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2011 in review
The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2011 annual report for this blog.
Here’s an excerpt:
The concert hall at the Syndey Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 29,000 times in 2011. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 11 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.
Greg Chappell: What he said, really meant and definitely did not
Greg Chappell Says That Aussie Cricketers Are ‘Hippier’ Than Their Indian Counterparts
What he said:
“It was so hierarchical, it made Australian teams look like commune.”
Former India coach, Greg Chappell reveals the bureaucratic nature of the Indian dressing room during his tenure.
Chappell, in his autobiography “Fierce Focus”, salutes current Indian skipper, MS Dhoni, as his “go to man” and the voice of young players.
The Australian maintains that the young players were overawed by their seniors and would not contribute in team meetings for fear of incurring their (seniors) displeasure.
“The real ray of hope for the Indian team was Mahendra Singh Dhoni, one of the most impressive young cricketers I’d ever worked with. He was smart, and able to read the game as perceptively as the best leaders," Chappell wrote.
Chappell said:
If I wanted to know what was going on in the middle, Dhoni became my go to man. He would eventually break down one of the biggest problems in the India teams.
…the youngster would say, ‘I can’t speak before so-and-so. If I speak up before a senior player, they will hold it against me forever.’ Some were petrified, flat out refusing to say a word in a meeting before, say, Tendulkar had spoken.
Chappell elaborates on his relationship with Saurav Ganguly, the stormy petrel of Indian cricket.
His idea was probably ‘you scratch my back, I scratch yours’.
He expected I would be so grateful to him for getting me the job that I’d become his henchman in his battle to remain captain. I, on the other hand, took on a job with the primary responsibility to Indian cricket and the Indian people.
There were a billion of them and only one of Sourav. I wanted to help India become the best cricket team in the world.
If that means eventually they could only become that team without Sourav, then so be it.
Chappell adds,that on the field, "there was no bigger panicker than Sourav."
Chappell is none-too-pleased with Indian players aversion to confrontation:
When I sat down and talked with him about it, he would agree to everything I asked, but then go his own way. Some other senior players were similarly expert at Gandhian passive resistance: saying ‘Yes yes yes’ before doing the exact opposite. Each time he agreed, then didn’t do it.
What Greg Chappell really meant:
“Indian bureaucracy was truly alive and kicking in the national cricket side.”
What Greg Chappell definitely didn’t:
“Now, you know why us Ozzies love visiting Goa.”
Ajay Maken: What he said, really meant and definitely did not
Ajay Maken Cannot Be Mistaken For An Item Girl
What he said:
“I am not a star or a celebrity or an item girl, I am only a sports minister.”
Ajay Maken is atypically humble when asked whether he will be present for the inaugural Indian Grand Prix at the Buddh International Circuit in NOIDA.
Sports Minister Maken denied promoters Jaypee Group a Rs. 100 crore tax exemption.
Maken said:
“When I rejected their request for tax exemption and custom duty, then why should I expect an invitation?"
The sports minister added:
"Any tax exemption is as good as granting aid. The P T Usha academy does not have a synthetic track, it is such projects which require government support rather than F1.”
No formal invitation was extended by the Jaypee Group to the minister, a move interpreted by sources in the sports ministry as “a deliberate slight”.
The organisers later revealed that two passes had been sent to the minister’s residence.
What Ajay Maken really meant:
“I’m not one of Bernie Ecclestone’s ‘Go-Go girls’. I’m more of a speed-breaker.”
What Ajay Maken definitely didn’t:
“Is Mayawati going to be there?”
Women’s Tennis: Caroline Wozniacki lays down the law for Stacey Allaster to enforce (Humor)
That grunting (and shrieking) is really getting on my nerves.
What is that horrible sound?
That is the sound of cheating, according to Caroline Wozniacki:
I think there are some players who do it on purpose. They don’t do it in practice and then they come into the match and they grunt. I think they [officials] could definitely cut it. If you grunt really loudly your opponent cannot hear how you hit the ball. Because the grunt is so loud, you think the ball is coming fast and suddenly the ball just goes slowly. In tight moments, maybe the grunt helps them with getting less nervous.
So whom is the Woz’s remark aimed at?
Graeme Swann: What he said, really meant and definitely did not
Graeme Swann Provides Skipper Material
What he said:
“I lose my rag fairly easily, so the captains I’ve enjoyed playing under are the ones who don’t get flustered in the middle even when the pressure is on.”
Graeme Swann expounds on his reasons why Kevin Pietersen was not the right choice for skipper of the English cricket side.
Swann wrote—in the Sun:
There is no doubt Kevin Pietersen is a really fine batsman but he was never the right man to captain England.
Some people are better leaders of men and Kev, for all his talent, is not one of those natural leaders.
The English off-spinner further elaborated that he needed someone “who can calm me down”.
Swann said—of Pietersen:
“At one point in India, his leadership was reduced to screaming ‘F****** bowl f****** straight’ at everyone.”
Swann contrasts Andrew Strauss’ leadership saying “he is one of those guys who demands respect.”
The No. 1 Test bowler in the world commended Strauss:
He always says the right things and his word is never questioned.
If you were in the trenches, you’d pick him to be in charge and his captaincy is founded on leading from the front. He can be hard-nosed, too, if necessary.
What Graeme Swann really meant:
“You can rest assured asking me to ‘F****** bowl f****** straight’ got me to do anything but that.”
What Graeme Swann definitely didn’t:
“Just give us a ‘F****** skipper’—as long as it’s not me.”
Serena Williams: What she said, really meant and definitely did not
What she said:
“Well, I give half to my favorite uncle, and then the rest I probably save it hopefully. Pray that the banks don’t go down. (Laughter.)”
Serena William knows just what to do with the $2.8 million she will get at the US Open if she wins.
What she really meant:
“You do know, the Uncle I was referring to is Uncle Sam. Taxes, my friends, taxes.”
What she definitely didn’t:
“You’d think my $1.4 million would prop up the banks.”
India to boycott the London Olympics over Dow Chemicals’ ‘fabric’?
While Indian newspapers’ front pages and TV channels feed off Anna Hazare’s crusade against corruption, the sports sections are chockfull of analysis, recriminations and reactions to Team India’s pitiful surrender of their No.1 Test ranking to England.
The headliners above have buried another burning issue: The unpalatable association of Dow Chemicals with the London Olympics.
Dow’s Performance Plastics Division will deliver a “fabric wrap” for the main stadium made of “sustainable” resins.
London Olympics chief,Sir Sebastian Coe, described the “wrap” provided by Dow Chemicals as “the icing on the cake”.
He said:
“"The stadium will look spectacular at Games time and having the wrap is the icing on the cake. I’m delighted that Dow as one of the newer worldwide partners of the Olympic movement will be providing it and importantly doing it in a sustainable way."
The announcement provoked outrage in India.
Graeme Swann: What he said, really meant and definitely did not
What he said:
"I spend half my working life standing next to Strauss and I have to admit he is a bit of a hero to me."
Graeme Swann admits to hero worshipping his skipper, Andrew Strauss.
What he really meant:
“Strauss is the pillar I lean on. As for the other half of my working life, I spend next to KP. Now you know, no real comparison.”
What he definitely didn’t:
“Andrew, you’re the wind beneath my wings.”
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