sports

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

What he said:

“If the correct decisions were made, the game would have finished much earlier and I would have been in the hotel by now.”

MS Dhoni rips into the umpiring during the post-match press conference after the first Test at Kingston, Jamaica.

What he really meant:

“The umpiring was abysmal.”

What he definitely didn’t:

“Due to the late finish and poor umpiring, I missed scrumptious tandoori chicken at the hotel’s restaurant.”

Caroline Wozniacki: What she said, really meant and definitely did not

What she said:

"Well, I think that ball came from the other court. I saw it coming.I saw it moving into the court. Then I asked for replaying the point.”

Caroline Wozniacki recounts her reaction to a ball landing in Court 2 in her second round match against Virginie Razzano.

What she really meant:

“What? Where? How? Replay, please!”

What she definitely didn’t:

“Did I hit the ball, already?”

Maria Sharapova: What she said, really meant and definitely did not

What she said:

"I don’t have any regrets about being 24."

Maria Sharapova is enjoying her status as one of the elder stateswomen on the WTA tour.The Russian has won three majors in her eight years and is one of the favourites for this year’s Wimbledon.

What she really meant:

“I’m 24 and I’m old. So what?”

What she definitely didn’t:

“I feel like I’m a 100 years old.”

Scott Styris: What he said, really meant and definitely did not

What he said:

“Seeing Southee open the batting for Essex tonight and score 74 off 34 balls is enough to drive anyone to give up the game!”

Scott Styris is jocular about his reasons for quitting the game.

What he really meant:

“If Southee can play better cricket than me, I might as well quit.”

What he definitely didn’t:

“Tim Southee is so much better than Virender Sehwag.”

Ryan Harrison:What he said, really meant and definitely did not

What he said:

"I’ve been in trouble with [my temper] since I was young.When I was 5, 6 years old, every single time I got mad or threw a racket, I had to do 20 push-ups. And it wasn’t that I stopped the racket throwing or getting mad — I just did a lot of push-ups."

Ryan Harrison, the hope of American men’s tennis, admits he has a temper from an early age and was penalised for it—often.

What he really meant:

“I’ve always had a vile temper.”

What he definitely didn’t:

“I love doing push-ups.”

Sanath Jayasuriya: What he said, really meant and definitely did not

What he said:

"When you play as a cricketer, they all love you as a unit. When you go to a [political] party, naturally it’s divided. So I need to face that.Just before I came to politics, I thought of that, and I know it’s going to be a half-half situation – unless you’re a very big fan of mine."

Sanath Jayasuriya accepts that he will not be adored unconditionally as a politician, as he was when he was merely a cricketer. The Sri Lankan legend is a member of parliament on a  ticket from President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s Sri Lanka Freedom Party.

What he really meant:

“Politics is divisive and so are politicians.”

What he definitely didn’t:

“I do things by half.”

Aravane Rezai: What she said, really meant and definitely did not

What she said:

“We are not machines, we are human beings.Every player has their personal problems. Me, I have them, too, a bit more than the others, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to go on a court and win matches.”

Aravane Rezai says that although she has her problems, it does not mean she throws matches.

What she really meant:

“It’s tough to play with personal problems—for anyone.”

What she definitely didn’t:

“Just call me Robo Rezai.”

Lalit Modi, BCCI and ICL: Why did Modi reveal all?

If it had not been the BCCI that first linked him to the Sri Lankan Premier League (SLPL), his recent disclosures about the Indian Cricket League (ICL) could have been construed as yet another attempt by Lalit Modi to turn the spotlight back on him.

The ex-IPL honcho projects an impression of missing the glory, accolades and kudos that came his way when he was the high-flying architect of the biggest organizational success story in international cricket since Kerry Packer‘s  World Series Cricket (WSC).

The Indian television media, as expected, went overboard on his revelations. Arnab Goswami of Times Now button-holed the IPL founder on prime time. Lalit Modi flatly denied any connection with the Sri Lankan league—direct or indirect.

To attribute altruistic considerations  to Lalit Modi’s revelations—as Arnab rightly pointed out—is foolish. However, to dismiss the allegations as ravings of a disgruntled ex-BCCI employee or to term him a liar is foolhardy.

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John McEnroe: What he said, really meant and definitely did not

What he said:

“Viv Richards was the Rod Laver of cricket.”

John McEnroe shows that he’s not just a tennis buff. Vivian Richards is the cricketing version of Rod Laver, according to the legend.

What he really meant:

“Yeah, I know cricket and I know Viv Richards and, sure as hell, do Rod Laver too.”

What he definitely didn’t:

“Rod Laver is the Viv Richards of tennis.”

Shahar Peer:What she said, really meant and definitely did not

What she said:
”Tennis can be atrocious sometimes… BUT i have to keep going!!!”

Israeli tennis player, Shahar Peer, tweets her reaction to her first round loss at Wimbledon.

What she really meant:

“One bad day  at the office does not mean that I’m a lousy player.”

What she definitely didn’t:

“The sport is atrocious and so are tennis players.”