England

Team India are No. 1 by default

Just three months ago, South Africa headed the ICC Test rankings. Today, they were knocked off their pedestal by a resurgent England. Team India are now No. 1 crowned by default on the back of their resounding defeat of the Proteans at home. Funny how in a matter of six Tests fortunes have changed and how. It also goes to show that if teams don’t put up a fight overseas and everyone concedes that South Africa were dismal tourists barring the final Test, their performance at home can take a nose-dive. England did something similar to India when they toured here following their 4-0 whitewash at home. MS Dhoni would perhaps reminisce about the time he led Team India to the peak four years ago, and perhaps knowingly wink at Virat Kohli saying, “I told you so.”

Michael Chopra, Neil Taylor and Yan Dhanda: Multiplicity in EPL?

Yan Dhanda may be the latest footballer of Indian-origin to sign up for a English Premier League side but he’s not the first.

Michael Chopra and Neil Taylor have been there and done that before.

Chopra featured in the inaugural version of the Indian Soccer League in 2014 turning out for Kerala Blasters.

The former Newcastle United and Sunderland player has even expressed a desire to play for India. That will however be possible only if the former Magpie renounces his British passport as current Indian rules prevent persons of Indian origin (PIOs) from representing the country unless they have an Indian passport. The government has not yet delivered on its promise of allowing dual citizenship for Indians everywhere.

This would not be a first.

Arata Izumi gave up his Japanese citizenship in January, 2013 and became the first foreign-born player to play for the Blue Tigers, by adopting Indian citizenship. The Pune FC midfielder has represented  India several times since.

In June last year, Chopra spoke of his wish to become eligible to play for India.

He said:

“I was going to play for them four years ago. But at that time I was only 26 and I was too young to give up my British passport and travel around the world at that age. I just had a little boy that was born and things like that, so it would have been difficult. My boy is six now and he has grown up and understands what his dad has got to do. So I plan to move to India and give up my British citizenship and get an Indian passport to play for the national team and take them forward.”

‘Rocky’ Chopra currently plays for Alloa Athletic, a Scottish championship club.

Chopra’s father is Indian and that makes him eligible to play for India as long as he surrenders his British passport in exchange for an Indian one.

Rocky is considered unlucky to be part of a NewCastle United line-up that included the likes of Alan Shearer, Michael Owen and Patrick Kluivert.

Chopra harboured ambitions of managing and coaching his current side, Alloa Athletic, after the departure of Danny Lennon.

Photo of footballer Michael Chopra (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

When Michael joined Alloa, he said:

‘I remember when I was at Newcastle and I was a young boy, I was playing with Alan Shearer, Michael Owen and Patrick Kluivert and they gave me the best experience possible.

They made me the player I am today and I’ll be looking to try and help all the young boys at the club and passing my experience on.

I will stay up here a lot of the time, although I’m going back to Newcastle this weekend because my son plays football and I can’t miss his game!

Otherwise, I will be up here training and playing, and I’m hoping to be able to train with St Mirren on a Friday if that can be finalised.

I’m also going to be coaching the kids on a Wednesday night. I want to put something back in and community coaching will be good.”

About his time at Kerala Blasters where he spent most of the time on the bench, Chopra said:

“That was a great experience. My dad is Indian, so that made it more interesting as well. Unfortunately I suffered a hamstring injury early on and then I ruptured my ankle ligaments, but it was still great seeing it all.”

Michael did not get the job. Jack Ross is his new manager.

Michael Chopra. Image cropped from original at flickr. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Neil Taylor is another Indian-origin player participating in the Premier League.

He is Welsh and turns out for Swansea and the national side.

Taylor has been capped more than 25 times for Wales and represented Great Britain at the 2012 Olympics.

Taylor’s mother hails from Kolkata.

Speaking to Goal.com in 2012, Neil said:

“My mother comes from Calcutta and I have close family both there and in Delhi. I have visited my aunts, uncles and cousin several times when growing up and love the country.
Since I turned professional as a footballer at 16 I haven’t been able to visit India but it is a place I will return whenever I get the chance.
I think India would be a great place to stage the football World Cup. Football is a growing sport there, the Indian public is so passionate about sport (that I think) it would be an absolute winner.
It would bring football in India along in leaps and bounds; a bit like the 1994 World Cup has done for the USA.

