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West Indies
Kirk Edwards: What he said, really meant and definitely did not
What he said:
"I use my feet. Whether it’s Harbhajan or not … I don’t play names."
Kirk Edwards is not intimidated by Harbhajan Singh or any other spinner. He’s got twinkling feet.
What he really meant:
“I play each ball on its merits. It doesn’t matter to me who’s bowling.”
What he definitely didn’t:
“Does Bhajji turn the ball?”
Darren Sammy: What he said, really meant and definitely did not
What he said:
“The best man who walked the face of the earth never did anything wrong, but he was still crucified. And I am nowhere close to that.”
It cannot be said that Darren Sammy is unaware of his tenuous position in the West Indian cricketing squad.
What he really meant:
“I’m skipper. Crucify me. It’s expected. It comes with the job.”
What he definitely didn’t:
“It’s not a paying post.”
Kirk Edwards: What he said, really meant and definitely did not
What he said:
“I never saw Viv leave a ball because I only saw highlights.”
Kirk Edwards is a debutant with panache—with bat and microphone. Viv Richards was his childhood hero whose batting he saw only in highlights. Edwards had to learn to leave the ball in the traditional manner—through coaching.
What he really meant:
“Viv Richards never left a ball go by, I swear!”
What he definitely didn’t:
“Viv Richards made bowling look easy.”
Chris Gayle, Indian cricket team and Anirudha Srikkanth
Chris Gayle
Chris Gayle, Chris Gayle, Chris Gayle.
It’s all about the West Indian opening bat.
Will he ever play for the Windies again?
The solution to this riddle may lie with Caribbean Community (CARICOM). The heads of government opted to resurrect the prime ministerial sub-committee on cricket to resolve the dispute.
For uninterested outsiders, it becomes harder and harder to sympathise with the Jamaican player. Not because the decision taken by the West Indian Cricket Board is fair, but because it seems he’s crying himself hoarse despite being richer to the tune of $265,000 plus his RCB fee of $400,000. Being a free agent has its perks when you’re Chris Gayle.
Dr. Ernest Hilaire and Dinanath Ramnarine are the other high-profile faces of the warring sides in this drama. The man in the centre of the storm is Ottis Gibson, the West Indian coach.
Gibson is a former player from Barbados who played a couple of Tests snaring three big wickets in Alec Stewart, Darren Gough and Jacques Kallis. Gayle appears to have more than a few issues with the current coach, a common thread repeated by Shivnarine Chanderpaul among others. A resolution to the crisis can only happen if Gibson is shown the door. Every predicament has a scapegoat.
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.”
Stuart Clark: What he said, really meant and definitely did not
What he said:
“"I can categorically say we won’t be paying Chris Gayle one quarter of our salary to come and play."
Sydney Sixers general manager, Stuart Clark, makes it clear that it is unlikely that his side will spend a quarter of a million dollars on the West Indian opener for the Big Bash league. Each side is restricted to a salary cap of one million Australian dollars.
What he really meant:
“We can’t afford free agents like Chris Gayle—not at those prices. Our focus is local.”
What he definitely didn’t:
“We’re discriminating against Chris.”
Chris Gayle’s travails highlight ‘club vs country’ debate once more
What will Chris Gayle do? What can he do?
The West Indian bat is not forgiven by the West Indian Cricket Board (WICB).
“It’s our way or the highway” was the message to the Jamaican all-rounder in the latest meet between representatives of the WICB and the West Indian Players Association (WIPA) called to resolve the differences between Chris Gayle and WICB.
The aggrieved board insists that Gayle retract his statements,critical of the board’s functioning specifically about mishandling his injury and his turning out for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL.
Kieron Pollard: What he said, really meant and definitely did not
What he said:
“Optimal fitness is not about sporting a six pack.They only look good on TV or the beach.”
Kieron Pollard does not feel the need to build up “mirror muscles” or a six-pack. He is a firm believer that fitness is what you need—it has to be practical, something you can use.
What he really meant:
“Endurance and agility—that’s what cricketers need.”
What he definitely didn’t:
“I love Kevin Pietersen’s washboard-like abs.”
Andy Roberts: What he said, really meant and definitely did not
What he said:
“But now, he[Munaf Patel] is spinning the ball.”
Andy Roberts says that Indian pace bowlers cut down on pace at international level, becoming slower and slower over the years.He believe that they are transformed into line-and-length bowlers by their coaches.
What he really meant:
“Anil Kumble can bowl as quick as Munaf.”
What he definitely didn’t:
“That’s the reason why the West Indies have slower pitches in recent times.”
Andy Roberts: What he said, really meant and definitely did not
What he said:
“The knowledge is with me. But I can’t be going around asking for work.”
Andy Roberts, legendary West Indian fast bowler, is indignant at the treatment meted out to him by the West Indian Cricket Board (WICB). He feels that “the top brass needs a kick in the back side”—the WICB had 18 directors at one time.
What he really meant:
“I don’t get the respect I deserve.”
What he definitely didn’t:
“Make me the 19th director of the West Indian Cricket Board.”
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Make Time For Sports. 