cricket board

Shashank Manohar: What he said, really meant and definitely did not

What he said:

“It is not as if the BCCI is a closed-door body.”

BCCI President, Shashank Manohar, defends the cricket board’s right to stay independent. The Indian sports ministry is seeking to classify the richest sports body in the world as a national federation under the proposed National Sports (Development) Bill 2011. It is believed that the move would make the BCCI accountable under the Right To Information (RTI) act—a view contested by the BCCI.

Manohar reacted claiming that the BCCI “being a non-governmental organization, which has its own constitution and generates its own funds” does not fall under any of the applicable categories.

“In fact, there are two orders passed by the country’s Chief Information Commissioner wherein it has been clearly stated that the RTI Act doesn’t apply to the BCCI."

The Board President contended:

“All said and done, cricket is the best administered sport in the country.”

What he really meant:

“How can we have a closed door policy? There is no door. Lalit Modi’s generous tweets and disclosures (from UK) battered it down.”

What he definitely didn’t:

“The BCCI is sanctioning the building of a fresh office—all glass.”

Upali Dharmadasa: What he said, really meant and definitely did not

What he said:

“What has been happening was the player trying to be the ruler. If the player becomes the ruler we can’t play a game."

Sri Lankan sports minister, Upali Dharmadasa, is less than pleased with Kumara Sangakkara’s speech at the Marylebone Cricket Club exposing the shenanigans within the Sri Lankan Cricket Board.

What he really meant:

“We politicians can’t play cricket, can we? But neither can he (Sangakkara), if he’s administrating. Does he want a party ticket?”

What he definitely didn’t:

“By the players, for the players, of the players.”

Dimitri Mascarenhas selected for game versus Middlesex by SL (Satire)

 

In a surprise move, Farveez Maharoof and Dimitri Mascarenhas have been named in the Sri Lankan squad that plays Middlesex at Uxbridge from May 14-16, 2011 in the first warm-up game of the tour.

While Maharoof is currently contracted out to Lancashire, the naming of Mascarenhas has come like a ‘bolt out of the blue’.

Continue reading →

Random cricketing thoughts on the IPL and beyond

The Ducksworth-Lewis method of calculating second-innings totals has come under the scanner.Mahela Jayawardene and Stephen Fleming criticised the system as being ‘unfair’ and not really suited to T20 cricket.

Brickbats are justified since T20 is a racier, pacier form of cricket compared to ODIs, which are in comparison relatively sedate.

Franchise owners, at the IPL auctions, took player availability into account while making their selections. No team wished to have key players missing during the critical part of the tournament.

Anil Kumble bids farewell to IPL, continues as chief mentor to RCB

Image via Wikipedia

Anil Kumble will not be on sale in IPL 4.

The former India captain and leg-spinner has withdrawn his name from the list of players for the Jan 8-9 auction.

The move, by itself, is not a surprise;its timing and suddenness has aroused speculation.

Jumbo is a busy man. He has a lot on his plate. He was recently elected President of Karnataka State Cricket Board. He is also a  businessman and a keen wildlife photographer.

Continue reading →

Unforgettable quotes from Bishan Singh Bedi

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

Bishan Singh Bedi is never one to mince words—about his contemporaries, protégées, or administrators. He courts controversy like no other. He is the enfant terrible of Indian cricket.

He is a strict disciplinarian. He threatened to dump the Indian cricket team into the ocean in 1990 when he was coach.

Continue reading →

Spirit Of The Game:Will and Grace

The fallout of the condemnatory reaction to the no- ball incident has been swift in its dénouement.

Suraj Randiv has been suspended for the next game and fined 100% of his match fee.

Tillekaratne Dilshan has forfeited his entire match fee as well.

Image via Wikipedia

Kumara Sangakarra gets off with just a slap on the wrist – not even a perfunctory rap on the knuckles.

The Sri Lankan cricket board was quick to react and ordered an enquiry into the unsavory affair.

The Sri Lankan board comes out smelling like roses; it has been commended by the ICC for its speedy resolution of the controversy. The Spirit Of The Game has been enforced.

The same cannot be said of the other protagonists in L’affaire No Ball.