There is no reason why there shouldn’t be a World Cup in India – if Qatar can stage it so can India.
Football in India is becoming much more developed and the vivid colours and culture of the country would make for a really distinctive event.
It is a country with the infrastructure to support a World Cup as it has proven with cricket.
Football in India is growing and improving and I think that is proved by the Venky family buying Blackburn Rovers.
The Premier League in England is the toughest and best league in the world, I think that is why it is attracting owners from around the globe.
So many of the clubs are now owned by people from other countries it really is a global brand.”

Speaking to the Independent a year later, the mixed-parentage soccer player speaking about the lack of Indian soccer players added:

“I want to know whether it is that they are not encouraged by their parents. Do they prefer a different sport? From what I remember from India, and what a lot of people say about the Indian people, it could be that a lot of the young people are encouraged to be doctors, surgeons and get pushed down the education route. I just wanted to know, is there more talent out there?

There are more Korean and Japanese players through the British leagues now but there are over a billion people in India, you know, and there’s an incredible density to the place. What I remembered of the country was that it is just cricket-mad. But when I went out this time I saw the change. It was monsoon time and you couldn’t even take your feet out of the grass. Sopping! But all the young people were playing football.

They knew Swansea and the way we played. India is perhaps the only part of the footballing world that is not tapped into. This was about finding out. For years, people didn’t know what origin I was. I’ve thought about it all. That’s all it really is.”

In June last year, Taylor renewed his contract with Swansea City signing a new four-year deal.

Later in November, Taylor whose father is English once again expounded on why he was the only British Asian player in the league.

“Well what’s the barrier? Growing up, and from what I know, for people of Indian origin, education is the number one priority.

All parents will drill their kids to be education-based, with your dreams put to one side to what will get you through life and get you a career.

The obvious question is why aren’t there any already.

I think it’s one of them things which has got a stigma attached to it and maybe players believe that they won’t get the opportunity, or that people (coaches) aren’t seeing them.

All these different types of things need to change.

I went out to India – I wanted to work with a charity along with finding if there were any players out there.

You know, there must be at least one! Looking at the amount of people out there, there’s got to be players who can play at a high level.

People say to me, athleticism. Does that come into it ? I said, I don’t think so.

I mean of course you look at the Olympics and you don’t see it littered with athletes from that part of the world. I think when I looked at it, I thought it can’t be.

People didn’t realise that I was Indian, it’s as simple as that – (from my name ) you wouldn’t know that I was Indian.

When I went to Kolkata and did a press conference, the next day, I got it. It was nice, people were saying welcome to our country, we’re glad people are coming out here.

People were then turning up to stadiums to see me after games and saying, ‘We didn’t know you’re Indian!’ It was great!

I wouldn’t have made it if it wasn’t for my parents! Every footballer you ask that plays on the pitch is unlikely to make it if their parents didn’t play a part in their making it to be a professional footballer. So you need that as well, from an early age.

My dad was big on education as well. I couldn’t go to football if I didn’t [complete] my education properly. It should be like that for everybody, unfortunately it’s not.

Everyone should get their education, everyone has got their own story, but I think that if you really believe that you can, and that’s what you want to do, then parents should always back their children to do that while still having education as a back-up if it doesn’t go how you want it to.”

Yan Dhanda is the latest to join the bandwagon(?) of Indian players in the Premier League.

The 17-year-old signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with Liverpool .

It has been his dream to become of part of the Reds since he was 14.

Dhanda’s set-piece free kick against Manchester City in an Under-18 game has drawn over 72K views on YouTube.

‘Run, Leicester, run,’ says Italian coach Claudio Ranieri

Claudio Ranieri (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Claudio Ranieri is a smart man.

He must be.

He’s a crowd-pleaser.

And he knows how to grab the headlines.

The Italian manager of the English Premier League leader Leicester City had journalists in a tizzy with his statement comparing his giant-killing squad to a lovable, fictional movie character, Forrest Gump.

