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Sanjay Bangar: What he said, really meant and definitely didn’t
Sanjay Bangar
What he said:
“If you put on a face that is not you, you will be found out.”
Sanjay Bangar has learnt one thing for certain in his first year as coach.
What he really meant:
“Players respect you if you’re genuine. You cannot don a mask; it can slip at the most awkward moments. Be natural, be yourself and you will have their respect.”
What he definitely didn’t:
“I’d love to star in Jim Carrey’s ‘The Mask’.”
Gavin Larsen: What he said, really meant and definitely didn’t
Gavin Larsen
What he said:
“What we did was in the first game of the tournament, we were playing the Yellow Team. We just called them the Yellow Team. We played Zimbabwe at Napier, we called them the Red Team. Pakistan was the Green Team. That made us focus on what we needed to do as a team to beat that Yellow Team. That took away some of the emotion.”
Former New Zealand seam-up bowler, Gavin Larsen, reveals the psychological mindset behind the extraordinary performance of the Kiwis team at the ’92 World Cup.
He said:
“We had some good experience in the team. A lot of guys had played a lot of cricket domestically and for New Zealand. It wasn’t a young, raw, immature team. First and foremost, there was some mental strength across the individuals in the team. The other thing that I do remember is how Martin Crowe insisted that we depersonalised each of the teams. New Zealand has played Australia in the past and you can get caught in the Trans-Tasman hype – playing the old enemy from across the ditch.”
Russell and Martin Crowe (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
What he really meant:
“We, of course, were the All-Blacks. It wasn’t that hard a stretch to color code our opponents. And we certainly made them eat Crowe.”
What he definitely didn’t:
“How’s that for Emotional Intelligence?”
Suresh Raina: What he said, really meant and definitely didn’t
Suresh Raina
What he said:
“Even my mother asks me every time I come to Lucknow, koi ladki toh pasand nahi aa gayi wahan (have you selected a girl yet)?”
Suresh Raina is perturbed that no one including his mother believes that he visits Lucknow simply to catch up with his school friends.
Raina said:
“But I actually come here to just unwind with my friends. I have very few friends, and I share a special bond with them. I have a lot of matches coming up after the Champions League, there’s the West Indies tour in October. I know I will not be able to meet my friends for a long time now. So I made a short trip to Lucknow between two tournaments. She(my mother)’s been after me for a while now to get married, especially since my closest friend has also tied the knot. Each time I go back home, my marriage is the topic of conversation.But I have put off any wedding talk till after the World Cup. Abhi ussi pe focus karna hai. (I have to focus on that.)”
The Chennai Superkings star revealed the secret behind his recent success in the ODIs and T20s against England.
“After I was dropped from the Asia Cup squad earlier this year, I did a lot of introspection as far as my game was concerned. I had to go back to basics, and just perform very well. I spent months with single-minded focus on training, fitness, discipline. I trained at the Lucknow Sports College and in Mumbai, and I spent a lot of time with my friends and family to regain my confidence. You can’t take everyone’s advice, because everyone has a different opinion, so you need to depend on your friends to give you the right advice. That confidence helped me to play my natural game, and tackle the pressure. Pressure tha (there was pressure), but I knew I can turn things around. When I got on the flight from Mumbai to London, I was ready to give my best. And I am so happy I did. It was very important.”
What he really meant:
“My mother wishes I’d make the most of my trips to Lucknow and kill two birds with one stone. Find a girl and meet my pals too. She’s pragmatic that way.”
What he definitely didn’t:
“What?! And be embroiled in a senseless wrangle with the press about the presence of a girlfriend or wife on tour?”
Rahul Dravid: What he said, really meant and definitely didn’t
Rahul Dravid
What he said:
“I am a married man, do you think I would have any other answer?”
Rahul Dravid is not averse to wives and girlfriends joining cricketers on tour. The former India No. 3 pooh-poohed notions that the practice adversely impacts players’ performances.
