Is Messr Vinod Kambli a liar?
Sachin Tendulkar’s schoolmate did a Kapil Dev on national television venting his angst at the perceived injustices done him by Indian selectors and pointing the finger of suspicion against his teammates for the 1996 World Cup semifinal debacle.
What he said:
"At 80 years of age, he [the Eden Gardens curator] has got more life than this pitch."
Jeffrey Dujon, former West Indies wicketkeeper, is caustic about the Eden Gardens wicket for the second Test at Kolkatta.
Prabir Mukherjee is the curator at Eden Gardens.
What he really meant:
“80+ Mukherjee could bat on this pitch.”
What he definitely didn’t:
“Bend your backs, boys.”
“You’ll not get another Sachin Tendulkar in a short time, or it could be you never get a Sachin Tendulkar.”
Saurav Ganguly is an unabashed Sachin Tendulkar fan.
What he really meant:
“A genius like Tendulkar comes along once in a generation or two.”
What he definitely didn’t:
“We’re cloning Tendulkars at Eden Gardens and Wankhede.”
Mumbai Indians crashed to their third defeat in a row. Shane Warne had the last laugh in the clash of titans.
Surprising how the side that looked so consistent and formidable at the start of the tournament is suddenly found wanting on slower pitches. The first three seasons witnessed the team heavily dependent on the genius of Sachin Tendulkar and to a lesser extent, Sanath Jayasuriya’s.Kieron Pollard’s bludgeoning club added heft.
What he said:
“It felt a little odd playing in the stadium without the crowd behind me but, then again, my home stadium is now Eden Gardens so it’s not as if I have moved down market.”
Jacques Kallis on the strangeness of playing an away game for KKR at Chinaswamy Stadium, Bangalore, his former team’s home ground.
What he really meant:
“It’s not so bad, I’ve traded up. Eden Gardens for Bangalore.”
What he definitely didn’t:
“Whom am I kidding? It’s me that’s been traded.”
Two days to go to the India-Australia quarter-final at Motera, Ahmedabad and the Indian media has already begun to hype the meeting as an opportunity for the men in blue to wreak revenge on their counterparts in yellow.
It would be sweet payback for the loss in the 2003 World Cup final.
Revenge is a dish best served cold.
Image via Wikipedia
Mumbai cricket fans were in for a shock on the eve of the opening encounter between India and Bangladesh at Mirpur in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
The Mumbai Fire Department pulled up the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) for flouting fire safety norms at the Wankhede.
Image via Wikipedia
The UK has acquired most favoured nation status among asylum seekers —at least among cricketing ones. Pakistani cricketer and wicket-keeper Pakistan wicketkeeper Zulqarnain Haider has sought safety there following threats from match-fixers. The 24 year old hit the winning run in the fourth one-dayer against the Proteas in the five match series in Dubai.
Haider alleged that he was approached to fix the fourth and fifth ODIs. Pakistani cricket continues to shrivel under the shadow of the recent spot-fixing scandal.