Tom Hanks as the title character on the film set of Forrest Gump. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

His team is Gumpish and intends to ‘Run, Run, Run’ all the way to the title.

Ranieri said:

“Look, I am very confident because if Leicester last season saved themselves in the last two months that means the stamina is fantastic. Why can’t we continue to run, run, run? We are like Forrest Gump. Leicester is Forrest Gump. I give you the headline there.”

For a team that was almost relegated last season, this year’s tilt at the championship has been nothing short of a fairy-tale.

Everyone loves an underdog especially when it seems too good to be true. We’re all suckers for a good story.

I don’t watch the English Premier League anymore. I used to a long time ago but not anymore.

But I still follow the championships through news reports.

This year has been fascinating reading.

Manchester United, Chelsea and Manchester City have been models of inconsistency.

While a side that was not given a ghost of a chance has continued to mock the pundits and poke a hole in any theories propounded by soccer fans.

The Christmas break is that time of the EPL season when it becomes evident whether the leaders are going to stand their scorching pace or fall by the wayside. The change in inclement weather seems to mark a change in fortunes of  sides. Some teams are just better suited to take on their opponents in the wintry months.

Can Leicester City be the Christmas miracle fans need?

We shall soon know when they take on Liverpool and Manchester City in the space of days.

James Vardy and Riyad Mahrez were relative unknowns until four months ago, Hell, I never heard of them until Leicester started winning.

Now, they’re household names all across the globe.

Claudio Ranieri insists that he can make Leicester ‘Maximum City’.

Leicester have never won the EPL title. Ever.

The fairy-tale seems unlikely to go on.

Vardy and Mahrez have not been rested this season.

Their replacements Leonardo Ulloa and Nathan Dyer may just not have the same impact.

But with other sides such as Chelsea, Manchester City and United struggling to get their act together, it may just be possible for Leicester to run along.

Sometimes, it’s not necessary to be your best. Just better than the rest.

Melissa Reid: Golf’s comeback queen on the European circuit

Who is Melissa Reid?

If you are a golfer or a golf fan, more specifically, a follower of women’s golf and you are acquainted with the Indian Open held last week at the DLF Golf and Country Club in Gurgaon, you would know that she’s the fourth ranked player on the Ladies European Tour (LET).

Reid has been a professional golfer for the past seven years.

She was rookie of the year in 2008.

She won her first title in 2010—the Turkish Airlines Ladies Open.

She has four more titles to her name:

Deloitte Ladies Open 2011

Open De España Femenino 2011

Raiffeisenbank Prague Golf Masters 2012

Turkish Airlines Ladies Open 2015.

It was in May 2012 that Melissa lost her mother Joy in a car accident. Joy was travelling to Munich to see her daughter take part in a LET event. Her husband, Brian, survived. Joy succumbed to internal injuries in the head-on collision.

Reid did not stop golfing but her performance deteriorated.

In 2012, Reid was well on her way to being Britain’s No. 1 woman golfer.

Reid says that the attempts at continuing “papered over the cracks”.

Her personal life suffered and her ranking plummeted to 333.

SOUTHPORT, UNITED KINGDOM – JULY 27: Melissa Reid of England walks off the 8th green during pro-am round before 2010 Ricoh Women’s British Open held at Royal Birkdale on July 27, 2010 in Southport, England. (Photo by Wojciech Migda) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Speaking to ESPNW, she said:

“I was a mess.I wasn’t coping, I was rebelling. I was spending time with people who partied. I was hitting the self-destruct button. I was with a lot of people, but I was lonely.”

Things took a turn for the better last November when she met Kevin Craggs.

Craggs is now her mentor and coach.

Craggs says:

“I always say to my players when they first come: I can teach you and to do that I don’t need to know you. But to coach you, that’s very different. Teaching improves the swing, coaching improves your psychological outlook, your lifestyle, your tactical game, everything.”

Melissa adds:

“I was having doubts for two years. I didn’t really have anything else to do, though.

I was lucky, Kev saved my career. I sat with him at breakfast after we started and I just told him everything, stuff I’d never said out loud. It wasn’t easy, but doing it lifted such a weight off my shoulders.”