Interacting with the audience after delivering the keynote Dilip Sardesai memorial lecture, he said:
“On a serious side, cricketers travel 11 months in a year, I think wives and girlfriends should be allowed to travel with players. You can’t start blaming wives or girlfriends for performances, that’s not done.
Since I’m married, I would say yes. Wives, girlfriends, or a partner of any gender should be allowed, because the Indian team travels for almost the entire year. You can’t start blaming them for the players’ poor performance. In fact, if you don’t allow them, that would be a bigger problem!”
What he really meant:
“Do you really think I wish to argue with my home minister (wife) about this? Spare me the torture.”
What he definitely didn’t:
“I’m going to be the best man at Virat’s wedding.”
Fake Quinton De Kock: What he said, really meant and definitely didn’t
Fake Quinton De Kock
What he said:
A fake Quinton De Kock Twitter account was in the news with leading dailies attributing the above tweet to the chubby-faced South African opening bat.
Saeed Ajmal has been banned with immediate effect from all international cricket after his bowling action was deemed illegitimate by the ICC.
Bio-mechanic analysis revealed the the Pakistani off-spinner flexed his elbow as much as 35 degrees against the permitted 15 degrees.
The bowler can apply for a reassessment anytime once his action has been rectified. However, he is permitted to take part in domestic cricket under the supervision of his country’s cricketing board, the PCB.
Maninder Singh, a former India left-arm spinner, squarely blamed the ICC for the current mess.
He said:
“”The problem started with Muralitharan. The menace should have been stopped then. If that had happened, all boards would have taken steps to prevent this.Now it (chucking) has become a norm, it is like ‘if he (Murali) can do it, anyone can’.”
On young bowlers choosing the wrong role models:
“This has ruined careers. Whether you call it 12 or 15 degrees, it is to be blamed.”
On why English and Australian bowlers are not called that often:
“People there are basically honest, and they will own up. We don’t, and in fact start backing them.”
Former India all-rounder Madan Lal said:
“”Even in my academy, so many boys bend their elbows. They see lot of cricket on TV and try to imitate them. It gets difficult to correct them once they are set in their ways.”
English: Saeed Ajmal in the field during a 50-over warm-up match against Somerset at the County Ground, Taunton, during Pakistan’s 2010 tour of England. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Saeed Ajmal’s reactions:
“It is disappointing to learn the result of the biomechanic test in Brisbane but I have not given up. I don’t see the ban as a major problem as I know I can work out on the flaws and make a comeback.
Obviously, I have to follow their advice but from what I know is that once we get the full medical report, we have a right of appeal and to challenge these findings.
I want to play in the World Cup and see my country doing well and I will do whatever it takes to be ready for the tournament. I am a fighter and I know what I have to do to get back into international cricket before the World Cup.”
Bishan Singh Bedi tweeted:
Speaking to the Times of India, Bedi said:
“”It was inevitable. But it’s a decision taken too late, when all the damage has been done and Ajmal has taken so many wickets in international cricket.
What was the ICC doing till now? All those batsmen who lost their wickets to him, all those teams which lost a game because of an Ajmal spell, should they now come forward and say we have been wronged? If they can’t, then what is the point of rehabilitating these bowlers.”
Bedi added:
“Most people who claim to be mystery spinners enjoy an unfair advantage because they are being allowed to bowl illegal deliveries.What is the point of correcting their action in a laboratory and then letting them loose? Is the ICC a reformatory school? A chucker cannot reform. He is merely rendered ineffective.”
What the Fake Quinton De Kock really meant:
“Saeed Ajmal can’t bowl! Saeed Ajmal can’t bowl! With or without his 35 degrees of hyper extension…Ajmal can’t bowl…”
What he definitely didn’t (or did he?) :
“I’m famous, not Quinton De Kock.”
