to secure the fastest lap ignoring suggestions from his Red Bull team to take it easy.

Vettel said:

I think they will kill me now.On the radio they initially said ‘you didn’t get the fastest lap’ which obviously isn’t true. Then they came back on the radio and said ‘idiot, you got it’.

It’s really stupid. I think in other races it doesn’t really make sense, but on the last lap I had a good feeling, and yeah, I was pushing a bit harder to get the fastest lap. It’s a small thing.

What Vettel really meant:

“Smart driving wins championships; fast driving wins laps.”

What Vettel definitely didn’t:

“I’m atavistic,not bull-headed.”

Vinod Kambli Gets All Soapy Over The IPL

What he said:

“It’s like ‘Saas Bahu aur Saazish’ serial.”

Former India player and Sachin Tendulkar’s childhood partner, Vinod Kambli, compares the IPL to a gossipy TV program that covers the latest happenings in various soaps.

The southpaw slammed youngsters’ proclivity to choose popcorn cricket over the longer form of the game.

Today, the youngsters are looking to play in the IPL. Reason being fast money. One Ranji Trophy match and they are picked up for the Twenty20 tournament. From day one, their aim is to play in the IPL but one should understand that real cricket is Test cricket.

IPL is fun, entertainment and offer a short career with a lot of money.

Kambli recently retired from first class cricket.

Kambli said:

It’s for the youngsters to decide their priorities. We all know that IPL results in quick money, all the attention and facilities. But youngsters should give preference to the domestic cricket, which is the ideal platform to develop skill and temperament.
When me and (Sachin) Tendulkar started our careers, there was no IPL. We gave preference to the domestic cricket because our aim was to play in Tests. Now, with IPL, so many matches are being played in two months’ time and it’s becoming like a serial. One day people would like to see a change.

The dashing left-hander, however, did not beg off from partaking of the IPL’s riches:

“Of course, why not! I would like to get associated with any of the IPL franchise as a coach or an expert if provided with the opportunity. Coaching is the first thing on my mind now.”

What Kambli really meant:

“IPL is like watching highlights—you only catch the big hits and fall of wickets.”

“I wish the IPL had happened earlier. Then I wouldn’t have to make all those ridiculous television appearances in chat, dance and news shows.”

What Kambli definitely didn’t:

“How about a soap opera on cricket—for a change? I’ll catch it on ‘Saas Bahu Aur Saazish’.”

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Shahid Afridi Unconditionally Un-retires To International Cricket

What he said:

I’m available to play for Pakistan. I never retired. I only said I wouldn’t play under the previous PCB management. I wasn’t comfortable with them because they didn’t respect players.

But as the board now has a new chairman and there’s a different team management, it is time to come back.

Shahid Afridi announces his comeback and availability for selection to the Pakistani cricket team.

The former skipper conditionally retired from international cricket after the tour to the West Indies this year citing differences with then PCB chairman Ijaz Butt and coach Waqar Younis.

Butt completed his term on October 8 ; Younis is no longer coach.

Afridi said:

“I’m fit and can play for Pakistan for a few more years.I never ran after the captaincy. I just want to represent my country and can play under anyone.”

What he really meant:

“What’s retirement but a word—a word to be used at the drop of a hat and forgotten just as quickly.”

What he definitely didn’t:

“But, what happens to Butt?”

Indian Cricket: Sunil Gavaskar Makes Looks Count

What he said:

“I think the 1983 team was better-looking than the 2011 team.”

Sunil Gavaskar will concede nothing to the current World Cup winning squad.

What he really meant:

“Sandeep Patil featured in a full-length Bollywood movie. Can any of you guys (with multiple dance show appearances) boast of anything remotely close?”

What he definitely didn’t:

“That’s because Kapil shared his Palmolive with us all; we were always clean-shaven.”

Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s World Is Greying Under Pressure

 

What he said:

"I get influenced by pressure but I have so much gray hair because I don’t let expressions on field reveal this."

Indian cricket team skipper and World Cup winning champion—twice over—Mahendra Singh Dhoni discloses that he maintains his composure at all times on the field; the stress is revealed only in his prematurely grey thatch.

Dhoni credited then coach Gary Kirsten for the inspirational move up the order in the ODI World Cup final against Sri Lanka in April—a stratagem that nullified the Lankan spinners ascendance.

MSD said:

"I hadn’t planned to promote myself and play earlier. Gary  asked me if I would go early. I thought with two spinners, maybe I should. It worked for me."

What Dhoni really meant:

“I’m seeking a hair dye sponsor. Godrej, come calling.”

What Dhoni definitely didn’t:

“Gray is the new black.”

Herman Cain Cans Tiger Woods Out Of Presidential Prospects

What He Said:

"That was a joke, okay? Tiger – I – that was a joke.Americans got to learn how to have a sense of humor, okay?"

Presidential hopeful Herman Cain withdraws his endorsement of Tiger Woods as a prospective President claiming to have written a 2006 article in jest.

Cain proclaimed:

"Yeah I can be pretty serious.But also there are some things that, you know, you just kind of take tongue and cheek, and you don’t make a big deal of it. Alright?"

Cain is a syndicated columnist and a radio host besides being a successful executive. He currently leads the opinion polls among Republican candidates.

Cain is best known for his role in defeating Bill Clinton’s health care plan in 1993.

In his column titled “Tiger in 2016!”, Cain wrote:

Tiger will be 40 years old in 2016. The Republican Party should begin grooming him now for a run at the White House. His personal attributes and accomplishments on the golf course point to a candidate who will be a problem solver, not a politician.

Tiger’s success on the golf course, which will translate to success in the White House, is a product of his character, discipline and leadership by example. Tiger has one objective when he steps up to the first tee – win. The Republicans desperately need a candidate who will not seek personal legacies through political victories that compromise conservative ideology and increase the scope of federal government. Tiger’s legacy is already set.

In conclusion, the columnist said:

“The Republican presidential candidate in 2016 must not come from inside the Beltway. He must come from inside the fairway, for all of us.”

Tiger Woods’ indiscreet liaisons outside his marital vows have witnessed not just the disintegration of his marriage but also his game. Woods has not won a tournament since.

What Herman Cain Really Meant:

“Remember Gary Hart? Don’t take it to heart, Tiger.”

What Herman Cain Definitely Didn’t:

“Elin (Nordegren), care to be my Sarah Palin?”

MS Dhoni: What he said, really meant and definitely did not

Image via Wikipedia

Dhoni Wants His Team To Be Sociable—Always

What he said:

“The team showed character not to lose temper and still be sociable on the field."

Mahendra Singh Dhoni believes that his side may have lost the Test match and ODI series in England but they won hearts for not being sore losers.

The Indians lead 2-0 in the return ODI series—back home.

The Indian skipper was decorated with the ‘Spirit of the Game’ award at the annual ICC ceremony in September this year for his decision to allow English bat,Ian Bell, to continue his innings overturning a contentious dismissal just before the tea break during the second Test at Trent Bridge.

Ironically, Dhoni and his teammates were missing for the glittering function;Ian Bell collected the prize on his behalf.

What He Really Meant:

“We were so shell-shocked by the hammering meted out to us and the cold weather that we did not have the will to pull our  hands (holding hand warmers) out of our pockets. Talk about letting off a little steam!”

What He Definitely Didn’t:

“Check out our Facebook profiles and friend our friends—the entire English squad.”