LYTHAM ST ANNES, UNITED KINGDOM – JULY 29: Melissa Reid of England on the 11th green during third practice round before 2009 Ricoh Women’s British Open held at Royal Lytham & St Annes on July 29, 2009 in Lytham St Annes, England. (Photo by Wojciech Migda) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Matt Cooper writes:

“Reid grew in confidence over the winter: ‘I began to notice that for the first time in ages I wanted golf again. I worked harder, I had more focus and I began to get rewards.’ In May she returned to Turkey, scene of her first professional win in 2010, and claimed her fifth LET title, the first since Prague.”

What’s the difference between the Melissa of then and now?

Craggs puts it succinctly:

“We recently discussed that very subject and you know what I told her? I said: You possess the B word and the B word is balance. Career, technique, thinking and lifestyle, they’re all in balance. When a sportsperson — or a businessman, or anyone for that matter — is at their happiest, they’re in balance.”

Melissa says:

“Having what has happened to me as a professional golfer, in sport, is difficult. I was having to put on a face and it was hard work. I was sad, I was feeling really sad. Now I feel very different.

I don’t want to not talk about it because I don’t want people to forget what sort of woman my mum was. You never ever forget what happened, you never ever forget the pain, but you must use it almost like energy. Giving up is the easy thing to do.”

Melissa is one of the most glamorous faces on the Ladies European Tour.

She claims that prior to her mother’s death she was more of a golfing robot.

She said:

“I think I was very much protected. I had a lot of people do a lot of things for me and when something like that happens to you in your life, you have to step up.

It makes you realise a lot about yourself and there were a lot of things I didn’t particularly like about myself. I thought I was pretty much invincible and all I thought about was golf.

So if there is any positive that’s come out of it, and it may sound clichéd, I’ve certainly discovered myself.

I’m certainly not a robot, I’m a human being and I want to be the best person I can be as well as the best golfer I can be.

Before all I thought about was golf.”

This year, Melissa was back to representing Europe at the biennial Solheim Cup.

The Cup is played against the US. Melissa last played in 2011, with Europe claiming the title.

The tournament is played over three days.

Melissa was in India recently for the Indian Open along with Solheim teammate and last year’s winner Gwladys Nocera of France, Thidapa Suwannapura of Thailand, fellow Brit Trish Johnson and  Cheyenne Woods, niece to Tiger Woods.

India’s top golfers Vani Kapoor, Sharmila Nicollet and Vaishavi Sinha also participated.

Denmark’s Emily Kristine Pedersen clinched the title pushing her closest contenders Cheyenne Woods, Becky Morgan and Malene Jorgensen to joint second place.

Melissa made the cut but finished 30th.

She continues to be No.4 on the LET.

Melissa is active on Twitter and tweets at @melreidgolf.

Her Facebook page (Community) has not been updated since 23rd September, 2012.

Her Instagram account buzzes.

Vijender makes it count against Sonny Whiting: Well-begun is not done

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULHuXTXqXfk

It’s baby steps, all right. That’s how Vijender Singh began his professional career against Sonny Whiting at Manchester Arena, UK last Saturday.

The 2008 Olympic bronze winner was a forerunner throughout the fight making his opponent look decidedly amateurish.

Is it a promise of better things to come?

We shall know soon enough.

The strapping young man has his next bout scheduled for October 30.

Many believed that Vijender had left it too late—turning professional.

Perhaps.

The Indian never forgot his homeland, draping himself in a tricolour robe and matching shorts for his first fight.

Vijender admits he was nervous.

He said:

“I wasn’t worried about my opponent or anything. It was simply because I hadn’t boxed in a ring for a really long time. I had last boxed at the Commonwealth Games, and after that I had been doing my police training and then I had some film and TV commitments.”

Loneliness is a constant companion.

Moving to a new city, Manchester, and settling down to a regimented life is a sea change from his training days in Patiala.

He said:

”You feel a bit homesick. Its a bit difficult because when I was part of the Indian squad and trained in Patiala, after a session I always had someone to talk to especially after a hard days work. So I definitely miss my teammates from India. I am the only Indian boxer training here. In amateur boxing there were like 2-3 boxers with me in the changing room all the time but right now I am all alone with my trainers so there is a difference.I have to deal with these things by myself right now. But it doesn’t matter because these things usually make you tougher.”