Dale Steyn: What he said, really meant and definitely didn’t
AB De Villiers (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Dale Steyn at a training session at the Adelaide Oval (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Dale Steyn at a training session at the Adelaide Oval (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Dale Steyn
What he said:
“We’re definitely not predictable. You bowled two overs the other day.”
Dale Steyn contradicts himself without seemingly realizing it. The lanky pace bowler commented on his teammate A B De Villiers bowling for only the second time ever in ODIs. South Africa were playing Zimbabwe in Harare.
AB De Villiers recently came out strongly against Australian sledging terming it “personal.”
De Villiers said:
“There was lots of personal stuff and certain guys take it in a different way. I see that it’s part of the game… but they can’t expect us to be mates with them off the field then, if they get very personal.”
The South African skipper was referring to comments made during the third Test in Cape Town.
David Warner, meanwhile, apologized for accusing De Villiers of ball-tampering during the series.
Warner said:
“Obviously with myself coming out and saying the comment about AB de Villiers probably wasn’t the smartest thing, and I regret saying that.We set a standard where we want to go out there and play aggressive and hard cricket and not cross the line.
There are some times you do nudge that line a fair bit and the odd occasion you might step over that, but you do have to realize that we’re out there to win.
We do like to be aggressive and sledging is a form of the game when we’re out there.”
What Steyn really meant:
“Wasn’t that a pleasant surprise? …AB bowling two overs. I certainly didn’t expect that.”
What he definitely didn’t:
“Outliers… by Malcolm Gladwell—yeah, that’s my favorite read.”
Usain Bolt: What he said, really meant and definitely didn’t
English: Usain Bolt at the World Championship Athletics 2009 in Berlin (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Usain Bolt
What he said:
“A cheetah would be cooler. I can see the headlines, ‘Usain Bolt beats cheetah’.”
The champion sprinter was replying to a question whether he would like to race against a fast car or a cheetah.
The cheetah is the fastest land animal and can reach speeds of 90 to 128 kmph. Bolt, however, has clocked a top speed of about 45 kmph.
(1936 four-gold medal winner Jesse Owens raced against horses in exhibits but he cheated. The starting gun was fired next to the thoroughbred’s head startling it and giving the sprinter a head-start.)
Bolt was in Bangalore to play a seven-a-side exhibition match against a team which had some of India’s top cricketers including Yuvraj Singh and Zaheer Khan. The face-off was titled ‘Bolt and Yuvi – Battle of the Legends’.
On breaking new records:
“It’s possible. After running 9.58 seconds I’ve never said, ‘Never again.’ My coach knows there is no limit because I never knew I was going to go that fast. But when you go there, you have great competition, you push yourself to the limit and if you are in great shape anything is possible. No, I don’t have any magic number in mind. To me, the 100m record is not the one which matters now. It is the 200m where I want to go sub-19.”
Asked if yam and chicken nuggets were his secret ingredients:
“Yeah, but chicken nuggets was just one time in China as I didn’t want to take a chance with other food. Otherwise, I eat normal food. I’m not the kind of person who would give advice on diet (laughs) because I’m bad when it comes to my diet as I eat anything that I like.”
On Sachin Tendulkar:
“Everybody knows him. Sachin is one of the greatest ever in the sport. I remember the days when he depressed me by beating West Indies. There is another funny story. When I was growing up I never supported West Indies. I was a Pakistan supporter which my dad could never understand. But then I was a huge Waqar Younis fan.”
What he really meant:
“I’d like to prove I’m the fastest beast on the planet—I’m not a machine. I get injured and no mechanics can repair me.”
What he definitely didn’t:
“Let’s race cars and we’ll headline it ‘Usain goes to Hollywood'”.
Rodney Hogg: What he said, really meant and definitely didn’t
Rodney Hogg
What he said:
The former Australian fast bowler was reacting to Australia’s first defeat to Zimbabwe in 31 years in an ODI game.
What he really meant:
“We were canned then and we were caned now.”