Vijender misses his native tongue, Punjabi.

He added:

“Logon ki zuban alag hai yahan. (The language here is different). When I go to an Indian or Pakistani restaurant, the food is nice but it is a good feeling to speak to someone in Punjabi for a change.”

The Haryana police officer is not one to rest on his laurels.

He knows he has a long way to go.

He said:

“There’s still a long way to go. I have just had one fight and I have won that. I’d absolutely love to fight Floyd (Mayweather) or Manny, they are legendary boxers. They have been in this circuit for a long time and I will take time to reach at their level.”

The man certainly is making the right noises. And he has kept his end up so far.

He is the beacon who can guide Indian boxers to greater heights.

Shine on, Vijender.

Ben Stokes no fury at his obstructive dismissal

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTX47F0uR6Q

Was it obstruction or was it self-defence?

Was it deliberate or was it instinctive?

Preservation of one’s self is an instinctive response in any living creäture.

Was Ben Stokes any different?

There is no one way to decide it—it all depends on which side you’re rooting for.

The third umpire’s decision is final. And Joe Wilson adjudged the left-hander out.

And that’s how it should have stayed.

Sure, Stokes was the first English batsman to be dismissed in such a fashion in an ODI.

Sure, he was only the seventh batter in cricketing history to be kayoed so cruelly.

Sure, to be run-out is the unhappiest and unlikeliest  way any cricketer expects or wishes to be dismissed and to be considered wilful in obstructing the natural course of a game is worse.

The opposing skippers have their viewpoints.

Steve Smith called for a referral after appealing and has no qualms about his decision. He will not be losing any sleep over it.

Smith said:

“If you’re out of your crease and put your hand up to stop the ball, it’s out.

It might have looked a bit worse because it went back to the bowler, but it’s exactly the same as me turning for a second run, putting my arm out and stopping the ball.

The ball wasn’t going to hit him, he was out of his crease, he put his arm out and got in the way of the ball. The ball was going very close to hitting the stumps.

If you read the rule book, we’re well within our rights to appeal and the umpires have given it out.

Not at all. I’ve got no dramas with that (his decision to appeal).

I thought it was the right decision at the time and I still think it’s the right decision.”

The English were united in deriding Smith’s characterisation of his act.

English skipper, Eoin Morgan, said:

“A guy throws the ball in your direction and all you can do is flinch.

You don’t have time to think. It was a natural reaction to avoid the ball. Mitchell Starc was about five yards away from Ben Stokes.

The decision was made. It would have been a lot different if we were fielding.”

English: Eoin Morgan in the field during the 2nd ODI against Bangladesh at the County Ground Bristol. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

(Would it, Morgan, would it, really? Easier said than done, Eoin, easier said than done.)

Michael Vaughan said :

“Anyone who has played the game knows that when the ball is thrown at you from close range like that you put your hand up to protect yourself. When you see it in real time he fears the ball is going to hit him. It was obvious. It was a poor decision.”

Alec Stewart added:

“He was taking evasive action; he’s looking the other way. Show me someone who can catch the ball looking the other way?

You would have thought between the three umpires that common sense would have prevailed.”

Shane Warne was not quite rooting for Smith and his side.

Law 37 (Obstructing the field) states quite categorically:

“1. Out Obstructing the field

Either batsman is out Obstructing the field if he wilfully attempts to obstruct or distract the fielding side by word or action.  In particular, but not solely, it shall be regarded as obstruction and either batsman will be out Obstructing the field if while the ball is in play and after the striker has completed the act of playing the ball, as defined in Law 33.1, he wilfully strikes the ball with

(i) a hand not holding the bat, unless this is in order to avoid injury.  See also Law 33.2 (Not out Handled the ball).

(ii) any other part of his person or with his bat.  See also Law 34 (Hit the ball twice).

2. Accidental obstruction

It is for either umpire to decide whether any obstruction or distraction is wilful or not.  He shall consult the other umpire if he has any doubt.”

Stokes himself is not chuffed about the manner of his exit.

https://twitter.com/benstokes38/status/640486910402654208

Team-mate, Steve Finn, was quite vocal with his antipathy.

He said:

“I think everyone in the dressing room, when we saw it in real time, we all thought he was taking evasive action. When you watch it in slo-mo, the fielding team were entitled to appeal if you’re going by the letter of the game. The fact that it was in slow-motion didn’t help Ben’s cause.

How often does the bowler feign to throw the ball but doesn’t actually do it? But this time he did let the ball go and, by the time you realise the bowler has actually let the ball go, then first and foremost you’re worried for your safety rather than worrying about where your stumps are.

Everyone in the dressing room was disappointed but I don’t think the game was won or lost at that moment. In the dressing room, we weren’t overly happy.”

If there was any doubt in Smith’s mind about the mode of dismissal, he should have retracted his appeal and let the game continue. This would have been within the ambit of the Spirit of the Game. He need not have looked further than former India Test skipper MS Dhoni and his recent magnanimity in rescinding his appeal against Ian Bell’s dismissal for walking out for tea before the bails were whipped off by the on-field umpires. But I guess, no one, least of all Steven Smith, wishes to be termed a sucker in this ultra-competitive day and age.

Australia versus England: Who shall have the Ashes?

I really didn’t want to write this article; I haven’t been catching the Ashes—the war of the English roses  and the Australian wattles—a tradition itself within a traditional game.

It’s not that I don’t like cricket or that I’m overly patriotic and catch mostly India games (which I do) but I simply cannot bring up any passion for watching this series.

The Ashes—on television—are a visual treat; the commentating is excellent and there’s everything very attractive about the packaging of a historic rivalry that evokes memories of battles past.

I wish Indian television were able to come up with a better presentation of the  Indo-Pak rivalry but aside from the jingoism it revisits, there’s little to recommend for couch aesthetes.

The five-match series began with the Aussies favoured by one and all. After all, they were the ODI world champs and had thrashed their Trans-Atlantic foes comprehensively in the series Down Under. The pundits predicted that Alistair’s goose was Cooked.

England surprised one and all by winning the first Test. But the Aussies were out for blood in the second and prevailed in a somewhat one-sided encounter.

Steve Harmison in action at the Oval for England’s One Day International side against Bangladesh on 16 June 2005 Image created by the author with Nikon D70 + 70-300mm Nikkor G lens. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

To everyone’s surprise, the third Test ran along similar lines. Except this time, it was the home side that dominated from Day One. The return of Steve Finn implied that England now had three wicket-taking pacers; the weakness of this side has been that the support pacers are  there simply to make up the numbers; they never were strike options.

Can Finn be the Steve Harmison of this side? Remember Stevie, from the 2005 Ashes in tandem with Freddie Flintoff pushing the Aussies on the backfoot in the absence of Glenn McGrath and the first signs of what was to come once  Warne and he exited the greats.

England , not too long ago, were number one; they ascended to that pole position when they beat India at home in 2011. It is a number they have since ceded to South Africa.

Can they lay the foundation for another push at that supreme figure?

The next two Tests are crucial. Has the momentum shifted in England’s favour?

Will the Aussies bite back with venom?

The urn beckons.

Kevin Pietersen sets in the West, rises in the East

Kevin Pietersen is wanted.

Kevin Pietersen is not wanted.

Rejected by the English and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), the South African born cricketer makes his way to India to turn out for the Sun Risers Hyderabad despite making his highest ever first-class score, a classy triple ton for Surrey.

The 34-year-old is piqued indeed.

He cannot bridge the ‘trust deficit’ with the new director of cricket Andrew Strauss.

Has he done all that’s required? Has he been punished enough for all his previous ‘misdemeanours‘. The English public rooting for him certainly believe so.

Is he worse than a convicted spot-fixer? Surely not.

That begets the question, “What is trust?”

Trust , my friend, is personal. And this decision , my cricketing friends, is personal.

English: England cricket Captain Kevin Pietersen at The Oval (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Alex Ferguson: What he said, really meant and definitely didn’t

Alex Ferguson waxes effusive on  Jose Mourinho.