What he definitely didn’t:
“Red Bull,anyone?”
Graeme Swann: What he said, really meant and definitely didn’t
Graeme Swann
What he said:
“We’re happy to tootle along in a two-litre diesel in a Formula 1 race. “
Graeme Swann is still not convinced that Alistair Cook is the best thing to happen to English cricket especially when it comes to ODI cricket.
Cook had responded to his strident criticism thus:
“I don’t think it’s that helpful – especially from a so-called friend.”
Swann, however, continued in the same vein:
“Real mates are honest with each other. I’m no longer in the England dressing room and it is my job now as a pundit to give my honest thoughts.
I texted Cooky after the Test series victory over India saying I was proud of the way he conducted himself but that he should get away from the one-dayers as quickly as possible.
I think being one-day captain is a poisoned chalice for him. He just doesn’t need the job. The cricket England are playing in 50-over cricket is outdated and I fear it will be a painful winter for the team.
I don’t want him to be part of it. This is not a witch-hunt against ‘Cookie’ and I’m still a huge supporter of his captaincy in Test cricket. But, in one-day matches, I want England to play the exciting cricket they promised six months ago when Peter Moores took over as head coach.
We’re happy to tootle along in a two-litre diesel in a Formula One race.
If England do badly in the World Cup Cooky will be back to where he was earlier this summer when some people were waiting for him to mess up. He should be resting now, making sure he is fully recharged for the 17 Test matches England have next year.
I’m 100 per cent behind him as Test captain. I went to his wedding and he offers to send me a turkey each Christmas from his farm. I hope I’m not off his list now!”
What he really meant:
“ODI and T20 cricket is less about strategy,endurance, finesse and technique and more about tactics, fitness and speed. We can hardly have slow coaches chuggin’ along on high-speed rails.”
What he definitely didn’t:
“Just appoint me Cook’s tooter and I’ll change my tune fast enough.”
IS Bindra: What he said, really meant and definitely didn’t
IS Bindra
What he said:
“It’s such a frustrating scenario: One can’t become the chief minister, but one can still become the prime minister! “
IS Bindra, former president of the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA), is acerbic about the current farcical situation; Narayanswamy Srinivasan is unable to preside over the BCCI pending a Supreme Court judgment yet is chairman of the ICC.
The outspoken former BCCI chief recently stepped down as head of the PCA.
He said:
“I haven’t made it easier for Srini … In fact, I’m free to blog and tweet exactly what I want… My hands aren’t tied now…”
On his retirement:
“I’d reached a stage where I felt I couldn’t do anything for cricket in India…
Also, I didn’t want the PCA to suffer because of my strong views on Srini. Mohali should have got a Test against the West Indies, but didn’t. Yet, there are affiliates of the Board who keep getting international matches out of turn…
I’ve helped build the PCA and I’m passionate about it. I couldn’t have allowed it to be penalised because of my convictions. I’ve always respected the primacy of institutions…
Above all, there comes a time in everyone’s life when one has to gracefully retire and move on after having been at the helm of an institution. I couldn’t have been at the PCA forever.”
On Jagmohan Dalmiya:
“I’d expected Jaggu to join me in the fight to oust Srini, but he didn’t do so. It’s for him to explain why. I’m as disappointed with quite a few of the others in the Board who, too, have chosen to stay quiet.”
On Srinivasan’s chances of returning as Board president if the Supreme Court fails to bar him:
“If that’s so, then Srini will win. Who’ll oppose him? For one reason or the other, I don’t see any opposition. Not when the men with influence are silent. I’ve retired as an administrator, but my love for cricket remains undiminished. I’ll gun for whoever tries to harm the game in India. You can be assured.”
What he really meant:
“It’s like you can be President but you can’t be governor. Or you can volunteer but you can’t work.”
What he definitely didn’t:
“Let’s play musical chairs with the Supreme Court, the Pied Piper.”
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