Alex Ferguson, manager of Manchester United F.C. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

What he said:

“He’s good looking, he’s got that sort of George Clooney bit in his hair now. But I think he is a great example, he can speak five languages or whatever he can.”

Former Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson showers praise on current Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho in an interview to Clare Balding for a BT Sport documentary to be broadcast on Boxing Day.

Ferguson added:

“He goes and becomes an interpreter for Bobby Robson, follows him to Barcelona, works under Louis Van Gaal; he is learning all the time.He [Mourinho] has got a determination, he wants to be a coach.He never played the game, by the way – you tell me how many presidents would give a manager a job who has never played the game? None. But he has done it.
Then he goes and manages a small team in Portugal, then goes to Porto and wins the league, wins the Uefa Cup, wins the European Cup, goes to Chelsea and wins the league. Goes to Inter Milan. That is an example to anyone who wants to do well, you shouldn’t let the barriers get in your way if you want to.”

Português: O treinador de futebol português José Mourinho. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Blues coach Mourinho reciprocated the Scot’s approval with similar acclaim (on the same show).

The Portuguese said that he always ordered the same bottle of wine whenever United played them at Stamford Bridge.

Mourinho said:

“It was Chelsea Football Club catering that bought the wine, and obviously the wine was not the top quality that the boss deserves. It was quite funny but disappointing. 

So the next time we play against each other, I called a friend and I told him, the best I want the best. 

And from that moment always the same bottle when I play against the boss.”

He added:

“Everything, his talent, the time he put his talent at the service of Manchester United and football in general. The passion that he has put in to everything, and after that in private moments, obviously, a good friend, a good person, a fantastic sense of humour. I like him very, very much. Now and again I’ve had questions to put to him and the way he has answered to me was always magnificent and a great support.”

What Ferguson really meant:

“He’s better looking than me plus he can travel all over Europe with his facility for picking up new languages. Imagine he can coach in five different tongues and claim he’s the ‘Chosen One’ in each of them too.”

What he definitely didn’t:

“He (Mourinho) would make a great travelling salesman, wouldn’t he?”

Frank Tyson: What he said, really meant and definitely didn’t

Frank Tyson is a man of contradictions, atavistic yet progressive.

What he said:

“To bowl quick is to revel in the glad animal action.”

Former English fast bowler—arguably the quickest of the quicks—Frank Holmes Tyson describes the thrill of unleashing thunderbolts.

Tyson said:

“There is a sudden shock shaking me to the skull as the stiff left leg crashes into the unsympathetic turf. My whole body flings itself after the ball as if in malediction towards the batsman. To bowl quick is to revel in the glad animal action.”

Do pacers enjoy knocking down their opponents?

“When people ask me about the use of the bouncer, of the fast bowler wanting to hit the batsman, I never understand that. I never wanted to hit people; I wanted to get them out. You use the bouncer in a shock capacity. I was almost a one-day wonder, in terms of how much Test cricket I played. But the one thing I knew was that I could get past the Australian batsmen, with sheer pace. I had a captain, Len Hutton, who used me with a certain criteria in mind. I could either bowl in a holding capacity or in a shock capacity. Alright, I concede I was fast, but it was not something that I could maintain over a period of time.”

Tyson was a student of English literature graduating from the University of Durham.

The Englishman was prone to reciting poetry to his opponents.

His favourite was William Wordsworth’s “Ode on the intimation to immortality when recollected in early childhood” which he would

soliloquise to himself on his way back to the mound.

“The rainbow comes and goes,
And lovely is the rose;
The moon doth with delight
Look round her when the heavens are bare;
Waters on a starry night
Are beautiful and fair;
The sunshine is a glorious birth;
But yet I know, where’er I go,
That there hath past away a glory from the earth.”

What he really meant:

“There’s nothing more aggressive and brutish on the cricket field than the sight of a fast bowler intimidating the opposition with pace and skill. To be a fast bowler is to be an animal—for the moment—and enjoy the feeling.”

What he definitely didn’t:

“Poetry in motion cherry by my side
My lovely locomotion keeps the batsman’s eyes open wide
Poetry in motion see the coward sway
A wave out on the ocean could never move that way.

(With apologies to Johnny Tillotson).”